How dangerous are false teachers? Don’t they teach from the Bible? How can you know the difference? These are all valid questions and concerns. Once again, we must go to the Words of Jehovah to ascertain the only true answers to life’s questions. Let us go back to what the apostle Paul was instructed to deliver to us. First, we should carefully meditate on the power of traditions. Jesus was very direct in His condemnation of the Pharisees on their reliance on their traditions over the Bible.
Mark 7:6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7:7 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'
7:8 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
7:9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.
You can’t teach both. You can’t maintain they both are true. Only one can be true. Are is the commandments of Jehovah true or the traditions of men? But, traditions have invaded and taken over the ‘church’ ever since the Reformation, which was really just the Revision-ation.
Now back to Paul.
Galatians 2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
How can Paul confront Peter/Cephas right to his face? Where is unity and christian love? Who is Paul anyway? Peter is right here in Jerusalem and he taught the first sermon here which birthed the ‘church’. If Paul had questions, why didn’t he go to Peter personally?
2:12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.
Fear is a very powerful motivator. You can see this today with all the fear of disease that has put the whole world in quarantine. Since Peter is an apostle, shouldn’t everyone obey and even fear him? The problem is that even leaders can make mistakes, be influenced by others, and old habits die hard. Wasn’t this issue put to rest along time ago when Peter visited Cornelius?
Acts 10:24 On the following day he (Peter and some other brothers) entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
10:25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.
10:26 But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am just a man."
10:27 As he talked with him, he entered and *found many people assembled. 10:28 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
10:29 "That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me."
So Peter went from Joppa to Caesarea to respond to Jehovah’s calling. He clearly reminded all that it is unlawful (that is against the laws of the Pharisees) to meet with, eat with, or show hospitality to Gentiles.
Acts 11:1 Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 11:2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, 1:3 saying, "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them."
So the party of the circumcision was waiting for him to return to Jerusalem.
Acts 11:15 "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 1:16 "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
11:17 "Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
11:18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life."
This seemed to end well. Peter clearly outlined how Jehovah lead him to Cornelius and how He gave them the same Holy Spirit that He had given all of them. All of this without any requirement to follow man’s traditions. So this closed this discussion forever, or did it?
2:13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
Just like a bad apple can ruin the bushel, too many follow the wrong leaders to the wrong conclusions. See the rest of them were easily led to rejoin the hypocrisy of the few and comfort of their hundreds of years of traditions.
2:14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
Since this was a very public sin, it had to be dealt with publicly. Even Barnabas joined in with Peter. These two were not novices or babes in the faith. They were leaders of the faith. Yet, they all fell into line and moved back from unity in the faith to disunity and two classes of the redeemed.
Paul was right and Peter was wrong. Both could not be right.
More next Saturday.