“Gentle Confrontation” – FBC Morning Light (11/26/2024)

Gentle Confrontation in Galatians 2

Well a good Tuesday morning to you. Today in our Bible reading we're reading Acts.

19 verses 8 to 41, and then the first four chapters of the book of Galatians. And what stands out to me in Galatians chapter 2 is the fact that even the even the godliest and the most theologically astute individuals can, they can err.

They can blow it. They can make some terrible mistakes. In the heat of a moment they can make decisions that could really bring reproach upon the gospel, upon the cause of Christ. And that comes out in chapter 2 with this confrontation between Paul and Peter.

Now when you read these verses how do you envision this? You know, I trust that you do that. You read these historical things and, you know, you allow your mind's eye to, you know, to play them out, if you will.

So we read that in verse 11 that when Peter, Paul writes, and he says, when Peter had come to Antioch I withstood him to his face. That word withstood means I opposed him. I opposed him to his face because he was to be blamed.

And he goes on to explain what the issue was. And so what Peter was doing was he was kowtowing, if you will, to the Jews who thought that everybody should, Gentiles included, should become Jews, basically.

That Gentile believers needed to be circumcised and so forth. They're called the Judaizers. And Peter was kowtowing to them, and he withdrew from the Gentiles and wouldn't eat with them to placate the Judaizers.

And so Paul confronted him with this, and he says before, Paul says before when Peter came he would eat with the Gentiles, but when they, these Judaizers from Jerusalem came, Peter withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision, the Judaizers.

And he says the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. So, Paul says, when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, if you being a Jew live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

And then he goes on to explain justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. He's in verse 16. He says, we who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law.

For by works of the law no flesh shall be justified, and so on. Now, how do you envision that confrontation taking place? I imagine that most of us would see this with, you know, Paul with a stern, you know, kind of angry look on his face, and raised voice, and almost in anger lashing out at Peter.

That's the way these kinds of things often happen, isn't it? But do you think that's the way it was? I suppose it could have been, but then later on in chapter 6, when Paul's closing the book of Galatians, he says that there needs to be a different approach than that.

Because he says, brethren, if a man has overtaken any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Well, that'll be in our reading tomorrow, but a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

So I think when Paul confronted Peter back in Galatians chapter 2, I don't see it as Paul having a mean, angry look on his face, and an angry tone in his voice, like he's getting ready to have a fistfight with Peter.

I don't see that. I read it a little differently. I read it with gentleness in Paul's voice, where he says, Peter, Peter, what are you doing? If you, who are a Jew, live in the manner of the Gentiles and not as the Jews, then why do you compel the Gentiles to live like a Jew?

What are you thinking here? And then he goes on to explain the truth of justification by grace alone through faith alone. I think that's the approach he took. I think it would be rather inconsistent for him to have approached this man who was overtaken in a fault with that kind of angry animosity that we might picture him to have had.

I don't think so. And I think that that gentle confrontation is the approach that, as Paul tells us in Galatians 6 to take, I think we would be better served if when we need to confront, we come at it with that kind of a spirit.

A Spirit of Gentleness in Correction

Well, let's pray that God gives us that spirit. Our Father and our God, I pray that when we are confronted with the need to confront, we would consider ourselves lest we also be tempted. We would approach with a spirit of gentleness.

Give us that kind of meek and gentle spirit, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. All right, well listen, have a good rest of your Tuesday. And by the way, tonight at Faith Baptist, we're having a Thanksgiving praise service at 7 o 'clock.

If you're in the Sauk Valley area and you're looking for a service to attend that focuses on the need to give thanks in this season of Thanksgiving, come join us, 7 o 'clock tonight. Well, have a good rest of your day.

God bless.