Memorize: Hypocrisy found in Peter
Key Verses: 3, 8, 12, 14, 20
For those of us who were not born Jewish, circumcision is often without meaning. But for observant Jews, circumcision was the opening outward sign of submission to the Covenant of the Lord. It was the first step in a life of Jewish ritual and culture. So when Paul says that his fellow worker, Titus, was not compelled to be circumcised this was a big deal. The false teachers said you had to take this first step, even as a Jesus-follower, if you wanted to follow the Lord. Titus did not, but was fully accepted.
Paul’s official ministry was to non-Jewish peoples. The Gospel had bridged the gap and closed the door on prejudice. God did not play favorites, so we should not either. The leaders in Jerusalem confirmed the Truth of the message being preached and accepted that non-Jewish people were included.
The problem came in when Peter changed his practice. He was open to accepting Gentiles on these new terms of freedom. But he gave in to peer pressure when some Jews arrived from Jerusalem, sent by James. He stopped exercising his freedom and stopped associating with Gentiles. Paul calls this for what it is: hypocrisy. We see something like this in the movie “The Help.” The main character’s mother retells the story of the firing of their long serving nanny. She does this because of pressure from the leader of a women’s group bent on maintaining the status quo. Peer pressure can be devastating to our walk with Jesus.
Peter didn’t even live by the standards he wanted non-Jews to keep. This was clear hypocrisy. It is impossible to please God by keeping a set of rules. Faith in Jesus is what counts. His life and death paid for our sins. His resurrection brings us life. I died when Jesus died, died to the requirements of the Law. They are fulfilled in Jesus, so there is no need for me to fulfill them. It would be like me still sending in my mortgage payment to the bank after the loan is completely paid off. If I don’t owe any money on the loan, why would I still send in my money? If the requirements of the Law are fulfilled in Jesus, why would I have to try to fulfill them again?
I choose freedom. I don’t have to meet the requirements because Jesus already met them. I now live a life of obedience out of thankfulness. I yield my will to His because my future is secure.
Review: Luke
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