Galatians 2:11-14
Notes
Transcript
[SCRIPTURE ANNOUNCEMENT] Let’s turn to
(Pew Bible: pg. 1004)
[INTRO]
[INTRO] - Raising of Lazarus from the dead.
The Fruit of Peter’s Sin. ()
The second truth, however, is that we are becoming “like Christ.” Our lives are a process by which we are progressively becoming more and more like our Lord. This is what we call “sanctification...” It is, in a sense, the application of our justification. It is our salvation made actual.
I have always thought this is such a vivid picture of our salvation!
The Root of Peter’s Sin. ()
Lazarus had been dead for 4 days! Jesus came when there was no hope!
Raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus calls him forth - and He does! Such a vivid picture!
I have always thought this is such a vivid picture of our salvation!
The Correction for Peter’s Sin. ()
- Notice, even though he was alive - his grave cloths still had to be removed!
Lazarus had been dead for 4 days! Jesus came when there was no hope!
Jesus calls him forth - and He does! Such a vivid picture!
—> Just like Lazarus, we are alive in Christ!! Our Inner lives - our souls - are alive! This is Regeneration!
{IMP} Yet, just like Lazarus, we are still in the process of removing our grave clothes! One piece at a time!
This is SANCTIFICATION
à Notice, even though he was alive - his grave cloths still had to be removed!
We are all in this process! It will only be complete in heaven! I am! You are!
à Just like Lazarus, we are alive in Christ!! Our Inner lives - our souls - are alive! This is Regeneration!
[Transition] Peter was too! We’re going to see this today in our text.
{IMP} Yet, just like Lazarus, we are still in the process of removing our grave clothes! One piece at a time!
This is SANCTIFICATION We are all in this process! It will only be complete in heaven! I am! You are!
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[SCRIPTURE INTRO]
[Transition] Peter was too! We’re going to see this today in our text.
READ TEXT
Paul has been arguing his gospel did not come from any man, but from God. ()
He did not get it from any man and he did not receive his ministry from any man. Instead, his ministry and his gospel came directly from God!
[SCRIPTURE INTRO]
Paul has been arguing his gospel did not come from any man, but from God. ()
He’s telling us this because he’s showing us that ONLY the Gospel has the power to change a life!
He did not get it from any man and he did not receive his ministry from any man. Instead, his ministry and his gospel came directly from God!
He only went to Jerusalem 2x in those early years! Once to see Peter for 15 days. Secondly, he went up to deliver famine relief from Antioch to Jerusalem.
While they were there, Paul explained his gospel to them. - - They added nothing to him, and they gave him the right hand of fellowship.
He’s telling us this because he’s showing us that ONLY the Gospel has the power to change a life!
But now, we’re coming to probably the most powerful part of the argument - the part that Paul saved for last.
He only went to Jerusalem 2x in those early years! Once to see Peter for 15 days. Secondly, he went up to deliver famine relief from Antioch to Jerusalem.
Probably because it happened this way, but also because there is no stronger argument to show that Paul’s Gospel was not from man, but from God!
While they were there, Paul explained his gospel to them. -
They added nothing to him, and they gave him the right hand of fellowship.
It is the same gospel that the apostles preached - but not only this, the Jerusalem apostles not only agreed with it - they submitted to its authority!!
à But now, we’re coming to probably the most powerful part of the argument - the part that Paul saved for last.
Probably because it happened this way, but also because there is no stronger argument to show that Paul’s Gospel was not from man, but from God!
It is the same gospel that the apostles preached - but not only this, the Jerusalem apostles not only agreed with it - they submitted to its authority!!
à Paul’s going to show us this by telling us about this incident that happened between him and Peter.
Not telling us this to make Peter look bad, or make himself look good!
Showing us that even Peter is under the authority of God! Under the authority of the Gospel!
à So, the Gospel is the only message of salvation that comes from God! It is the only message that can save our soul! That can change a life!
à If the Gospel is going to have its work over our lives, we must submit to its authority over us!
à Scripture speaks of our salvation in 2 beautiful, complementary ways:
“In Christ” – à Justification, Regeneration
We are to be “Like Christ”
Sanctification – becoming holy!
This is the process of removing the grave cloths- Every putrid strip of our lives touched by death must be removed!
è In order to do this, we must submit to our lives under the authority of the truth of the Gospel!
How do we do this?
Paul’s confrontation with Peter shows us 2 Primary steps:
Resist Sin’s Corrupting Influence.
Submit to Scriptures’ Correcting Instruction.
Resist Sin’s Corrupting Influence. (vs. 11-13)
What exactly happened here?
Paul says in vs. 11 – “When Peter came to Antioch.”
We don’t know exactly when this was. My guess is Acts 12:47.
Anyway, during that time, Paul opposed Peter to his face…”
This is really not as strong as it comes across in English.
Does not mean there was open hostility between these 2.
But it was necessary because….
à Condemned – a strong word!
Not as strong as “anathema” – vs. 1:8-9
But it is strong – so strong that some teachers think Paul is trying to make Peter look bad.
Stronger than just “being in the wrong”
He was actually guilty of something henious before God!
Notice here the seriousness of sin! Even in the life of a believer!
Don’t think that just because we are forgiven that sin is no longer a serious matter in our lives!
We Must Resist Sin’s Root Cause. (vs. 12)
Think about this for a minute! This was Peter!
Of all people, Peter should have known better!
It was Peter who –
Preached at Pentecost and saw 3,000 added to the church!
Received the vision of and brought the Gospel to the Gentiles!
Defended the Gentiles’ receiving the Gospel in chapter 11.
How could Peter do this?
“because he was fearing the circumcision party…”
When these came down from James, Peter slipped into old habits.
What was he afraid of?
They were no threat. Honestly, the worst they could have done is ridicule him, or “tell on him” to the church in Jerusalem!
What harm was that?
But, just like when Peter took his eyes off Christ and looked the waves on the sea and began to be afraid…
Just like when Peter took his eyes off Christ and denied him 3X the night he was crucified.
So – once again Peter took his eyes off Christ and loved his reputation more than the Gospel.
This was old, weak Peter coming back
We Must Resist by Remembering Sin’s Fruit. (12-13)
Sin always looks so good at first – but it bears a rotten fruit!
Look at what happened..
à Sin’s effect on Peter himself…
Caused Peter to draw back.
The way this is worded indicates that this was not something that happened right away… It was gradual. Sin usually is…
He gradually and gradually stepped back and isolated himself until one day…
He separated himself completely from the fellowship.
He had completely gone back into his old ways.
This was bad enough…
à His Effect on Others (vs. 13)
The rest of the Jewish believers began to do the same!
Sin always has a dividing influence in the fellowship!
That’s exactly what’s happening here!
In fact, it’s so bad that he’s even taking the leadership with him!
Even Barnabas himself was caught up in this!
à Paul says that this was hypocrisy!
In other words, they were acting like something they weren’t!
Usually, hypocrisy is used to describe someone who acts like they are a Christian but are not sincere.
But in this case, it’s describing someone who is a genuine Christian who has gone back to their old ways!
This is not who they are anymore! They are in Christ!
So we Must resist sin’s corrupting influence in our hearts!
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
– When we stop fearing the Lord, we begin to lose wisdom. This is exactly what happened with Peter!
– When we stop fearing the Lord, we begin to lose wisdom. This is exactly what happened with Peter!
When we do not fear the Lord, we will fear something else! We will begin to serve a new master – a heart motivation.
It will take over and we will revert to sinful ways in our heart!
Submit to Scriptures’ Correcting Instruction. (vs. 14)
Paul says in vs. 14, “When I saw…”
Where was Paul when this was going on? It doesn’t seem like he was around when this started.
But now, he comes back and he finds his precious Antioch believers divided, and he traces it back to the source – Peter himself!
Paul tells us that we must…
Allow the Scriptures to Examine Us in light of Christ.
Paul says that when he saw that their conduct was not “in step with the truth of the Gospel.”
What was the big deal?
Under the Law, there were certain foods that could not be eaten.They were unclean.
There is some history here, but during the time between the Old and New Testament, the Jews began to teach that not only could they not eat certain foods, but they couldn’t even go into the house of people who had those foods.
They made sure that everyone knew that they were Jews and they were chosen by God – and everyone else wasn’t!
By separating from them, they were saying the God’s grace was not enough to make the Gentiles clean before God! They had to follow the Jewish law!
It denied the most central truth of the Gospel!
22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
.
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In Christ, there is no distinction between Jew or Greek!
Christ is the Savior of all! And he has saved us by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone!
Their actions were denying the Gospel itself!
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- In the same way, we must allow the Scriptures to examine our hearts and
- In the same way, we must allow the Scriptures to examine our hearts and
Allow the Scriptures to Change us to be Like Christ.
Paul’s question to Peter –
“If you, even though you are a Jew, live like a Gentile…”
“live” in Galatians always refers to our life in Christ!
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
In other words, Paul is asking him, “Peter, if you are saved like the Gentiles, even though you are a Jew, then why are you asking the Gentiles to act like they are Jews?”
Paul goes on and says this clearly in vs. 15-16. We are Jews and not Gentiles, but a person is not justified through the works of the law!
So – Peter – why are you asking them to become like Jews!
This is a powerful argument!
You can see why he’s bringing it up!
The Galatians are not being led by false teachers – legalistic teachers – that they must become Jews in order to become fully in Christ!
Paul confronted Peter himself and said, “We, even though we are Jews, must be saved the same way as Gentiles!”
Paul doesn’t tell us what happened… But:
10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
Peter learned his lesson!
Peter learned his lesson!
It doesn’t matter if you came to Christ through a religious family background, a pagan background, a heathen background, or any other background –
We are all justified the same way – through the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
If you haven’t come to Christ through the Gospel, you haven’t come to Christ at all!
If you think God saved you because you have a “good heart,” you haven’t come to Christ at all!
If you’re here and wondering if Christ will save you if you turn from your sins and trust in him – Yes he will!