What is up with Peter?
This is the second week of the Blogged Bible Study. We are going chapter by chapter through Paul’s letter to the Church of Galatia. To read the other posts on chapter 2 of Galatians check out the Blogged Bible Study page.
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If you have read my posts for awhile you will know a couple things.
1. I don’t see the bible as a linear set of writings. I look for the connections and look for the circles to be complete. The consistent message of Christ salvation throughout.
2. I some times post what I call a ramble. This is nothing more than me typing my thoughts as I read through and study scripture. I often have no real focus or theme, just my personal reflection as I pray for God’s guidance on the scripture.
What follows may not make any since. The other posts on Gal 2 have all done amazing jobs breaking down the key parts of the chapter. Peter’s legalism, justification and salvation by Grace, and to add to Grace discounts the sacrifice of Christ. But…
14When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel
Not acting in line with the Gospel? Huh? Time to dig a little. I mean I know the basics Peter was trying to act important in front of James, and was trying to make the gentiles take on Jewish laws and customs. The word acting got me. So I dug into a couple other translations.
Amplified
14But as soon as I saw that they were not straightforward and were not living up to the truth of the Gospel
KJV
14But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel
I know some of you will not like this but the Message paraphrase actually gave me the most clarity…
14But when I saw that they were not maintaining a steady, straight course according to the Message
What is it Proverbs says? Trust in the lord with all you heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will keep your path straight.
Ahhh Peter… Lean not on your understanding. Acknowledge Him… Don’t you remember when you got out of the boat, and you took your eyes off him, when you doubted your faith? You sank…Now you are wandering off course because you aren’t focused on what Christ did for us, and you are acting on your own accord. Christ freed us from the law, and gave us Grace.
As I went to sleep last night this post was far from finished. I woke up needing to know what Peter thought about the straight path.
1 Peter 1:14-16
14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
1 Peter 2:11-12
11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Paul in Galatians was warning Peter about these very things. Be obedient to the path of the Gospel, so that these gentiles can see a difference in you. Peter was forgetting.
Iron sharpens Iron, and Paul did not let Peter's status intimidate him. Instead he boldly with the Truth faced Peter, and pointed him back to straight path in accordance to the Truth. He was making sure Peter understood that his actions were affecting the message of the Gospel being preached to the Galatians. By focusing on that truth of Grace, we stay on the straight path of righteousness because of that focus. Not the other way around. Anything we do on our own only adds to that Grace.
Paul in 1 Corinthians clearly states the Gospel, and even mentions Peter, ironic huh?
1 Cor 15:3-5 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
There is nothing else we can add to that. The message of Christ is clear. Christ and Christ alone…
