Galatians 2:11-21 Speaking The Truth In Love

Have you ever dwelt with a relationship issue and struggled to deal with it? This week’s message from Galatians records one of the best known conflicts in the early church and in it we see a model for how we should deal with controversy and end up with the good Christian fellowship that we talked about last week.

We begin with the source of the conflict. These verses bring out three factors that brought about this controversy. The first factor is fear. Paul records in verse 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.” Peter drew back from his close association with the Gentile believers because of fear. It was not fear of God but fear of men. The second factor is Hypocrisy. Peter would associate with the Gentile believers when the law keeping believers were not present. Peter would then pretend that He didn’t associate with the non-law-keeping gentile believers when the law-observant Jews came to visit. Hypocrisy, it’s hurtful to people, it discredits the cause of Christ, it causes struggles in relationships. The last factor in the conflict is legalism. The forcing of the Gentile believers to follow Jewish customs. When we try to force our customs on others we are causing conflict. Legalism is when I tell you that you must practice my custom.

Paul lays out the solution for us in these verses as well. The first part of the solution is confrontation. Paul confronts Peter in verse 11. “When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.” Paul didn’t get on the phone nor did he whisper behind Peter’s back. Instead he went to Peter and said let’s talk about it. Many of us fear confrontation, but without it wounds fester.

Let’s bring the issues to the surface so we can deal with it. Another vital part of the solution is truth. Paul deals with the problem by reminding Peter of the Truth He already knows verses 15,16,21. Before you jump into confrontation, make sure you know the truth. When we confront error with truth we must do it according to the Scriptural admonition to speak the truth in Love. If we do this it will lead to the final step in the solution to conflict, Reconciliation. In II Peter 3:15,16 about the thoughts and feelings of Peter. At the end of his life Peter looks to Paul not as a rival but as a dear brother and he acknowledges Paul’s apostleship and the fact that Paul’s letters are in fact Holy Scripture. Confrontation with the truth, in a spirit of humility and prayer and love does not divide, it unites. If you have a relationship issue use this example that Paul gives us and resolve it. Resolving relationship issues will help each of us have a better Thanksgiving.