Paul Opposes Peter (Galatians 2: 11-14)
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Think about it...Peter was a man that was directly mentored by Jesus for 3 years, was taught by Him post-resurrection and received the Power of the Holy Spirit as promised. This Power dramatically altered Peter's life as he proclaimed the gospel and was a leader in the newly formed Church. However --Peter was still dealing with a primary character flaw: fear of man or fear of rejection. It was the same flaw that we saw earlier in his 'infamous' denial of Christ. Jesus exposed him prior to the Cross...and Paul was addressing the same core issue some 15 years later! In spite of Peter's incredible revelation and anointing, he still needed to be directly confronted and held accountable for his destructive actions. Note what Paul did -- he exposed Peter in front of all the others! In other words, he told Peter what he needed to hear...not what he wanted to hear. Peter's actions had a negative impact on others, and, more importantly, the GOSPEL. His behaviors could not go without exposure and correction. This was a dramatic and radical approach...but was in the best interest of the Gospel and the best interest of Peter. In spite of the anointing, Peter needed another person to expose his character flaws so that he could fully develop into the image of Christ.
Probably one of the most significant changes in my life during the past 5 years has been consistently accountability. God has graciously placed specific men in my life that provide a level of scrutiny and openness that I had never experienced. And their words are often painful as the truth is revealed and 'blind spots' are exposed. To some people, this sounds like such a burden...for me, it is a since of freedom never experienced. This has truly been a gift of recovery.
Lane
2 comments:
That just goes to show that the Holy Spirit anoints us instantly with power for ministry, but character has to be developed. Accountability is an important part of our sanctification process.
That 'spiritual' stuff is easy.
It's the character thing that rips my guts out.
Called to an accountability when another voice whispers, "come on...do it your way."
I am reminded of someone who came to Vineyard in search of prayer and ministry. After confession and repentence, there was much prayer and encouragement. The individual who had come made this statement..."You know if it wasn't for the Grace of God, I'd just be an old pervert."
True for all of us...
mb
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