The Destructive Nature of Fear

Main Idea

Fear will destroy your faith and fellowship.

In Acts 10, the apostle Peter received a vision from God while praying on a rooftop. He saw a sheet descending from heaven, filled with all kinds of animals, including those considered unclean by Jewish law. A voice told him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat,” but Peter refused, insisting he had never eaten anything unclean. The voice responded, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This vision occurred three times, symbolizing that God was not only removing the Jewish dietary laws but is also breaking down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles. Then, in an immediate fulfilment of that vision, Peter was invited to the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion who feared God. As Peter preached the gospel, the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius and his household, confirming that salvation was now available to the Gentiles as well. This moment marked a turning point in redemptive history, revealing that God’s grace extends to all who believe in Christ, regardless of their background.

The Peter we see in the passage of scripture today almost seems like a different person. This confrontation between the two figureheads of the gospel movement serves as a warning, primarily to those in spiritual leadership, to recognize the power and effects of their influence over the people of the church.

But it is also relevant for:

• Political leaders who impact citizens

• Teachers who shape classrooms

• Law enforcement and military personnel who lead other officers and soldiers

• Entertainers who attract followers

• Friends within social groups

• Husbands and wives

• Parents with their children

In summary, this passage is essential to every believer who has a relationship with another person, namely, EVERYONE.

Passage

Galatians 2:11–14 CSB

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?”

I - Feasting and Fellowship (vv. 11-12)

Peter came to see Paul in Antioch - In a bit of a whiplash-style turn of events, we have transitioned from a fruitful meeting of church leaders who have unified over the truth of the gospel and the work of God in Paul’s life to another meeting between these two figureheads of the faith, but this time it is quite unpleasant. Before, Paul had traveled to Jerusalem to meet with Peter and other leaders. Now, at some point afterward, Peter has traveled north to Syrian Antioch, Paul’s base of missional operations. We don’t have any context clues for when this meeting occurred, nor is this encounter mentioned in the book of Acts. All we know is that the previous meeting was not any earlier than Paul’s trip to Jerusalem in Acts 11, and Paul had already settled in with the church in Antioch, which we also see at the end of Acts 11. So, this exchange doesn’t happen any earlier than that, but that is about it. The text just doesn’t tell us any more than that.

The Church in Antioch - As the capital city of Syria, strategically established as an inland port along the Orontes River, Antioch’s churches were far more diverse than those in Jerusalem. A wider array of Gentiles from various cultures mingled with the large Jewish population. In Jerusalem, one would constantly find themselves eating and fellowshipping with an entirely Jewish community, which was not as easy in Antioch. At first glance, this didn’t appear to impact Peter at all. Paul tells us that he regularly dined with the Gentiles, whether that occurred during this trip or over the course of several trips. This is understandable considering Peter’s vision of the heavenly sheet and his subsequent visit to Cornelius’ house, which led to the first conversion of a complete Gentile household. Additionally, remember that he had just affirmed Paul’s theology regarding God’s grace in salvation, contrasting with the Jewish demands for circumcision and adherence to the law of Moses as additional requirements for salvation.

So far, so good, until…

II - The Men Came (v 12)

Who are the men mentioned here?

1. The men from James

2. The circumcision party

The same or different groups? It is unclear, however, whether these are the same people or if they represent separate groups. Considering what James wrote and his stance on the issues discussed in the Jerusalem Council (regardless of whether that pertains to the past or the near future), it would be difficult to accept that James sent members of the circumcision party—or Judaizers, as we refer to them—to Peter to confront him. James opposed their message of salvation through grace plus obedience to the Mosaic Law, which includes the ceremonial and covenantal law of circumcision. This leads me to believe that these are two distinct groups: the messengers sent by James, who have a message for Peter that presumably concerns the activity and message of the circumcision party.

The impact is what matters. If this is the case, we don’t know what was said, but it clearly had a noticeable impact on Peter. We can theorize about what was said… whether the church in Jerusalem was experiencing persecution due to their leader having inappropriate, anti-Jewish table fellowship with Gentiles, or if he was outright intimidated by them. Perhaps they were strapped with 9mm’s… who knows? I think the content of the discussion is rather beside the point. Whether or not these were the same group of people or different groups; whether they intimidated Peter directly or were threatening to harm the church… what really matters is how Peter reacted and the consequences of his actions.

III - FEAR Leads You Astray

Last week, we discovered that the true gospel set us free. Now, Peter is being captured, not by a false gospel, but by FEAR. The word for fear means:

Lexham Theological Wordbook φοβέω

φοβέω (phobeō). vb. to fear, be afraid.

…also, to be intimidated, apprehensive, and frightened.

As you can see, this is where we get the word phobia. Biblically, this can represent a fear of physical danger, social consequences, or even a public uprising. The disciples feared Jesus when he walked on water because they thought he was a ghost. In a positive light, Paul advises us to fear governing authorities due to the power they hold over our lives. The highest form of positive, healthy fear is to fear the Lord, as it is the foundation for wisdom (Prov. 1:7). Ironically, instead of embracing the fear of the Lord that brings wisdom and reveals truth, Peter succumbs to a sinful variant of fear. In this situation, Peter— the rock of the church— was intimidated, apprehensive, and frightened by the men sent by James (or their message about the Judaizers).

In one sense, this is untypical of Peter. Usually, he is the one firing before he aims and is unafraid to jump in with both feet. He doesn’t seem to be scared of anything. But he does often act on his impulses. We can see how he can be bold one second, like cutting the ear off a servant in Gethsemane, and deny Jesus by lying through his teeth when questioned by a servant girl if he is one of Jesus’ disciples.

In this passage, fear does five things to Peter. This shows us why Paul opposed him to his face, but it also serves us today as a pattern to be aware of and a warning about the consequences of giving into it.

1. Fear condemns. Fear condemns because it leads to acting in opposition to the truth, which makes you hypocritical. To be a hypocrite is to be like an actor on stage who wears a mask to pretend to be someone else. You are one way, but you behave contrary to who you truly are. You conceal your real character and convictions while presenting something entirely different. The sin of hypocrisy is intentional deception. Peter is condemned for allowing what is essentially peer pressure to override his faithfulness to the truth of the gospel. That is something Paul has already established that he refuses to do (v. 1:10).

2. Fear separates. Peter withdraws from part of the family (Gentiles). The power of the gospel is that anyone who comes to Jesus can be saved and that His grace is sufficient. However, Peter’s fear has caused him to pick up his lunch tray and sit at the Jewish table, breaking fellowship with the other brothers and sisters for whom Christ died. Regardless of whether his intentions were noble, the reality is he gave in to peer pressure, allowing a rift in fellowship and relationships. He chose to separate.

3. Fear leads others astray. Peter’s fear didn’t just affect him; it also impacted those he separated from and nearly the entire gathered body of Christ. As their leader, the others took his authority seriously. As they watched and observed, they began to follow suit. First, it was the other Jewish believers, and eventually, even another prominent leader—Barnabas—started to believe that this was the right course of action!

.Fear divides. The natural consequence of separation from one group and the other group following your lead is that the congregation is now divided. The unified church that we saw just moments before—the church of Jews and Gentiles as the One People of God—was being divided. Peter’s actions were resurrecting the dividing wall of hostility that Jesus had previously torn down. Let that sink in for a moment. Because of fear, Peter was undoing what Jesus had done. What a horrific thought!

5. Fear distorts. Like a child afraid of monsters under their bed that, in reality, aren’t really there, the truth of the gospel that Paul is fighting so vigorously to defend—the gospel he ensured was in perfect harmony with what Peter and the others were proclaiming—was being distorted. Even though Peter didn’t believe what the Judaizers were saying, his actions were leading him and others to deviate from the truth of the gospel that frees Jews from the rules and regulations that died with the passing of the Old Covenant and the creation of the New.

Fear has put Peter out of alignment with God’s truth, which has also distanced him from God’s people. And, to be fair to Peter, let this serve as the warning I mentioned earlier. After exploring what succumbing to fear can look like, do you find any reflections of yourself in Peter? Do you:

• Act one way with one group of friends and another with a different group?

• Say one thing yet practice another?

• Alienate other Christians based on perceived negative characteristics or unalignment with your cultural norms?

• Give into peer-pressure even when you know it is wrong?

• Prioritize being a people-pleaser over your faithfulness to the truth?

If you take an honest look inside, you might discover an uncomfortable truth about yourself. Like Peter, acting in fear never impacts only you. If you have a relationship with another person in your life, what you do matters. Whether you are a friend, sibling, spouse, parent, artist, politician, workplace manager, or spiritual leader… your actions and reactions have consequences.

For many of us, fear is one of the strongest forces we face, and it can feel like an unconquerable foe. If you feel this way, take heart. There is hope, because the power of the gospel lies in whom it points to: Jesus. And His truth sets you free.

In addition, this story shows how truth can overcome fear through the trusted rebuke of a friend.

IV - TRUTH Brings You Back

I’m sure it was difficult for Paul to rebuke a friend and someone he admired. Put yourself in his shoes. However, Paul understood what was at stake and moved forward as a trusted friend, as mentioned in Proverbs 27:6:

Proverbs 27:6 CSB

The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.

Instead of giving into fear like his friend did, Paul stood on the solid ground of God’s truths. I love what Charles Spurgeon said about this moment:

Galatians Exposition

The idea of salvation by the merit of our own works is exceedingly insinuating. It does not matter how often it is refuted; it asserts itself again and again. And when it gains the least foothold, it soon makes great advances. Hence Paul, who was determined to show it no quarter, opposed everything that bore its likeness. He was determined not to permit the thin end of the wedge to be introduced into the church, for he knew well that willing hands would soon be driving it home.

As we discussed last week, the stakes are simply too high. Eternity hangs in the balance, which is why Paul stands firm on the truth of the gospel. Just as we identified five impacts of acting in fear, there are five things that this truth accomplishes:

1. Truth opposes. Broadly speaking, truth always opposes falsehood. Paul could see the effects of Peter’s hypocritical actions, so he chose to rebuke him publicly. Leadership courses teach that it is better to reprimand an employee in private, and in general, I would agree. A person usually responds better to correction in a one-on-one conversation. But not in this case. The impact had already spread too far. The influence of Peter’s actions was spreading like a cancer, and Paul knew he had to rebuke Peter in front of everyone present to nip this awful disease in the bud. Doing this publicly was for Peter’s benefit and for the health of the church as a whole.

2. Truth defends itself. Even if it hadn’t spread as quickly as it did, truth is still truth. Our postmodern society says that all truth is relative. Don’t believe it. God’s truth is absolute truth, and because it is unchangeable, it should be defended so that no one will veer off course and stray into error.

3. Truth defends others. The gentile believers were hurt in this whole exchange. They were shunned and shown that their freedom in Christ wasn’t real. The gospel’s truth emanates from a loving and compassionate God. His truth will guide, protect, and defend those who are being harmed by distortion or outright opposition to it.

4. Truth corrects. Though Paul publicly and directly opposed Peter, that doesn’t mean he wanted to cut him down and run him over. Truth delights in correcting and restoring the one in error. If Peter was going to continue leading the church in Jerusalem, he needed correction, much like a tree needs unhealthy branches pruned to make it more fruitful.

5. Truth unifies. It is true that the gospel is divisive because it divides truth from error. But as it pertains to God’s people, it is always unifying. If there is division in the church, it comes from fallen human hearts. That is why Paul will eventually write down this exhortation to the Ephesian church:

Ephesians 4:1–6 CSB

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

As God always does, He uses this confrontation to record one of the most amazing written testimonies of our justification, which we will see next week.

In closing, I pray that we will see the destructive nature of fear and the power that comes from the gospel of truth. May we recognize our spheres of influence and fight the urge to give into fear when its ugly head arises. May we learn to battle with it through the Spirit of Truth and the fellowship of other faithful believers.

Questions to Consider

Where does this event take place (Antioch)? Why is this city significant in the early church?

What specific actions did Peter take that Paul opposed? What was Paul’s response?

What does this passage teach us about the relationship between truth and fear? How does fear distort our perspective and actions?

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt pressured to compromise your beliefs or values? How can you apply Paul’s example of standing firm on the truth in your own life?