Crime, Confrontation, Correction, and Confession

Crime

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 2

For prior to the coming of certain men from aJames, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.

13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

Peter was living a hypocritical life. He was telling people that they were saved by faith in Jesus Christ, but maintained his Judaism lifestyle. He use to associate with the Gentile believers, but when the people from Jerusalem came to Antioch he held himself aloof from the Gentiles. This means that he not only avoided them but was rude to them.

Paul points out that Peter was fearful of the party of the circumcision. He was not fearful of his life or legal ramifications because the party of the circumcision considered themselves to be Christians. They could not bring Peter up on charges based on Roman law because they would be self incriminating. He was fearful that his reputation as an Apostle would be hindered for associating with the Gentiles.

Being that Peter was a leader and was sinning publicly, the other Jews saw what he was doing and joined him in his hypocrisy. Even Barnabas, who was Paul’s right hand man, got caught up in the hypocrisy.

Crime causes confusion and destruction

Peter once again was doing what he had done in the past. You will recall He told Jesus that He was the Son of God and then proceeded to keep him from going to the cross.

15 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are [a]the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon [b]Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are [c]Peter, and upon this [d]rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “[j]God forbid it, Lord! This shall never [k]happen to You.” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on [l]God’s interests, but man’s.”

Peter told Jesus that he would stick with him no matter how bad things got and then denied him 3 times

33 But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may [a]fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”35 Peter *said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

Peter went back to fishing after Jesus was crucified instead of spreading the gospel

15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you [a]love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [b]love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.”

Peter’s fickleness was causing confusion in the church at Antioch and there began a division between the Jews and the Gentiles. The very thing Jesus broke down through his sacrifice Peter was trying to re-establish.

14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the [d]barrier of the dividing wall, 15 [e]by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might [f]make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, [g]by it having put to death the enmity.

Public unaddressed sin will fracture a church. It must be dealt with swiftly and strongly.

Confrnotation

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 2

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

Paul confronted Peter publicly about his hypocrisy. The Bible says that he confronted him in the presence of all. You might be saying to yourself “doesn’t the Bible say that we are to address people in private?” Yes it does, if the sin is done in private.

15 “If your brother sins[k], go and [l]show him his fault [m]in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every [n]fact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as [o]a Gentile and [p]a tax collector.

Later manuscripts of the Bible say if your brother sins against you. This is a private sin that needs to be dealt with in private. So if someone sins against you then the proper way to handle it is in private.

The sin that Peter was committing was being done publicly, so it needed to be addressed publicly. The reason is if it is not done publicly then those affected by it will presume it has not been handled or there is nothing wrong with it. However when public sin is dealt with publicly then everyone knows that it is wrong and not to be accepted.

Paul addressed Pete’s sin publicly to let everyone that was following Peter in his sin that it was unacceptable and hurting the church.

There are times when leaders need to be corrected publicly. If a pastor is teaching falsely or acting unbecomingly at church, then it needs to be dealt with publicly. If there is a member that is hurting the church by trying to split it, then it needs to be dealt with publicly.

Private sin needs to be addressed privately and public sin needs to be addressed publicly.

Correction

15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of [a]the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of [b]the Law; since by the works of [c]the Law no [d]flesh will be justified.17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!18 For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through [e]the Law I died to [f]the Law, so that I might live to God.

16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

17 “But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!

17 “But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!

Paul not only told Peter what he was doing was wrong, but also told him what was right. He told him that salvation comes through faith and not adhering to the old law. Peter was trying to appease the party of the circumcision by adhering to the old law that said that a Jew could not eat with a Gentile. Peter was demonstrating that works were a means of salvation. Though he was saying that salvation is by faith, he was living like works were the means of salvation.

18 “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

18 “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

Paul explained that Jesus satisfied the requirements of the law for us and that we need to place our faith in Jesus rather than the law.

19 “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.

19 “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. Gal. 2

We all need forgiveness

The best way to avoid legalism or hypocrisy is to understand that our sin is no less than anyone else’s. Let’s be honest, there are times when we look at others and compare ourselves. Isn’t it interesting that we compare ourselves to those that we think we are better than. We may even look down on them. Friend, I would encourage you to compare yourself to Christ. It is when we do this that we see that we are no different than the person we look down on.

Tell story about waiter at restaurant in Florida.

Correction is always for the purpose of restoration not humiliation!

Confession

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 2

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

21 “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Paul proclaims that he has died to the flesh so he can live in Christ. The life he now lives, he lives in grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul reminds Peter that this is the right gospel. Followers of Christ do not depend on themselves adhering to the old law as a means of salvation. No one can keep the law. Everyone breaks the law and therefore is guilty of breaking the whole law. What we need is a Savior. Jesus Christ is the Savior. He fulfilled the law and took our sins away from us. He paid the price for our sins. We must put our faith in Jesus and not the law.

Friend, if you think you have to get right before coming to Jesus, you will never come. I know because I tried for 4 years. I became increasingly upset and hopeless because I was wanting to be pleasing to God by myself. I did not want anyone to do it for me. I couldn’t! I praise Jesus that through Him I am pleasing to the Father. What the Father wants is us to believe in the One that he gave for us. This my friend is enough! Let’s not try to be Jesus, but let’s live our lives through Him!

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .