Devotionals for July 12, 2023
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READ
Galatians 2:11-14
11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
12 For 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.
13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
12 For 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.
13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
REFLECT
Peter, like us, sometimes fails to live consistently with his theology. Peter experienced a powerful vision which specifically addressed the issue of cleanliness and Gentile inclusion. Yet, Peter behaved hypocritically. He refused to eat with the Gentiles when “certain” Jews came around. The tragedy of this passage is how this behavior can confuse and influence other Christians as “even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.” This passage indicates how discriminating based on national identity is abhorrent to the gospel, for it undercuts its redemptive reach. When we look at other cultures, ethnicities, and races as less than, we are out of step with “the truth of the gospel.” If you view people outside of your culture with disdain, you are being like Peter in this passage. Viewing the world redemptively is not just modern-day ethics, it is fundamental to the gospel, for on the cross, Jesus was the redemption for the whole world. The church should be like Paul, openly rebuking those who behave unjustly toward others based on their race, culture, or ethnicity.
APPLY
Q: Why does Paul rebuke Peter? What specific reasons does he give?
Q: How can you be like Paul?
Q: Who can you bring the message of Christ’s national inclusion to the most? Who needs this message and how will you bring it to them?
Q: How can you be like Paul?
Q: Who can you bring the message of Christ’s national inclusion to the most? Who needs this message and how will you bring it to them?
SING
PRAY
"Give us today our daily bread."
Lord, help us to live in step with the gospel in how we treat those who are different than us. Amen.
Lord, help us to live in step with the gospel in how we treat those who are different than us. Amen.