Finishing the Race – Strong! (10)

 

People who are on the same team and passionate about something are likely to have conflict. People who are in love with Jesus and passionate about Him are also likely to have conflict with one another. Conflict is not, in and of itself, bad; it is the nature of the conflict that can be bad and whether the conflict is resolved to the glory of Jesus and our friendships and partnerships strengthened. Sometimes conflict can blindside us, other times we see it coming. 

Before Mark set out with Barnabas in Acts15, in the midst of conflict between Paul and Barnabas, he witnessed another conflict in Antioch, this one was between Paul and Peter, and I think the importance of this conflict and its result cannot be overstated. I also think that Paul and Peter demonstrate things we need to learn about relationships and the lordship of Jesus Christ. We read about this in Galatians 2:11 – 21. 

[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?”

[15] We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; [16] yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

[17] But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! [18] For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. [19] For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. [20] I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (ESV)

What do you see about Peter, Paul, and Barnabas in this passage? What can we learn about the relationship between Paul and Peter? What might we have thought had we been witnesses to this? 

We’ll pick this back up in our next post in the series.