Galatians 2:11-12

New International Version

When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 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.

For Meditation

Opinion leaders must remember that they have the power to influence others. To be effective in Christian leadership and mentoring, we must prioritize integrity in our walk with Jesus. Our actions must be predictable and not wishy-washy. Such behavior is Christlike and respected by everyone. However, Peter’s actions in Antioch were inconsistent and lacked integrity. It was spiritual hypocrisy at best (Gal. 2:11-16).

When Peter visited the believers in Antioch, he ate with the Gentile believers. However, when the team from James arrived from Jerusalem, he stopped eating with them because he feared criticism from the circumcision group. His action was hypocritical of him! Unfortunately, many Jewish believers, including Barnabas, followed Peter’s hypocrisy. It is a trap we must all avoid. That gives us a responsibility as leaders to confront spiritual hypocrisy wherever it manifests itself.

The fear of humans is a snare (Proverbs 29:25), and it is dangerous for our Christian walk and fellowship with each other. Grounding our decisions on the approval of men has an uncanny way of invoking fear in us, making us act in ways contrary to our beliefs. Because of the fear of what people may say, we often lie about the issues or embellish the facts. Such situations can indicate a lack of conviction and ruin our integrity.

Paul, recognizing the danger of this fear-based decision-making, could not allow that tendency to permeate the young church in Antioch. So, he openly rebuked Peter, setting an example of how to confront spiritual hypocrisy in the church.

We thank God for men like Paul, who model convictions and strong integrity. They are believers who can confront our hypocrisy and save us from ourselves and others (1 Timothy 4:16). We should appreciate people like Paul in our lives.

As Christians, we must seek to develop strong convictions in our faith and to allow them to consume our hearts. God’s will for us is to remain firm and rooted in integrity so that our walk with Jesus will have purpose and stability and bring Him honor. We should be determined to avoid spiritual hypocrisy and, in love, confront the missteps of others for mutual edification.

May we, therefore, remain faithful to our Christian convictions beyond the church’s walls. May God’s grace lead us to positively influence our families, friends, colleagues, and neighbors, inspiring hope and fostering love in our Christian community.

Shalom.