This is not to say that there were not such attempts: one commentary points out one ancient interpretation that maintained the Cephas of Ephesians was not the Apostle Peter, but some other Peter. Paul's withstanding Peter is the strongest proof that he gives of the . Peter Nathan Most Bible scholars pit the apostles James and Paul against one another, claiming that the two stood on opposite sides of a debate over faith and works. Peter arrived some time after that, and sat to eat a meal with some Gentile brethren. Contrast this with these versions' translations of Matthew 23:28 (NIV: on the inside you are full of hypocrisy ), which use the words ypocrisye (Tyndale) and hypocrisie (Geneva, 1611 KJV). I have always read this aroundthe word 'hyprocrisy' that Paul uses in describing Peter. Is there a conflict between these 3 verses - Galatians 1:18-20 & 2:1-2 & Acts 9:26-32? Prayer He didnt question what was written. Theyre in the same city; they hold the same doctrinal beliefs; why arent they working together more? Clearly James would not have the authority to admit uncircumcised into the inner Temple Court, and so expected only a small number of Gentiles would remain uncircumcised. Maybe we just misunderstand something. What should we learn from the account of Paul and Barnabas? Those whom James would have sent would, having come from Jerusalem, almost certainly have been Jews, who at that time were continuing to keep the law. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct. Paul therefore had no other alternative, if he would be faithful to the trust committed to him, than to withstand Peter to the face because he was to be condemned. What made their disagreement so disheartening was the subsequent division that resulted. Indeed, we know that in later years Paul would do for a slave named Onesimus what Barnabas did for Mark (Philem. 2:79).. Does air in the atmosphere get friction due to the planet's rotation? If Gods thoughts are so much higher than ours (Isa. If we look back in II Peter 3: 15, we see Peter called him our beloved brother Paul (KJV). So why didnt that convince James it was all right to eat with Gentiles as it did Peter? Conflict happens even among believers. So the esteemed are Jacob, Peter, and John. While the text reports that Judas was a prophet (cf. Dioscorus the shipmaster is arrested and beheaded in mistake for Paul in Puteoli. After Paul called Peter on it, Peter could have gotten even. What types of issues usually cause conflict in the church? But in many cases, we dont. Still further, when he went to Antioch he at first ate with the Gentiles; but when certain came from James, "he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision." In the context of Galatians 2:1-14, what does Paul suggest by using the word "poor"? 18:17). 2:1122, esp. An exercise in Data Oriented Design & Multi Threading in C++. While not being Biblical, the Gospel of Thomas states: '12. For why did he now refuse to eat with them? Do any democracies with strong freedom of expression have laws against religious desecration? This angered Paul, but when he settled down, he reasoned with Peter by reminding him that Jews like them werent guilty of the carnal sins the Gentiles were known for (Gal. You have shown us in Your Word how to resolve that conflict. Nevertheless, what he meant for evil, God meant for good (Gen. 50:20; Rom. After some time, men from Judea came and began to teach that circumcision is required for salvation. Grace doesnt flip a switch so disciples no longer sin. (That is one reason I say below, if I havent sufficiently connected the dots for you, let me know.). But Paul was saved by believing Christ died for our sins (ICor.15:1-4), something the Lord was also faithful to do. Note that James was Jesus brother and the leader of the church at Jerusalem. We have to be forgiving. What happens if a professor has funding for a PhD student but the PhD student does not come? Christians can have some sharp disagreements. It was a huge issue to them! Judgement will be based on the ABCDs. Law and Gospel Germantown, WI 53022-0756 (2: 11-14) VERSE 11: "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.". They were wanting scriptures rewritten. He refers to James as a witness to the risen Jesus ( 1Cor 15:7 ) and notes that, when he went up to Jerusalem after his "conversion," the only apostles he saw were Peter and James ( Gal 1:18-19 ). Were these men delegates from James? Those who dislike confrontation and conflict will undoubtedly feel a bit uneasy as we work our way through Acts chapter 15. In other words, interest in any one apostle and his activity is as he points to Christ and what he, Christ, is doing. Acts 15 NKJV - Conflict over Circumcision - And - Bible Gateway So let's put that all together, but take out the parenthesis: of moreover those esteemed () to be something (whatsoever formerly they were not to me makes a difference; surface the God of mankind not does accept) to me indeed those esteemed () nothing added, But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, and having known the grace the having been given to me, Jacob and Cephas and John (those esteemed pillars to be) right hands they gave to me and Barnabas of fellowship that we to the nations they moreover to the circumcised, Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do." There used to be under the law (Acts 10;28), but God had shewed Peter this was no longer the case with that sheet vision in Acts 10. 24. When Division Becomes Multiplication (Acts 15:3-16:10) [1] To read a related devotion, click on the appropriate button below. This conforms with Acts in suggesting James was the original appointed leader of the Church.. @Dhammadhatu I can't even pretend to know what the gospel of Thomas is about, nor do I ever read it. I can go from Super Mom to Ditzy Mom in 0.00002 seconds sometimes.). Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom (Col. 3: 16 ESV). B believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer, D demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to. These men, whom church historians have labeled Judaizers or those who were of the circumcision (Gal. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. Now, most of the time, we escalate the situation when we call someone stupid. When Peter was in Jerusalem, he allowed circumcision, because he could not draw the Christian Jews away from the law all at once. We may assume that was not because they were simply following Peter and John around with their mouths shut! ), Acts of the Exalted Christ by the Holy Spirit in the Church as Founded by Him through the Apostles.. Unless we make the unlikely assumption that Peter and John recited in unison and word for word what Luke reports, this instance shows that here and arguably often elsewhere throughout Acts, in presenting speech material Luke does not intend to provide verbatim transcripts but gives accurate, fully reliable digests or summaries of what was actually said. This next part is going to be confusing. Everything that Paul appears to say or do in opposition to Peter was done deliberately as part of a plan. 2:110), which convened in Jerusalem. Consider: as a result of this split, the missionary endeavor doubled in manpower. - BibleMesh Peter and Paul fought with each other. Why did Paul confront Peter and what can we learn from it? Paul makes at least one more visit later to Jerusalem in Acts, but that visit is not relevant to this chronology problem. "But when Peter came to Antioch". Ibid. After the church agreed with James ruling (cf. If we have, we are never going to know it all. Dont treat them as an enemy; treat them as a brother. But in many cases, it may be the better part of wisdom to leave the matter with the Lord. Ibid. Peter, Cornelius, and Cultural Boundaries. But before we form a settled judgment, lets give Barnabas a chance to speak (Prov. Even if we had better intentions we are still a body comprised entirely of struggling sinners. Paul, at first, would have been hunting Peter down to kill him. Perhaps as a result of Pauls emphasis on faithfulness, Barnabas became more watchful and demanding of Mark. Are glass cockpit or steam gauge GA aircraft safer? Brothers and sisters, God doesnt always expect us to take sides. Commit both sides to the Lord (Phil. Paul is also trying to distance himself from the Apostles that Yeshua chose, and it's probably because he doesn't want the Galatians to be persuaded by the gospel they taught. He could have been acknowledging the fact that Paul wrote at a higher level than he could always comprehend. Paul writes: "This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. It was because four years before Peter got that vision, he spent 15 days with Paul (Gal.1:18), and Paul explained some things to Peter that helped him construe more from the vision than James was able to deduce. What role did James have in Paul's conflict with Peter? It certainly seems, then, that Paul was acting according to biblical principle. Paul's importance comes from the sheer weight of his writings that were collected into the canon and because he is arguably the one who most shapes the Christian message in a way that is both acceptable and enticing to the Gentile world. Pauls original proposal to Barnabas was merely to revisit the churches theyd already planted (Acts 15:36), but God had other plans. He would have said, What New Testament?. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Acts 15:22), they decided to record it in a letter to be sent to the churches via the delegates from Antioch. End Time We may have concerns or suspicions. No, Peter wasnt as polished as Paul was. 39They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. There is one key word in there deliberately. It was a small thing, it might have been argued, and if the point were but yielded peace between the Jewish and Gentile believers would be established and preserved. We have to remember that Paul probably used to feel the say way as Peter did. It was revealed to an Apostle Peter whom the heathens would be going to be converted, but their jurisdiction, it fell to an Apostle Paul. [1] The primary source for the incident is Paul's Epistle to the Galatians 2:11-14. In the final analysis, interest in any one apostle is only as he exemplifies the institution of unique authorization and representation established by Christ. I can just hear Barnabas saying, If Peter, why not Mark?. What Is the Mystery of Christ? Paul seems upset with Peter about something. A Gr. In reality, this was a simulated dispute conducted in public as a means of correcting the disciples. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. False Teachers Dont think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister (II Thess. 3:28)? What was the purpose of circumcision under the Old Testament law (cf. This article is adapted from In the Fullness of Time: An Introduction to the Biblical Theology of Acts and Paul by Richard B. Gaffin Jr. Richard B. Gaffin Jr. (ThD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is emeritus professor of biblical and systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, where he taught for over forty years until his retirement in 2010. Jacob was definitely important to the early disciples, but he knew we are all brothers (Matt. In no sense is Acts a comprehensive or complete account of what went on in the church or with all the apostles in the years immediately following the death and resurrection of Christ. Sent out from the bosom of the assembly, with the entire fellowship of the saints, they, on their part, in fullest fellowship with the saints, and counting upon their interest in the Lord's work, gave them a detailed description of what God had wrought through them in the proclamation of His word. Hence he proceeds to ask, "If, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners," as we should be if circumcision is yet requisite, "is therefore Christ the minister of sin?" Fasting First, it has been alleged by some that this concentration on Peter and Paul reflects the fact that Luke is involved in unhistorical stylization for kerygmatic purposes. We have conflict within our families, our friends, our workplace, our society, and through the world. We all can have our ditzy moments. It's almost as though either Paul had read Acts, and was trying to say "Remember the man that sat with gentiles? How Did Peter and Paul Settle Their Conflict? In fact, like the spirit of ecumenism emphasized by Vatican II and Lumen Gentium, Paul, too, rejected division and exhorted Catholic unity: "I appeal to you, brethren, by the . Both men were saved by Christs faithfulness. 25:19). Do you trust the man that never spent a day with Yeshua and came in his own name (John 5:43), or do you trust that the Messiah chose his apostles because he knew they would deliver his message? But when he came to Antioch, he would eat with the Christian Gentiles. He's traditionally believed to also be Mark the Evangelist, the author of the Gospel of Mark. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." What role did James have in Paul's conflict with Peter? He was also the most vocal. We know that Peter understood from that vision that he could now eat with Gentiles, for when some Jews challenged him about it, he told them about the vision and how the Spirit had fallen on the Gentiles (Acts 11:2-15). Fresh Air hosts Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley talk news, Detroit and psychedelics. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Introduction. He probably would have been educated until he was 17. Peter said nothing in response, clearly indicating that he accepted Paul's opposition. Click here to subscribe to emails and newsletters. Consider the matter from both mens perspectives. Our own discussion has already highlighted and will continue to show that real discontinuities exist between the then of the church in Acts and the now of any subsequent generation of the church. On the other hand, it is important to recognize that Lukes presentation is selective. What difference does Paul intend the Galatians to place on the changing of Peter's name from Cephas to Peter and back to Cephas? Still, we could read this a couple of different ways. Silas, however, would later become Pauls traveling companion after Paul and Barnabas parted company. Holy Spirit And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. Acts 15:35 records the journey of Paul and Barnabas, which was roughly three hundred miles south, to Jerusalem. What made their disagreement so disheartening was the subsequent . Affirmed by him both in the epistle to the Romans and in this scripture, it was forgotten almost as soon as the last of the apostles departed to be with Christ. Peter then taught . The third visit, in Acts 15:1-29, Paul has a "public" meeting with the church leaders in Jerusalem, to try to resolve the conflict regarding the status of welcoming the Gentiles into the then Jewish-dominated church. He probably listened to his own advice. The same James was episkopos in Jerusalem, and the one who pronounced on how Gentiles were to be received into the Church (Acts 15:13-22). Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Providence Peter went first, and Paul followed. What then was the cause of the conflict? Paul doesnt elaborate much here as to how he corrected Peter. 'Come, Follow Me': Church leaders and scholars on Acts 10-15 The Jerusalem Conference of Acts 15: What Was Decided? 2:12.) Author Jeff Goodell warns a new climate regime in The Heat Will Kill You First . Regarding the "hypocrisy" supposed by some versions in v.13, he comments: Paul calls Peter's plan and actions a dissimulation, or strategem, because Peter deliberately veiled his true intentions, and was actually working to undermine a favorable disposition towards the law of those who zealously observed it. The problem was that he stopped, because in so doing he was going back to the law instead of recognizing the dispensational change to Pauls ministry of grace that God was using Peter to introduce. Why is the Work on a Spring Independent of Applied Force? Worship, Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window).