Called To Account - October 22

Read Galatians 2:13-14 

And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by the hypocrisy. 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?” 

Reflect 

What grounds did Paul cite for confronting Peter and how does Paul serve as an example in this instance for us today? 

There are two extremes that people tend to lean toward when it comes to confrontation—avoiding it at all costs and looking for it for no reason. Some people hate conflict so much that they ignore significant issues in an effort to just keep the peace. Other people make everything, even petty matters, a big fight. But is there a biblical way to deal with conflict? Are there issues that we simply must confront other Christians about?  

In today’s verses, Paul serves as an example for us in this area. Remember from the previous verses (Galatians 2:11-12) that Peter had been obedient to the Lord by not showing partiality in regard to the Gentiles...at first. In Antioch, he had been regularly eating with both Jew and Gentile alike. He was in consistent fellowship with people that, as a Jew, he had previously considered unclean. 

However, Peter became guilty of partiality once the Judaizers showed up and intimidated him. He gradually began to pull back from his fellowship with the Gentiles. But he wasn’t the only one. According to today’s text, several other Jews (even Paul’s faithful and godly friend Barnabas) followed Peter’s lead in snubbing the Gentiles. Paul rightly identified this as hypocrisy and publicly called them out on it.  

The true Gospel gave the Jews newfound freedom in Christ. Thus, Peter had been “living like a Gentile” which simply meant that he understood that he was no longer required to follow Jewish ceremonial laws. He was saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and was made clean because of Christ alone. But the false gospel that the Judaizers were preaching required that Gentiles convert to Judaism and follow their ceremonial laws. Because of the influence of the Judaizers, Peter, Barnabas, and many other Jews began hypocritically snubbing the Gentile believers for not following Jewish ceremonial laws that they weren’t following anymore either! 

Paul wasn’t confronting his co-laborers in Christ over a petty matter. He was confronting them because he “saw their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel.” He knew that he needed to nip this issue in the bud right away because it had the potential to cause serious division between people that Christ died to unite. These Jews, many of them in leadership positions, were sinning against their brothers and sisters in Christ. 

But notice that Paul didn’t go behind their backs badmouthing all of those engaged in hypocrisy. Rather, he addressed the issue publicly in front of all of those involved, especially Peter. Galatians 2:11 said that Paul opposed Peter to his face. Why did Peter bear the brunt of Paul’s rebuke? Because Peter was an apostle. He was an influential leader. And Peter’s sin of showing partiality and falling back into legalism, led others to do the same.  

Friends, when our fellow believers are out of step with the truth of the Gospel, we can’t ignore those issues. We can’t tolerate anything that goes against God’s Word. We must lovingly but directly confront them. Not from a posture of pride and superiority but in the spirit of love, truth, and humility, seeking correction and restoration. But we also have to remember that this accountability goes both ways. We need to be humble and teachable enough to listen and repent when a fellow believer rightly calls us into account for sins that we have engaged in. We shouldn’t be allergic to accountability. We should want to be held accountable any time we are out of step with the Gospel because we should want to be in step with the Gospel more than we want anything else. 

Respond  

Jesus, accountability is tough. It is difficult to confront people who need to be held accountable. But it can be just as hard to hear that I’m the one that needs to be called into account. Still, I want myself and the entire body of believers to be in step with the truth of Your Gospel more than I want to save face or avoid difficult conversations. Help me face accountability with humility and grace. Amen. 

Reveal  

It’s easy to spot hypocrisy in others but much harder to face it in ourselves, especially when relationships are at stake. This week, try practicing gentle honesty in one of your close relationships. If you notice a friend, coworker, or family member struggling or acting inconsistently with what they say they value, approach them—not to lecture, but to listen and care. Ask if they’re doing okay, and share humbly about a time you’ve struggled to live out your own beliefs. Or, if you’re the one who’s fallen short, invite someone you trust to speak truth into your life, even if it stings a little. Conversations like these can feel uncomfortable at first, but they often become turning points for growth, healing, and deeper trust—both for you and the people God’s placed in your path.