Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20051120.htm

JESUS CHRIST'S DISCIPLING OF SIMON PETER
Part IV: Getting Peter CONSISTENTLY To Forsake Himself To Follow Jesus At The Same Time
A. Directing Peter Out Of His Temporary Lapse Into Sin
(Galatians 2:11-15)
  1. Introduction
    1. When the believer newly trusts in Christ, he neither knows Scripture well enough to handle life's trials, nor does he pretend to know it well. He is relatively easy to direct and correct through Scripture.
    2. However, as he grows in Christ, he is often more difficult to correct if he gets into error, for he can learn to rationalize Scripture or his actions elaborately to justify his error as a maturing Christian!
    3. The Apostle Paul who had been called by Christ to disciple others (Acts 9) was used by God's power and leading to disciple Peter when he had erred as an APOSTLE by way of RATIONALIZATION. Just how Paul was used of the Lord to achieve this feat is worth our study in Galatians 2:11-15 (as follows):
  2. Directing Peter Out Of His Temporary Lapse Into Sin, Galatians 2:11-15.
    1. The Scenario: Simon Peter's initial concern over "what others will think of me" led not only to his denial of Christ (cf. Matthew 26:69-75), but entrapped him into rationalizing into error as an Apostle at Antioch . (1) Fearing the pressures of legalists, he withdrew from eating with Gentiles, and that left the impression that believing Gentiles were still not fully acceptable to God because they were Gentiles, an attack on the effectiveness of the salvation of Christ to justify these Gentiles, Galatians 2:11, 14. (2) Peter had rationalized the recent Jerusalem Church Council decision of Acts 15 where it was decided that Gentiles should avoid things strangled, blood, fornication and animals sacrificed to idols, Acts 15:28-29. (3) Though that decision had given direction to GENTILES, it had NOT directed JEWISH Christians on their conduct before Gentiles, so Peter took the liberty to WITHDRAW as a JEWISH believer from Gentile believers so as not to infuriate legalistic Jews by meeting with Gentile believers, Gal. 2:11-13!
    2. Paul was used of Christ to disciple Peter into consistency in forsaking himself to follow Jesus, and that by putting the truth of the Gospel to work in his life regardless what the legalists thought to the contrary:
      1. Paul reacted to Peter's error rather than attacked him:
        1. Peter's leadership into the misrepresentation of the Gospel had already led Paul's initial coworker, Barnabas to follow the same misrepresentation of the truth, Galatians 2:11, 13.
        2. For this error, Paul merely opposed Peter before all to defend the true Gospel to the Gentiles, 3:11.
        3. Thus, mature Timothys should not be attacked for their errors or sins lest they view it as disrespect, cf. 1 Timothy 5:19-20. We must wait for their error to become apparent and then react to it!
      2. Paul's confrontation of Peter began with Peter's correct theology and moved to his inconsistent error:
        1. In Galatians 2:14, Paul showed Peter the discrepancy between the correct BELIEFS Peter had about justification by faith alone and his incorrect ACTIONS that contradicted those beliefs: if Peter as a Jew [who was free from the Law by faith in Christ, Acts 15:9-10] did not keep that Law, Paul asked him why Peter implied Gentiles were to live like Jews [to be fully justified by God]!
        2. This forced Peter to admit he had rationalized his actions as being upright when they were wrong!
        3. Thus, mature Timothys we disciple should be shown the discrepancies of their errors in light of the truths they already hold as a means to exposing their errant rationalizations.
      3. Paul timed his confrontation of Peter in his error with his erroneous action:
        1. Paul confronted Peter in the presence of all he was affecting, for the group was then following him in misrepresenting the Gospel by their hypocritical separation from Gentiles, Galatians 2:11, 13.
        2. Thus, mature Timothys we disciple need to be confronted at the time when their error is transparent so we may effectively penetrate their erroneous rationalizations!
    3. Showing Peter accepted Paul's admonition, Peter later called him a "beloved brother," 2 Peter 3:14-15.
Lesson: Paul was used of Christ to get Peter to be more CONSISTENT in forsaking himself to follow the Lord by (1) reacting to his error rather than attacking Peter, by (2) beginning with Peter's correct theology and moving to his errant actions in order to clarify his error and by (3) timing his confrontation of Peter when Peter's error was most transparent and easiest to expose effectively!

Application: May we heed Paul's route in discipling mature Timothys into consistent maturity.