A very interesting exchange happened between Paul and Peter as described in Galatians Chapter 2.  The scene, if you will, is Paul’s return to Jerusalem fourteen years after his last visit when he had met only with Peter and the Lord’s brother, James. It tells of a situation that occurred when Paul, by revelation, communicated to a group of Jews, including a few of the apostles, the gospel he had been preaching to the gentiles. According to the passage, some false brethren were there to spy out our liberty… that they might bring us into bondage.  And while that was going on, James, Cephas, and John, did three things in response to what Paul told them:

1. They saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto Paul as the gospel of the circumcision had been committed unto Peter.
2. They perceived the grace that was given unto Paul.
3. They gave to Paul and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship.

            This exchange resulted in an agreement of sorts for Paul to go unto the heathen, i.e. the gentiles, and Peter and the apostles unto the circumcision. The main thing to understand is the acknowledgement by James, Cephas (Peter), and John that the gospel Paul was preaching to the Gentiles had been committed unto him, entrusted in him by God through Jesus Christ, just as the gospel of the circumcision had been committed unto Peter.  The delineation between the good news unto Israel dispensed by Peter and the gospel Paul preached to the Gentiles is stated very clearly in this exchange.  Which is to say, Paul was responsible to dispense the gospel of the grace of God unto the Gentiles just as Peter was responsible to dispense the gospel of repentance to the nation of Israel at the day of Pentecost. More importantly, these two gospels are not the same; that can’t be stressed enough.

            Time wise, this meeting was well after the day of Pentecost and well into the Apostle Paul’s journey as he dispensed the Gospel of the Grace of God unto the gentile nations. Meaning, the day of Pentecost and thus the gospel of repentance unto the nation of Israel had long since ended having been replaced with the gospel of Grace and that Peter knew it to be true.

            However, the interesting thing that takes place as described in the remainder of Galatians, chapter 2 is Paul confronting Peter for his inconsistent behavior as it relates to living the doctrine Paul is teaching to the Gentiles. My emphasis here is more about the fact that Paul “withstood him to the face”.  And why?  …“because he was to be blamed”.  And for what?  Because according to the passage, in today’s terms, Peter was being two-faced. That is, acting one way when he was with the Gentiles and then another way when he was with the circumcision, i.e. the Jews.  See for yourself:

            Galatians 2:11-14 

            I’ve provided the biblical definition of hypocrite many times in Cows In the Pews and The Atheists Too and as a refresher it simply means actor on a stage.  The word dissimulation in Galatians 2:13 essentially has the same connotation. I prefer the idea of a fraudulent or fake persona, someone who conducts himself or herself in a disingenuous manner.  I think this gets really close to the underlying motivation and conviction for writing Cows in the Pews… 

            Here we have Peter, who seemed to be a pillar of the church, again, blamed by Paul for what? …not walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel. In other words, despite giving Paul and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship seemingly in recognition of the gospel of Grace that God almighty had committed unto Paul, Peter wanted the Gentiles, in practice, to adopt Jewish customs and religious observances. It’s important to understand also that Paul’s correction of Peter includes the reassertion that the Law is dead, vis a vis, Judaism is dead. In Galatians 2:16 Paul tells Peter: “for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”.    

            I say all that to say this: people who in ignorance, attend church with no more reason to do so than the widely accepted “tradition” of church attendance as the primary evidence of one’s Christianity are to be blamed… But not just them… The teachers, preachers, and clergy are also to be blamed for teaching anything other than the Gospel of the Grace of God as dispensed by Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles. If you want to know the thing that drives me the most to write what I write and the way I write, it is that fact. Christians and the clergy, actors on a stage, going through the script rehearsed and replayed every Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday acting… are to be blamed.

            Those who attend churches who allow the preachers and teachers free reign over your thoughts, your understanding of the word of God, and accept their doctrine without question are to be blamed for just that. You do nothing in pursuit of your own personal knowledge and understanding of the bible.  You subject yourself to the teachings and doctrine of the church you attend because you “like” the pastor, the building, the proceedings, the congregants, everything but whether the truth of the gospel is being taught or not. Because the only way you would ever be able to discern that would be to possess your own knowledge, your own understanding, and the conviction that comes with that pursuit to find fault with something being taught, something that is inconsistent with the teachings of Paul. And in turn, withstand someone to the face because they are to be blamed…

            Over the last several months, I’ve had an on-going conversation with a woman who recently denounced her participation in organized religion.  She left the church she had attended for 10 years or so, and to some extent, she left behind the other 40 years of her religious service, because of a change to the doctrine or message coming from the pulpit. In a general sense, she didn’t like the way current socio-political topics where creeping in to the message, as undertones of a sort, when the Sunday sermon was being delivered.  Now, she didn’t explain it exactly that way, but that’s what I took notice of; the message had changed. And the message changed in such a way that she began to question, and to disagree, and what…  She began looking elsewhere.

            The first thing she decided to do was read the Bible. What a great place to start… I look forward to what is produced in her as she discovers the word of God for herself.  I am also very confident that she will see the truth that is the dispensation of the Grace of God committed unto Paul to be preached unto to the Gentile nations just as I am confident that anyone who chooses a similar path would find. I share this because she is facing exactly what I believe most churchgoers should come to.  That is, a crossroads if you will, a point in life with an opportunity and a necessity to wake up, to free yourself from the bondage of organized religion, especially from so-called churches preaching bad doctrine.

            Make no mistake that what is described in Galatians 2 is the tension / conflict between religious liberty and religious bondage. In Galatians 2:4 there were false brethern sneaking in and spying.  And what were they spying?  …The liberty we have in Christ Jesus.  And for what purpose? …To bring us into bondage. It follows that these false brethern were of the circumcision, meaning the bondage they wanted to bring them into was the works of the law. This is at the heart of what Paul blamed Peter for:

            Galatians 2:14

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

            There are a number of passages in Paul’s epistles that are the reason I am confident in my discernment of the typical churchgoing Christian. Those same passages have also taught me that I stand on firm ground and with boldness should speak the way I do.  Anything less is to “go easy” on people in an effort to “draw them in” instead of pushing them away with “religious rhetoric” that comes off as too judgmental, too strong, too mean for the average person to want to come back for more…  In other words, anything less than teaching what God would have us teach is to approach this whole “God thing” as a numbers game instead of a matter of truth, a matter of life and death.  Delivering a message that is pleasing and palatable rather than a message that is necessary for everyone to hear and understand as if their lives depended on it.

            The key thing to notice is the responsibility of the individual to earnestly seek God through the bible.  Anything less is to give yourself over to someone other than Him and to gamble away your soul.

            Romans 14:5

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

            Galatians 1:6-10

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

            II Timothy 1:12

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

            II Timothy 2:2

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

            II Timothy 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.