Galatians 2:12b – Group Think

… because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.

Summary: There is a thing called “group think” that occurs when people stop thinking for themselves and just go along to get along with the group. This isn’t a problem unless the group is thinking wrongly.

This meditation deals with the last part of verse twelve. We are looking at this passage separately because it deals with the topic of fear. The reason Peter “drew back” was because he was afraid “of those who belonged to the circumcision group.”

Some questions we need to ask are: Why was he afraid? Who’s in the “circumcision group?” What is the “circumcision group,” anyway?

Oh, and one more question: Why is this even an issue?

The word “group” suggests that certain people aligned themselves with a person or an idea. It also implies that these people are separate or distinct from everyone else.

Let’s look at the history of groups for a moment.

Genesis, chapter ten, contains what is called “The Table of Nations.” This chapter outlines the lineage of Noah’s descendants. His three sons became the fathers of three separate nations (Genesis 10:32). Within these nations are numerous clans or family groups.

God’s Word tells us that in Noah’s day the only divisions between people were their clans. Since everyone traced their lineage back to Noah, these divisions were considered minor. The Bible tells us that in those days, “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.” (Genesis 11:1)

If the “whole world” had opted to submit to God, this level of unity would not have been a problem, but they didn’t. Instead, their leaders attempted to put themselves above God. God’s response was simple: He said, “let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” (Genesis 11:7) Then the Lord “scattered them from there over all the earth” (Genesis 11:8).

Since then, we seem to divide into groups naturally. The Lord calls us “sheep” (John 10:27). Sheep naturally gather together into “flocks” because there is safety in numbers. That doesn’t mean that some sheep don’t stray, but on the whole, sheep tend to prefer being with other sheep.

This instinct for being in a group is strong. Not being a part of the group is a threat to the group, so one of the instincts of the group is to attack the loner.

The circumcision group had decided that Gentiles could be saved if they believed in Jesus, but only if the males were circumcised. Otherwise, they would not be acceptable to the Jewish believers. To them, circumcision was not so much a sign of the covenant made with Abraham centuries earlier (Genesis 17:10), but a sign that a person was acceptable to God.

Paul understood that the Jews had failed miserably to keep the original covenant with God. What was left of their religion was little more than a political structure devoid of God’s love. All that matters now is trusting in Jesus (Galatians 1:3-5).

Peter had dared to believe the truth that the Holy Spirit showed him when he was called to visit the Gentile home of Cornelius (Acts 10). That truth separated him from the flock of believers who gathered around the Lord’s brother, James. Separation from the flock is scary. Change is unsettling. Paul’s conviction that the Lord’s Gospel message included Gentiles won the day. The fear that Satan had deployed to divide the believers was dispelled. God wins.

Application: Trust in Jesus.

Food for Thought: What tools can we use to fight the fear of being separated from the group when God’s truth calls us to be apart?