The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
Summary: Looking at the background to the story, we find that we have many details that don’t seem obvious at first.
Paul is telling a story about an event that helped shape his ministry. The core element of the event is, unfortunately, conflict.
The scene is set in Antioch, a city situated on the northeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. (There is another city by that name north and west of Cyprus, about three hundred miles west of the city in this story.)
After Paul had lived in Tarsus for several years, Barnabas set out to find Paul and bring him back to Antioch, where Barnabas was staying. Luke tells us that “for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.” (Acts 11: 26) If I understand Paul’s letter to the Galatians correctly, Peter’s visit to Antioch happened during this year. (This would be nine or ten years after Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem to meet with Peter and James.)
Somehow, during those nine or ten years, James began to side with the Jewish believers who wanted to keep circumcision a requirement for everyone who believed in God or Jesus. The group must have acquired dominance in Jerusalem because Peter (Cephas) had fallen in with them. So strong was this belief that when Peter and his companions arrived in Antioch, “even Barnabas was led astray.”
What makes this “hypocrisy” insidious is that it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. The problem for Paul is that he sees the “Big Picture.” He knows that taking one baby step in the direction of legalism diminishes the gospel message and leads to more baby steps.
In the end, Paul made a stink about something that no one else thought was a big deal. Yet, Paul knew it was a big deal.
Application: Never stray, not even a little baby step away from God’s path.
Food for Thought: Why did Paul call circumcision a “hypocrisy?”
I think the hypocrisy was seen in that Peter ate with uncircumcised gentiles before pressure from this circumcision group, and now he was not. He let circumcision separate fellowship due to pressure. It is also hypocrisy in that he wanted to live in freedom in Christ while holding others to a work and yoke (abiding by the law rather than grace) that was a heavy burden. He was willing to place on others a burden he himself did not want.
We need to make sure we avoid similar hypocrisy by adhering to the gospel message of the cross and not adding any work for salvation.
Amen!
Thank you, Rich!
It is a good question. I like Rich’s answer.
I would offer this too: Without love for God and for others, obeying a set of rules accomplishes nothing. Obeying God comes from loving and honoring God. When we put the law above the love, we miss out on the magnitude of God’s love for us. Christ came to free us from the law, not that we can forsake obedience to God, but so that we could offer our obedience in love.
Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Chris,
Great point! Legalism or Love?! Simple and easy to understand.
Thank you!
02-08-2024, Why did Paul call circumcision a “hypocrisy?”
Great questioning feedback.
The Bible calls hypocrisy a sin. There are two forms hypocrisy can take: Professing belief in something and then acting in a manner contrary to that belief, and looking down on others when we ourselves are flawed. Jesus calls hypocrites “wolves in sheep’s clothing” Matthew 7:15, “whitewashed tombs” Matthew 23:27, “snakes,” and “brood of vipers” Mathew 23:33.
Jesus tells us, He did not come to abolish, the Law, but to fulfill what Moses and the prophets taught. Matthew 5:17-18, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Circumcision was required of all of Abraham’s descendants as a sign of the covenant God made with him Genesis 17:9–14; Acts 7:8. The Mosaic Law repeated the requirement Leviticus 12:2-3.
Deuteronomy 10:14-16, 30:6, Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
Romans 2:29, But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Physical circumcision is practical for health reasons, however only God by the power of the Holy Spirit, can bring the righteousness of circumcision of the heart of a believer, as the power of the flesh is removed and our spirits are given life.
Thank you, Ron!
I appreciate your two kinds of hypocrisy. That makes total sense. I would summarize the two types as (a) knowing and (b) unknowing.
In the first type, a person is intentionally trying to deceive.
In the second type, a person is “blind” to their own trespass. (See Matt 7: 1-5)
As the recipient of hypocrisy, it is tempting to see them both as the same thing, but they are very different. Intentional hypocrisy is evil in the sense that it defies God and intends harm for one’s neighbor.
A blind person might sin (act in opposition to God’s will) but at the same time be blind to their own hypocrisy.
It is interesting to speculate about the Pharisees who brought Jesus to Pilate for execution. Some of them were possibly blind, others might have been intentionally evil. Only God knows the answer.
From the standpoint of being a victim of hypocrisy, it is helpful to discern the difference in motives. If a person is intentionally causing hurt, we turn the other cheek and, I suppose, do our best to avoid them. If they are unintentional, that is they have a blind spot, it might be more loving to try and help them understand how they are hurting others.
We are definitely on the same page Jeff. Thank you for stating this so clearly.
Ron
Thank you, Ron.
You keep me on my toes! 🙂