When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was in the wrong (Gal. 2:11).

When you look back on your life, do you see that some of the worst times ended up serving a greater purpose than you could have dreamed?

My friend lost his job on the day he and I met for a long-planned reunion. This was two years after we had briefly known each other at grad school and then gone our separate ways. Since my federally funded teaching position was also ending, we unexpectedly had time to spend together. Time together led to realizing we wanted to stay together, so we married. And the rest, as they say, is history.

If not for history, the present day would look very different. 

That also goes for what happened between Paul and Peter in Antioch. Christianity could look very different today had their conflict not happened and been recorded. Now it is still serving to alert believers to the danger of tampering with Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom.

God had called Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and Peter to preach the gospel to the Jews. Their callings consumed them heart, mind and body. So far, so good.

Not good, though, is the situation we encounter in Galatians 2:11-14.  Here Peter is interfering with Paul’s calling. 

Perhaps Peter had been so consumed with his own calling to the Jews that when they showed up, he deferred to them. We are told he was afraid of them. Perhaps that means he was afraid to lose his influence with them. 

Whatever the reason, here he was, practicing long-ingrained Jewish exclusionary ways. He was separating himself from the Gentile believers with whom he had been freely eating to instead eat exclusively with the Jewish believers.  

The problem with this is that the Church is to be united. We can see that if a leader like Peter appeared to show respect for Jewish believers, while disregarding Gentile believers, division would follow.

Paul would have none of it. And he was right. 

This confrontation was history in the making. It still serves to alert the Church to the danger of letting divisive exclusionary ways intrude to disrupt unity. 

Sit quietly with Jesus. Think of a few convictions you hold firmly and talk with Him about how you determined these were worthy ones. 

Reflect with Him about a time someone challenged a conviction of yours.

Consider whether there are any convictions you once had that you no longer have. Talk with Him about how your history would be different had you not let go of those convictions.