APPLYING THE WORD

When I saw that they were not following the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter in front of all the others, "Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you trying to make these Gentiles obey the Jewish laws you abandoned?" [Galatians 2:14]

Compromise can weaken our respect for truth. The Judaizers accused Paul of watering down the gospel to make it easier for Gentiles to accept, while Paul accused the Judaizers of nullifying the truth of the gospel by adding conditions to it. The basis of salvation was the issue. Is salvation through Christ alone, or does it come through Christ and obedience to the law? The argument came to a climax when Peter, Paul, the Judaizers and some Gentile Christians all gathered together in Antioch to share a meal. Peter thought that by staying away from the Gentiles, he was promoting harmony. He did not want to offend James and the Jewish Christians. James had a very prominent position and presided over the council [Acts 15]. But Paul charged that Peter's action violated the gospel. By joining the Judaizers, Peter was supporting their clam that Christ was not sufficient for salvation. Compromise is an important element in getting along with others, but we should never compromise the truth of God's Word. If we feel we have to change our Christian beliefs to mach those of our companions, we are on dangerous ground.

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