Thou hypocrisy, how is it that thou compellest the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? Paul sees that Peter's withdrawal is communicating law. By separating from gentiles, he's implying that gentiles need to become like Jews to be truly Christian. The hypocrisy is that Peter knows better. He knows grace. But his behavior denies it.
I'm a pastor guilty of this hypocrisy. I preach radical grace and then pastor judgmentally. I preach welcome and then treat people differently based on their background. I preach vulnerability and maintain an image. My hypocrisy is embedded in the system I've built. And I'm watching it undermine everything I'm trying to accomplish.
Paul's rebuke of Peter is rebuke of me. The hypocrisy isn't just embarrassing. It's gospel-denying. When people see the disconnect between my preaching and my living, they stop believing the gospel. Why should they trust grace if I don't actually live it? I'm working to bring my behavior in line with my belief, not because I'm self-improving but because the gospel depends on it. At least it depends on it being credible.
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