Faith Working Through Love: Hypocrisy

“The church is full of hypocrites!" You may or not agree with that statement but it's one I've heard for years. I don't have a problem confessing that, and you shouldn't either. The truth is that the world is full of hypocrites, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that the church has them too. After all, the church is full of sinners. I know that people expect better (and perhaps they should) but we are who we are. If we worry about our performance based on outside criticism, aren't we being hypocrites?

Our text this week reveals a confrontation between Paul and Peter over the issue of hypocrisy. Peter withdrew from eating with Gentiles when Jewish churchmen showed up. This seems like a minor thing, but it caused a stir within the church. The Gentile Christians felt it, because Peter was a leader. Paul saw it and couldn't let it go, so he confronted Peter in front of the church. Yikes. But what a lesson for the church.

It's a difficult text to read because no one likes to be exposed or have their dirty laundry aired, but what a great text for the church. So, come Sunday, and let's confess our hypocrisy!

~Pastor Tim