The apostle Paul confronted the apostle Peter in Antioch, and he confronted him publicly. Peter’s actions were public, so Paul’s rebuke also needed to be public. Peter, without intending to, was leading others astray by his behavior.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said numerous times, the best thing about church is relationships, and the hardest thing about church is relationships. But the fact is, relationships are the acid test of our Christian lives.
Asked what was the greatest commandment in Scripture, Jesus quoted the words of Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength.” But then he added a second commandment, and wielded it together with the first: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
If we will do these two things, taught Jesus, we will fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. Simple, right? Easy? No. But absolutely necessary if we are going to be the disciples Christ is calling us to be.
As I said in yesterday’s podcast, confrontation is something most of us seek to avoid. But at times, for the sake of the gospel, as well as for building genuine, authentic relationships with others, we have no other choice. And if we go about it in the right way, with an attitude of love, God will bless our obedience. Even if things don’t go well, God will honor our efforts.
Our families, both at church and at home, are built on this kind of genuine, loving commitment to one another. Loving God and loving others - these two inseparably linked commandments are the key to real relationships.