"...Truth of the Gospel."

I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, compassion, and empathy.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, compulsive behaviour, discouragement, and self-importance.  May I know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly.


Galatians 2:11-14
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned; ¹²for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. ¹³And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?’


1) "...self-condemned;" "...not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel;" "...truth of the gospel."


2) I'd really like to hear Cephas' side of this encounter.  Paul reports the motivation behind Cephas' "keeping back."  But it is so easy to return to old practices.  Paul is calling for unity, for the community to eat together as one.  Paul observes a self-righteousness from the "circumcision faction" separating themselves from the Gentiles to maintain observance of the purity laws around eating.  I'm not sure I'd want to be on the receiving end of Paul's admonishment.  How do we admonish one another without alienating one another?  Paul is quiet certain that Cephas is "not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel."  I've been contemplating the meme: "Ignorance is full of confidence; wisdom is full of doubt."  But Paul here, whom I consider to be wise, is able to speak so confidently to Cephas.  When I feel the call to point out how someone is not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I am full of doubt.  Am I always consistent with the truth of the gospel?  Can I know with certainty the truth of the gospel?  Who am I to point out to someone (In Paul's case he is admonishing an acknowledged pillar) that they are being inconsistent?  Who feels they have the capacity to point out when I am inconsistent?  Certainly, I have people in a close circle whom I share intimacy and safety that we can call each other to account, but that's a close circle and not everyone can be in it.  I can think of times people have tried to call me to account, sometimes well, sometimes poorly.  I works best if we can trust that the calling to account comes from love.


3) What is the invitation in all this?  If I feel called to point out that someone is not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, really examine whether that call comes from love, or from a desire to be right.


"Holy One, be with us in conflict.  Guide our interactions.  Keep us mindful of the love you have for us, and that you call us to have for each other."


Breathprayer: "...truth of the Gospel."