【双语灵修】冲突

加拉太书 2:11-21 8月25日

后来矶法到了安提阿，因他有可责之处，我就当面抵挡他。 从雅各那里来的人未到以先，他和外邦人一同吃饭，及至他们来到，他因怕奉割礼的人，就退去与外邦人隔开了。 其余的犹太人也都随着他装假，甚至连巴拿巴也随伙装假。 但我一看见他们行得不正，与福音的真理不合，就在众人面前对矶法说：“你既是犹太人，若随外邦人行事，不随犹太人行事，怎么还勉强外邦人随犹太人呢？” 我们这生来的犹太人，不是外邦的罪人， 既知道人称义

不是因行律法，乃是因信耶稣基督，连我们也信了基督耶稣，使我们因信基督称义，不因行律法称义；因为凡有血气的，没有一人因行律法称义。 我们若求在基督里称义，却仍旧是罪人，难道基督是叫人犯罪的吗？断乎不是！ 我素来所拆毁的若重新建造，这就证明自己是犯罪的人。 我因律法，就向律法死了，叫我可以向神活着。

我已经与基督同钉十字架，现在活着的不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着。并且我如今在肉身活着，是因信神的儿子而活，他是爱我，为我舍己。 我不废掉神的恩，义若是藉着律法得的，基督就是徒然死了！

冲突

“后来矶法到了安提阿，因他有可责之处，我就当面抵挡他。” -加 2:11

在与百夫长哥尼流那次塑造及改变生命的相遇后，彼得和其他人带领早期教会明白了神对众人的恩典（参见《使徒行传》10-11, 15）。然而，后来彼得还是倾向于偏爱那些跟随耶稣的犹太人，而保罗继续作为外邦人的宣教士为神工作（使徒行传九、十三至十四、十六至二十八章）。尽管彼得相信耶稣的爱是为所有人，但偶尔还是会受种族偏见所影响，为避免得罪犹太信徒而不与外邦人同席吃饭。在安提阿，保罗当面指责彼得（矶法）虚伪，因他与外邦人分隔。

纵使保罗的回应可能有些过激，我们仍当感恩，因他终究没有随波逐流，曲解主耶稣那爱与合一的福音。可悲的是，我们看到彼得——早期教会的“盘石”——在犹太强硬派的同侪压力下，再次显出软弱。

然而，彼得并未全然跌倒。从他后来的教导可以看出，他接受了保罗的责备，继续前行，没有怀恨在心。在写给加拉太和小亚细亚（今土耳其）基督徒的信中，彼得称保罗为“我们所亲爱的兄弟”，就是“照着神所赐给他的智慧”去写信给这些基督徒的那位（彼得后书3:15）。

像彼得一样，我们有时也会软弱。但随着我们在成为门徒的过程中成长，我们也可以像彼得一样，谦卑地接受批评，并继续跟随耶稣。

祷告

主啊，靠着祢的恩典，愿我们持续跟随并服侍祢。阿们。

Galatians 2:11-21

MONDAY, AUGUST 25

A CONFRONTATION

When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. —Galatians 2:11

After his formative, life-changing encounter with Cornelius the centurion, Peter and others led the early church in understanding God’s grace for all people (see Acts 10-11, 15). Later, however, Peter tended to favor Jesus’ Jewish followers, while Paul continued working for the Lord as a missionary to Gentiles (Acts 9, 13-14, 16-28). Though Peter believed that Jesus’ love was for all people, he sometimes slipped back into ethnic prejudices, avoiding eating with Gentiles for fear of offending Jewish believers. In Antioch, Paul confronted Peter (Cephas) as a hypocrite for separating himself from Gentiles.

Though Paul’s response may have been excessive, we can thank God that Paul did not go along with twisting Jesus’ gospel of love and unity. And, sadly, again we see Peter, “a pillar” of the early church, showing weakness in the face of peer pressure from Jewish hardliners.

Yet Peter didn’t completely collapse here. From his later teaching we can tell that he accepted Paul’s reprimand and moved on without holding a grudge. In a letter to Christians in Galatia and other parts of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), Peter describes Paul as “our dear brother,” who had also written to them “with the wisdom that God gave him” (2 Peter 3:15).

Like Peter, we can expect to fail at times. As we grow in becoming disciples, though, we can also, like Peter, humbly accept correction and continue to follow Jesus.

Lord, by your grace, may we continue to follow and serve you. Amen.