Led Away By Hypocrisy
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of wwhat was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man xwho feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3 yAbout the ninth hour of the day1 zhe saw clearly in a vision aan angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms bhave ascended cas a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging dwith one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, 8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Peter was in Joppa and a non-Hebrew was told by the Lord to send men to Joppa to find Peter.
The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, ePeter went up fon the housetop about gthe sixth hour2 to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into ha trance 11 and saw ithe heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; jfor I have never eaten anything that is kcommon or lunclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, m“What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
Commonly these verses have been used to declare that the Old Testament dietary laws had now been changed. That God was instituting a new dietary system. However, there isn’t another place in Scripture that would support this doctrine. So let’s keep reading in context to see what the Lord was truly teaching Peter.
Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what nthe vision that he had seen might mean, behold, othe men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering nthe vision, pthe Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and qaccompany them without hesitation,3 for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and rGod-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by sa holy angel to send for you to come to his house and tto hear what you have to say.” 23 So he invited them in to be his guests.
The apprentices of Jesus constantly argued over who was greater. This was no different than the hierarchy we constantly live in within our families, jobs, church, and life. Who is better? Who is wiser? It is a constant struggle for personal worth and influence. This is the context of these passages.
The religious leaders and those in first-century Judaism felt they were not to associate with anyone who had not converted to Judaism. So if you were Italian like the centurion or any other non-Jew it was uncommon and unseen to dine with them. This is why Jesus eating with the tax collector, or Jesus associating with the Samaritan women was so uncommon.
So while Peter was wrestling with what was the meaning of his vision God immediately put him to the test of the vision. How would Peter respond to non-Jews who wanted to summon him for Cornelius? Would he treat them as second-class citizens unworthy of his attention and company or would he show hospitality to a non-Jew?
We see at the end of that text he invited them to be his guests.
The next day he rose and went away with them, and usome of vthe brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and wfell down at his feet and xworshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, y“Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew zto associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but aGod has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”
30 And Cornelius said, b“Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at cthe ninth hour,4 and behold, da man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, eyour prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
When Peter arrives to meet Cornelius he was elated. Cornelius knew the chances of a Jew coming to meet him in his house. I would venture to believe Cornelius wasn’t holding his breath that Peter would actually come. Notice, Peter said “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.
There is our context. His vision was never about the food. There is no Biblical change to the dietary commandments of clean and unclean from a food standpoint. The Old Testament law does not prohibit Hebrews from associating with non-Hebrews. So how did they believe it was unlawful? Jewish man-made laws. According to the 1st-century Jewish law, it was unlawful. A couple of weeks ago I did a teaching called the church is dying. In that teaching, we looked more at what the Old Testament has to say about who is and who is not a part of God’s people. So I’m not going to go into great depth here about that.
Cornelius ends this section in verse 33 stating that everyone was in the room to hear all that Peter had been commanded by the Lord. Then Peter begins to preach.
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that fGod gshows no partiality, 35 but fin every nation anyone who fears him and hdoes what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for ithe word that he sent to Israel, jpreaching good news of kpeace through Jesus Christ (lhe is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, mbeginning nfrom Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how oGod anointed Jesus of Nazareth pwith the Holy Spirit and with qpower. He went about doing good and healing all rwho were oppressed by the devil, sfor God was with him. 39 And twe are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. uThey put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but vGod raised him on wthe third day and made him to xappear, 41 ynot to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as zwitnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And ahe commanded us to preach to the people and to testify bthat he is the one appointed by God to be judge cof the living and the dead. 43 dTo him eall the prophets bear witness that feveryone who believes in him receives gforgiveness of sins hthrough his name.”
Peter began to preach against the Jewish law of that day. The Jewish law showed partiality to people who converted to Judaism. Anyone outside of that group was not to be associated with. Yet in the vision, God gave Peter, a Jewish apprentice of Jesus, proclaimed he knew that God didn’t show the same partiality. That anyone, any nation who fears God and does right is acceptable to God. That they should have peace in knowing that. He harkens back to the fact that Jesus himself went through Judea (Jews) starting in Galilee (Mark chapter 1) proclaiming this good news. Jesus didn’t just come for the Jews or known as the people of Judea. But for all.
Peter learned the lesson of the Lord. So how did God respond to Peter understanding this vision/revelation? Let’s pick up at the end of Acts chapter 10.
While Peter was still saying these things, ithe Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among jthe circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because kthe gift of the Holy Spirit lwas poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them mspeaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 n“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit ojust as we have?” 48 And he pcommanded them qto be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
While Peter was preaching this revelation which was a different teaching from the Jewish leadership the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard the word in that room. Jew and Non-Jew. The circumcised (Jews) were amazed by the gift of the Holy Spirit being poured out on non-Jews.
Peter then declares, can anyone withhold water for baptizing these men? Why because before one could be baptized according to Jewish law they must first be physically circumcised. These men had not been physically circumcised, but they had encountered the circumcision of the heart. Then Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of Yeshua.
We then see at the start of Acts chapter 11 that Peter went back to Jerusalem and had to face the religious leaders’ concerns.
Now the apostles and rthe brothers1 who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, sthe circumcision party2 criticized him, saying, 3 t“You went to uncircumcised men and uate with them.”
What happened in Jerusalem and how Peter responded must have not been exactly great. Because after Peter went to Jerusalem he went to Antioch and Paul the Apostel was there. Paul took issue with Peter’s testimony in Jerusalem. In Galatians Chapter 2:11-19 Paul tells us of his conversation with Peter.
But ewhen Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him fto his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, ghe was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing hthe circumcision party.1 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their iconduct was not in step with jthe truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas kbefore them all, “If you, though a Jew, llive like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Justified by Faith
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not mGentile sinners; 16 yet we know that na person is not justified2 by works of the law obut through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, pbecause by works of the law no one will be justified.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found qto be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I rdied to the law, so that I might slive to God.
Peter learned that no man was unclean and Jesus had come for all. Yet Galatians 2 tells us that Peter when confronted by the Jews in Jerusalem adjusted his behavior and didn’t walk in the same boldness in front of them.
I mean have any of us ever been two-faced? All of us probably have. Peter himself was scared of the Jewish leaders called the Circumcision party. That they all acted hypocritically, including Peter. It was through their hypocrisy that even Barnabas who trained Paul as an apprentice of Jesus, a mentor if you will, was led astray.
Peter was sent to the nations (non-Jews) to show them how a believer in Messiah was to live. He was to be an example. Paul took issue with Peter’s witness. If you can’t even do it how do you expect to teach them properly.
If I as a Pastor who keeps the Old testament laws show you it is ok to treat others as second-class citizens, less in some way, then how can I expect anything else of others? Paul then lays out an important message for all.
No Jew, No Non-Jew has or ever will be justified by the law. We were all sinners, none of us were justified by our actions. We were justified by Christ alone. We aren’t better, we live in God and are found guilty by the law. The law was never given for salvation, it was given to show us how to walk out our faith and salvation.
If we teach anything else, if we act as better than any other or teach another to do so we are led astray by our own hypocrisy. The same hypocrisy of the Temple leadership, and religious leadership of 1st century Israel. The same leadership that turned Yeshua over for death.
Some in the Messianic movement have already been led astray by their own hypocrisy. It is my job as the Pastor of this church to make sure none of us are led away by the same hypocrisy that Peter fell into in Jerusalem. Don’t be fooled church you are just as much a sinner as those who you look down at. The difference is you recognize your sin and the need of a Savior. That Savior recognized all of humaniti’s sins and died for it. He taught his apprentices the same. He gave Peter a vision to remind him of that very gospel. One that showed no ethnic boundaries, no structure by which we could hold ourselves in a higher level of esteem than another. One that should cause us to have compassion and mercy and vigor to go to others to testify of the testimony of what God has done for us. Some in the Christian church have preached similar hypocrisy, that we should have nothing to do with what they consider Jewish Christians. That by keeping the laws of God we are somehow placing ourselves in bondage. These types of doctrines are hypocritical and actually lead to bondage.
Not so that we can lead others astray to another gospel of hypocrisy.
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,
“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
- Romans 3:1-8
God is true, He is righteous. The faithlessness of some does not nullify the faithfulness of God. We must go to everyone with the same message to make sure we are not the reason why some will be led astray by our own hypocrisy.