言行不一
加拉太书二章11至16节
11后来，矶法到了安提阿；因他有可责之处，我就当面抵挡他。
12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。
13其余的犹太人也都随着他装假，甚至连巴拿巴也随伙装假。
14但我一看见他们行的不正，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？
15我们这生来的犹太人，不是外邦的罪人；
16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。
信息分享
这种言行不一的表现并不是今天所独有。昔日保罗在安提阿的时候，便因为见到作为教会领袖的彼得，有言行不一的表现，于是便直斥其非。那究竟是怎么一回事呢？
事情发生在第一次教会会议圆满结束之后。保罗、巴拿巴等一行人回到安提阿，受到信徒的热烈欢迎。他们在该城大力开展福音工作，在教会里面也继续进行教导事工。不久，彼得从耶路撒冷来到他们中间，了解教会的发展情况。
彼得最初热切地与来自不同种族的信徒相交，可是，当耶路撒冷有一批犹太信徒来到，情况便出现微妙的变化。其后来的那批犹太人不愿意跟外邦信徒一同分享「爱筵」。尽管上次会议已作出议决，但彼得却害怕开罪那些犹太人，于是便作出妥协，不跟外邦信徒吃饭。彼得为甚么有这种言行不一的表现呢？
我们该怎样为彼得解释呢？如果换了是我们，我们又会怎样解释呢？请留意，其他信徒也有份装假（13节）。信徒之间的问题往往会产生连锁作用。彼得和那些追随他的人都知道怎样做才对，可是，他们却因为有其他人在场而故意躲避。这就是虚伪的表现。
要指出其他信徒的不是，实在需要极大的勇气；如果对方是一名领袖，就更不用说了。然而，为了福音的缘故，保罗知道他不得不指出（11节）。当中牵涉了一个重要原则──福音是要人得自由，包括挣脱律法的捆绑而得享的自由。我们将会在明天谈及保罗在这方面的教导。
此刻，让我们各人反省自己，并祈求圣灵显明我们有哪些地方言行不一。我们为基督所作的见证，必须是清洁、纯全和知行合一的见证，否则便很难影响别人信主。
ARE WE EVER INCONSISTENT?
Galatians 2:11-16
11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;
12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.
13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?
15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Message
One of the many charges often made against the church and against individual Christians by unbelievers is that we are all hypocrites and are inconsistent in our behaviour. It is a statement which isn't always easy to answer.
Again this is nothing new. Paul faced it in Antioch and had to confront Peter, a church leader, regarding his inconsistent actions. How did this happen?
It was after the first church council which had ended on a happy note. Paul and Barnabas with others returned to a warm welcome in Antioch. A strong evangelistic thrust began in the city and a continuous teaching ministry started in the church. Then Peter came down from Jerusalem to see how they were getting on.
He entered heartily into the multi-racial fellowship until some other Jerusalem Jews arrived. These men refused to share in the "love-feast" with the Gentile believers. In spite of all that had been decided, Peter was afraid of these Jews and sided with them. Why? How could he be so inconsistent?
How do we explain Peter's inconsistency? How do we explain our own? Notice that others became involved too (v.13). Trouble among believers often causes a chain reaction. Peter, and those who followed him, knew better but acted that way because of the others who were present. That is hypocrisy.
It always takes courage to confront another believer, especially a leader. But for the sake of the gospel, Paul knew it had to be done (v.11). There was a great principle involved - the freedom of the Gospel. Our next reading will cover what Paul said.
Can we look again at our own lives and ask the Holy Spirit to put his finger on anything there which is inconsistent? Our testimony for Christ must be clear, clean and consistent if we are to touch other lives for Him.