Conflict is a part of every ministry. It’s common to think certain sizes of churches or specific denominations might have more or less conflict. The reality is not whether or not you have conflict in ministry, what is important is how you navigate the conflict in your ministry.
Paul, Barnabas, and Titus left their brief meeting with Peter, James, and the other leaders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:30) and returned 300 miles north to Antioch. In Galatians 2:11-21 Peter comes to Antioch, sins publicly in front of others, so Paul reproves Peter.
In this article I would like to show you the context of what’s occurring (Galatians 2:12-13), highlight parts of the correction Paul gives to Peter (Galatians 2:14b-21), then look at the way that Paul confronts Peter (Galatians 2:11, 14a) and see what we can learn about how to handle conflict in our churches and ministries.
CONTEXT
The problem is described in Galatians 2:12, “For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he [Peter] used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.”[1] Peter had been enjoying meals with Gentile believers, but when James and other prominent Jewish leaders arrived from Jerusalem, Peter withdrew himself from the Gentiles and only ate with the Jews.
Why was this a problem? We learn about that in Galatians 2:13, “The rest of the Jews joined him [Peter] in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.” Peter was not just sinning by showing favor to race, but Peter was also leading others into sin.
CORRECTION
Now that we have the context, let’s look at the correction that Paul gives to Peter. Paul gives a speech that states all Christians are equal in Christ for two reasons.
First, we are saved through faith, not through works, “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). Second, we are saved through Christ, not through the Law. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).
These three statements show there was no biblical reason to treat someone different because of race (like Peter was doing). Paul makes it clear in his letter to the Galatians that Peter has sinned.
CONFRONTATION
I want to share with you four tips to follow whenyou need to confront others and correct behavior based on how Paul handled the situation described in Galatians 2:11, 14a.
1. Get the Facts
Notice Paul says, “But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14a). Paul saw with his own eyes what occurred and he knew from first-hand experience.
When confronting someone we need to get the facts straight and make sure we have the right information. In this case, Paul saw it. (Paul probably also knew about Peter’s tendency to say one thing in passion, but that Peter didn’t always follow through on what he said in practice.)
In our lives we might not always see something that is done wrong, but we often hear about it. So the first step is to verify. And you verify in an informal and non-threatening way. Don’t approach someone saying, “I heard that. . . .” Instead what you say is, “I wanted to talk to you because someone told me something, and what they said doesn’t sound like you. So I wanted to share with you what I heard and see what you have to say. . .”
2. Know the Truth
To confront someone you have to know what Godly behavior should look like. How should that person have acted? What would the appropriate thing to say have been?
The proper behavior in this context is described as “the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14) which is the same phrase used in Galatians 2:5 when Paul said he didn’t yield to those False Brethren who snuck into his meeting with Peter about the need for Titus to be circumcised. The doctrine Paul has laid out in Galatians 2:14-21 states that we all are sinners, we have been saved through faith, and we have been saved because of Christ. Thus, there is no reason to act differently around people of different races.
3. Act Quickly
When Paul “saw that they weren’t straightforward about the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14a) it says “I [Paul] said to Cephas [Peter] in the presence of all” (Galatians 2:14b). Paul acted quickly. He didn’t wait. He didn’t procrastinate. There’s no gap between the sin and correction. He knew that the behavior he saw did not match the Bible’s teaching on that situation.
However, there are two times you don’t want to act quickly. Don’t act when emotional (whether angry or sad). You’ve got to be levelheaded. You must be cool, calm, and collected, because the other person isn’t always going to be. So you have to be centered and at peace. Be Confident and firm, but loving and gracious. Don’t act without prayer. Pray before, during, and after the confrontation. Pray and look up Scripture. Pray and ask God for help.
4. Talk Directly
The most important principle for handling conflict and confrontation is this one: Do it face-to-face. Don’t text, don’t email, don’t call, don’t fax. Again, don’t text about conflict! Remember, don’t text when in conflict! As a pastor I have counseled many people engaged in conflict with family members through harsh exchanges of text messages. I can honestly say that when we replace a face with a screen in conflict, the results are bad.
Here it says that Paul, “opposed him [Peter] to his face” (Galatians 2:11). This was a direct confrontation. Paul did not talk about Peter behind his back. He didn’t put it on Facebook. He didn’t send him a text. Paul approached Peter and talked to him directly.
CONCLUSION
Don’t you wish we knew what Peter’s response was? We don’t know what he did. But most commentaries on this passage state that he likely admitted he was wrong and brought the two groups together (based on the book of Acts and what he wrote in 1 & 2 Peter later). I pray and hope that you too can get past conflict just like Peter and Paul, by using Paul’s example as a model for your ministry.
[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.