Listen to what Paul said…

“I went to Jerusalem because of a revelation and I talked with the church leaders in Jerusalem (and I want to be sure to mention that we talked privately [rather than in a pompous public setting], and I want to emphasize that I talked with men who SEEMED influential). And when we talked – the main thing I wanted to emphasize is the FACT that God is adamant about giving His scandalous grace and mercy and adoption to the Gentiles (flagrantly disregarding the fact that – traditionally, JEWS view the Gentiles as being less genteel, less decorous, and less elite). And I also want to be sure to emphasis that Titus (a ‘plebeian’ ‘barbaric’ gentile), was NOT forced to be circumcised! (which will OF COURSE be misinterpreted & misconstrued as, “Paul ‘ruining Judaism’;or Paul ‘teaching people to renounce the Mosaic Law’ …even though I don’t have a problem with custom of circumcision! I do have a problem with putting the custom on a pedestal, and making it mandatory; but I don’t have a problem with people adopting the custom if that is their preference!). Here’s the deal, there are TRADITIONALISTS and LEGALISTS who are to spying out our freedom in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—AND I WILL NOT yield in submission to them even for a moment, SO THAT the truth of the Gospel might be preserved! And from those who SEEMED to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) – those, I say, who SEEMED influential added nothing to me. And when James and Cephas and John, who SEEMED to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I shamed and confronted Cephas before everyone!