Thought for Thursday
And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas was also carried away with their dissimulation. Galatians 2:13
Did you ever dissimulate? Not sure about that one, eh? Maybe if we find out what the word means, we can avoid hurting good people like Barnabas. Because the worst thing about dissimulation is what it does to those who are innocent and unsuspecting. We never read much about Barnabas after this incident… maybe this dissimulation did his service for the Lord permanent damage, we don’t know. Dissimulation can destroy the usefulness of many sincere Christians.
Dissimulation refers to doing things in a deceptive way, applying your own motives to a situation so that people are unaware that you are simply following your own agenda as you lead them along. What Paul is referring to in today’s text has to do with a situation in Antioch some years earlier. Peter, who had been eating with Gentiles with no reservations, stopped doing so when some of the Jewish Christians came from Jerusalem. Some of the other Jews that were there followed Peter’s example. And so did Barnabas. This is how the Jews would have behaved before they were saved, separating themselves from Gentiles, who they considered unclean. But now, they knew better. Except, they did not do better, at least when there were Jerusalem Jews to impress. No wonder Paul challenged Peter on it. And how it must have hurt him to see Barnabas affected.
Only a few short years before, Paul and Barnabas had been commended by the Antioch Assembly to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. Barnabas was bold and bright for God, a powerful witness and a great missionary pioneer. He and Paul made a great pair, right up until their disagreement over John Mark, and Paul could see the tremendous potential in Barnabas. Potential that the dissimulation damaged. What a shame!
You and I have probably been affected by dissimulation, by people teaching us or telling us things they want us to hear from their perspective. Young people are particularly affected by dissimulation. For example, some young Believers are led away by those who criticize our ‘rigid policy’ of allowing only those in Assembly fellowship to participate in the Lord’s Supper. And the woman’s head-covering should be a personal exercise, they say. We’d attract more people if we weren’t so restrictive, they say. And their dissimulation leads young Christians away from the truth.
It is a joy to see young Christians serving their Saviour well. How careful we need to be that they are not the targets – or victims – of dissimulation! -Jim MacIntosh