Galatians 2:11 But when Peter 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.
Our perspectives determine to a great extent, our outcomes. How we view ministry, business, people, God, and even life inevitably affects how we live, interact, pray, minister, etc.
Peter, one of the most well-used examples among the apostles, could have personally been struggling throughout his ministry with the perspective that God does not distinguish between Jew and Gentile. This was why God had to visit him in a dream and show him ceremonially unclean animals and ask him to “rise, kill and eat”, and subsequently send him to Cornelius’ house in Acts 10-11. When that still did not change Peter’s perspective, God used the apostle Paul to rebuke him in this verse in Galatians.
In some sense, Peter’s ministry was limited, not because God had limited his scope, but that Peter’s perspective of the Gentiles was limited by his past theology. As long as he could not deal with that perspective, he could not minister effectively to them as Paul did. This affected Peter’s spiritual fruit and legacy.
Takeaway:
Humility is key as His disciples: we need to ask God to constantly challenge our perspectives and in areas where we are unable to view things from His perspective, that we change ours.