“And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy”
And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him,
The “rest of the Jews” are Jewish believers. When Peter went astray, other Jewish believers went with him.
The English words “played the hypocrite” are from three Greek words: with, under, to judge. The idea is to join in acting the hypocrite, to pretend to act from one motive when, in fact, you are acting from an entirely different motive. The ancient Greeks used this word in the theater for pretending or playing a part. The idea is that they played a part along with others. They helped each other in presenting a false front.
Principle:
When leaders fall, they bring many with them.
Application:
The greatest leaders have feet of clay. When great leaders fall, others fall with them into their failure. The greatest Christian leaders can go bad. Any good man can go bad when he pushes the panic button.
When an outstanding leader falls, it is usually a great collapse to the Christian community. The greatest Christian leaders can fall. A sin capacity resides within until they die or go to be with the Lord Jesus.
We need to understand that leaders can lead others astray. As leaders, do we give a second thought as to how we might hurt people who follow us?
