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SEPTEMBER 25
The Jewish believers in Antioch followed Peter’s example and “played the hypocrite” (v. 13).
This Greek word refers to an actor who wore a mask to depict a mood or certain character. In the
spiritual sense, it refers to someone who masks his true character by pretending to be something
he is not (Matt.6:1–6).They were committed to the gospel of grace,but pretended to accept Jewish
legalism.By withdrawing from the Gentile Christians,Peter and the other Jewish believers were not
walking in line,“straightforward,” with God’s Word (v. 14). Before his gradual withdrawal, Peter reg-
ularly had fellowship and ate with the Gentiles,thus modeling the ideal of Christian love and liberty
between Jew and Gentile. By his Judaizing mandate, he was declaring theirs was the right way.
Paul’s rebuke of Peter in vv. 15,16 serves as one of the most dynamic statements in the New
Testament on the absolute and unwavering necessity of the doctrine of justification by grace
through faith. Peter’s apparent repentance acknowledged Paul’s apostolic authority and his own
submission to the truth (2 Pet. 3:15,16).

5 The coastlands saw it and feared,
September 25 The ends of the earth were afraid;
They drew near and came.
6 Everyone helped his neighbor,
Isaiah 41:1–42:25 And said to his brother,
“Be of good courage!”
41 “Keep silence before Me, 7 So the craftsman encouraged
O coastlands,
the goldsmith;
And let the people renew their He who smooths with the hammer
strength!
inspired him who strikes the anvil,
Let them come near, then let them Saying, “It is ready for the soldering”;
speak;
Let us come near together for Then he fastened it with pegs,
That it might not totter.
judgment.
8 “But you, Israel, are My servant,
2 “Who raised up one from the east?
Who in righteousness called him to Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.
His feet? 9
Who gave the nations before him, You whom I have taken from the ends
of the earth,
And made him rule over kings? And called from its farthest regions,
Who gave them as the dust to his And said to you,
sword,
As driven stubble to his bow? ‘You are My servant,
3 Who pursued them, and passed safely I have chosen you and have not cast
you away:
By the way that he had not gone with 10 Fear not, for I am with you;
his feet?
4 Who has performed and done it, Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
Calling the generations from the I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
beginning?
‘I, the LORD, am the first; I will uphold you with My righteous
right hand.’
And with the last I am He.’ ”
11 “Behold, all those who were incensed
against you
Shall be ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
41:4 first…last. He existed before history and
will exist after it (44:6; 48:12; Rev. 1:17; 2:8; And those who strive with you shall
22:13).I am He. It is legitimate to translate the perish.
12 You shall seek them and not find
two Hebrew words thus represented by “I am”
(see also 42:8; 43:10,13; 46:4), a messianic title them—
appropriated by Jesus frequently as explicit Those who contended with you.
testimony to His deity (e.g., Mark 13:6; 14:62; Those who war against you
Luke 21:8; John 8:28,58; 13:19).The title comes Shall be as nothing,
originally from the Lord’s self-revelation to As a nonexistent thing.
13
Moses in Exodus 3:14. For I, the LORD your God, will hold
your right hand,
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