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GALATIANS - I Have Been Crucified With Christ
Studies in the Letter of Paul to the Galatians
PART 2: THE HISTORICAL EVIDENCES OF THE APOSTOLIC POWERS OF PAUL (Galatians 1:11 – 2:21)
4. Paul surpasses Peter in standing fast in grace (Galatians 2:11-21)
GALATIANS 2:11-13
11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
Christ had revealed to Peter that all the Gentiles were purified by the cross, and not by the law. Peter knew this fact through the trance, in which he saw a great sheet descending to him from heaven, which contained worms, scorpions, and strange animals, and the Lord said to him: “Rise, kill, and eat”. And when Peter objected to his Lord’s command, God explained to him the meaning of the vision: “All what God has cleansed is clean”. Therefore, all men who believe in Christ, who had truly purified them from all sins, are pure. This is why Peter lived with the believers of Gentile origin, leaving behind him, in his love to Christ, the traditions of his fathers, and believing that there was no difference between a believer of Jewish origin and another of Gentile origin, for all were sinners justified by grace in the redemption on the cross.
Yet, when Peter visited the church in Antioch, the followers of James, who had enthusiasm for the law, came from Jerusalem to spy on Peter, who became liberated from the law, that they might complaint against him before the brothers of Jewish origin, that the latter in turn might reject his leadership. So, Peter became afraid, and he bashfully separated himself. Consequently, the fellowship of believers in Antioch was divided, until they appeared in two parties: one held the judgments of the law, and the other believed in the grace.
The strange and surprising thing was that Peter, who had already become free, in his conscience, from the lifeless traditional judgments, and was unwilling to put the yoke of the law on the believers of Gentile origin, pretended to be still a faithful Jew, subject to the law as his companion. So, he rose and separated himself from the regenerated Gentiles.
Then, Paul flared up in the Holy Spirit, and reproved Peter publicly, because he played the hypocrite before all. The most courageous of the apostles appeared as imperfect in himself, and fallible.
Paul revealed to everyone that Peter lived with him in a non-Jewish way, as a Gentile, and he was truly delivered, by the guidance of the Lord, from the Jewish nightmare.
After that, it became clear to the most courageous of the apostles that he, through his hypocrisy, might have inadvertently compelled the believers of Gentile origin to accept the false law, and to submit to the bondage of the law, which could save nobody. Paul confirmed his complaint before all, demonstrating the heart of the redemption, and said:
GALATIANS 2:14-16
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Paul did not deny the apparent difference between the Jew and the Gentile. The first did not commit sin intentionally, but lived under the pressure of the law in godliness and abstinence, while the heathen nations indulged in wild sex orgies during their religious festivals, and believed in many gods who, as they supposed, also committed adultery most scandalously with each other. Thus, there was a vast difference between the members of the old covenant, and those who were far from the one God.
However, this level of godliness did not justify the Jew before God, since the Law brings the knowledge of sin and despair, and not the power of holiness and salvation. If the law were able to save one man, it would not be necessary for Christ to come. However, when he came, he carried away the sin of the world, atoned for the adultery of the Gentiles, and purified the seed of Abraham at the same time, for the law and works bring not salvation, but condemnation and destruction.
These crystallized words fell down as a thunderbolt on the crowd in Antioch, and the Holy Spirit confirmed the truth to the hearts, for the unique salvation is realized in us through our commitment to Christ. Whoever commits himself to Jesus is justified before God, for as Christ took away your sins, so he imputed his righteousness free. You have been saved by your faith, and not by your religious or charitable efforts.
PRAYER: O Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you with all our hearts because you saved us once when you died on the cross for us. We also thank you because your apostle Paul stood fast in the truth of the gospel of your grace. Help us, through his testimony to you, not to return to the bondage of the law. We ask you to deliver many who are still slaves of laws that they may taste with us the freedom of fellowship with you and the joy of our salvation, which you purchased for all men by your death. Amen.
QUESTION:
- Why did Paul oppose Peter severely?