Paul confronts Peter with Hypocrisy
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12 And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written, 16 ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, 17 that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, 18 says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.’ 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled[] and from blood. 21 For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues.”
6 And from those who were reputed to be something (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who were of repute added nothing to me; 7 but on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for the mission to the circumcised worked through me also for the Gentiles), 9 and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised; 10 only they would have us remember the poor, which very thing I was eager to do.
Paul calls out Peter (Cephas) for being a hypocrite for fearing that people knew he was eating with Gentiles
Paul Rebukes Peter at Antioch11 But when Cephas came to Antioch I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And with him the rest of the Jews acted insincerely, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their insincerity. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We ourselves, who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, 16 yet who know that a man is not justified[] by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! 18 But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification[] were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.
Galatians 2:11-21 is a crucial passage in the New Testament that deals with the themes of Jewish-Gentile relations within the early Christian community, the principle of justification by faith, and the tension between adhering to Jewish law and the new faith in Christ. This passage recounts a confrontation between Paul and Peter (Cephas) in Antioch, which serves as a pivotal moment in the development of early Christian theology and practice. Here's a breakdown and explanation of the passage:
Paul Confronts Peter: Paul describes a confrontation with Peter in Antioch. He criticizes Peter for withdrawing from eating with Gentile Christians after some Jewish Christians came from James (the leader of the Jerusalem church). Peter's action is seen as hypocritical because he fearfully complied with the expectations of the Jewish Christians regarding the observance of Jewish dietary laws, thus implicitly endorsing the view that Gentile Christians needed to adhere to Jewish customs to be fully accepted in the Christian community.
The Influence on Other Jews and Barnabas: Peter's behavior influenced other Jewish Christians, including Barnabas, to also withdraw from table fellowship with Gentiles, which Paul saw as a betrayal of the gospel's inclusive message.
Justification by Faith, Not by Works of the Law: Paul uses this incident to expound on a central theological point: that both Jewish and Gentile Christians are justified by faith in Jesus Christ and not by observing the Law of Moses. This argument is foundational to Paul's theology, emphasizing that righteousness comes through faith in Christ rather than adherence to the law.
Paul's Argument Against Living Under the Law: Paul argues that if righteousness could be achieved through the law, then Christ's death was in vain. He insists that the law cannot justify anyone; rather, it is faith in Christ that justifies. He speaks of living by faith in the Son of God and being crucified with Christ, which means that believers are no longer bound by the law but live by faith in Christ, who loved them and gave himself for them.
The New Life in Christ: Paul concludes this section by emphasizing that the believer's life is now found in Christ. By faith, Christians participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus, which transcends the law's requirements and creates a new way of being in relationship with God.
This passage is significant for several reasons:
It illustrates the early church's struggle with integrating Jewish and Gentile believers and the challenge of moving beyond ethnic and religious boundaries.
It highlights the principle of justification by faith as central to Pauline theology, a cornerstone of Christian doctrine.
It shows Paul's willingness to confront even prominent leaders like Peter to preserve the truth of the gospel.
Galatians 2:11-21 thus serves as a key text for understanding the theological debates of the early church, particularly regarding the role of the Jewish law in the life of Christian believers and the inclusive nature of the gospel that Paul passionately defended.