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Galatians: Passion for the Gospel (5 of 18)
Paul & Peter Collide: The Truth Matters!
Galatians 2:11-14
Galatians calls us to (personally and as a church family) consider and defend the good news of the Gospel. We need to allow our hearts to be thrilled with and captured by God’s grace.
Ephesians 2:1 (ESV) –
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins...”
Romans 3:23 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...”
We deserve to be condemned but God has made a way for us to be saved. Christ came to rescue.
Romans 6:23 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Galatians 1:4 (NIV, emphasis mine) –
“...who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age...”
Romans 8:1 (ESV) –
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 2:5, 14 (ESV) –
“...the truth of the gospel...”
Paul boldly confronts Peter because his actions were not in step with the truth of the Gospel.
Galatians 2:11-14 (ESV) –
“But when Cephas 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. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with 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 force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
This shows the danger of our actions proclaiming a message different from what we claim to believe, it’s easy to say one thing and do another. We need to be on guard because hypocrisy has devastating effects. Peter’s actions undermined the glorious truth of justification by faith alone.
1. The setting is Antioch which points to an important backstory.
Galatians 2:11 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.”
Acts 11:19-21 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.”
Acts 1:8 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 11:25-26 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”
Antioch was where the name Christian was first used. It was the church at Antioch that sent Saul (Paul) and Barnabas out as missionaries on a journey that visited the region of Galatia.
Acts 13:1-3 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
How can a pagan Greek (a Gentile) become a Christian? This important question has at its heart how to correctly and consistently apply the Gospel.
What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘hypocrisy’? Hypocrites are known for saying one thing and doing another, for not practicing what they preach.
Galatians 2:14 (ESV) –
“But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel...”
2. Peter’s actions were out-of-step with the truth of the Gospel and Paul confronted him.
You might call this – The collision at Antioch!
Peter came to Antioch and began rightly fellowshipping with both Jewish and the Gentile background Christians within the church. He even made a habit of eating with Gentile (non-Jew) background Christians and you can be sure they were not eating kosher.
Acts 10:13 (ESV) –
“Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
Acts 10:9-16 (ESV) –
“The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.”
The problem started when men from James in Jerusalem showed up. Out of fear, wanting to avoid trouble with the circumcision party, Peter separated himself from these Gentile Christians.
Acts 15:1 (ESV) –
“But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Adding Jewish requirements to the Gospel was a huge problem because instead of faith in Jesus Christ alone the message was quickly becoming faith in Jesus Christ plus (+) doing these things. Whenever we move form Jesus alone to Jesus plus (+) the purity of the Gospel is compromised.
Peter caved in because of fear and separated himself from the Gentile Christians. He separated from people who he had been eating with before these troublemaking visitors showed up. Imagine how this would have hurt the Gentile Christians. Imagine how you’d feel if you had been friends with Peter and then suddenly, he pulled back because of this outside pressure. And worse Peter’s actions were having dangerous consequences because other Jewish Christians started following his example.
• Hypocrisy can spread quickly and with devastating consequences.
Peter clearly believed the truth of the gospel but failed to live consistently with his convictions.
Galatians 3:28-29 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
Peter fellowshipped with Gentile Christians demonstrating that He believed we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. He understood salvation is in Jesus Christ alone not Jesus plus (+) additional things.
Peter knew better. The problem was he wasn’t living out what he knew and Paul called him out on it. He was saying one thing while his actions were teaching something different. This was a rebuke for a public and dangerous error with far reaching consequences.
Galatians 2:14 (ESV) –
“But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with 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 force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Acts 15:10 (ESV) –
“...why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?”
• When the Gospel is shared there must be unity in the midst of diversity.
Galatians 3:28 (ESV) –
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Those who share the Gospel are one in Christ! The church is full of people who have little in common other than Jesus and we must not add requirements (or preferences) to the Gospel.
• Actions that undermine the truth of the Gospel must not be ignored.
It’s dangerously easy to believe the Gospel but to be inconsistent in our actions when under pressure and influenced by fear. Looking at what happened to Peter is a warning for all of us.
If you haven’t yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior – You need to!