Ep. 13 | Paul vs Peter

Speaker: Jesse Turkington

Summary: Paul confronts Peter when his witness becomes compromised. The Gospel was in danger of being misrepresented.

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Music created by Chad Hoffman
Artwork created by Anthony Kuenzi

Jesse’s Personal Notes:

Galatians 2:11-21

So far, Paul has established that he is preaching the unfiltered and the true gospel of Jesus. And He’s given sufficient reason and proof that he had been appointed by God to be an apostle to the Gentiles, the Jews and the kings of the land – which is just like is his commission in Acts chapter nine.

But the Lord said to him (Ananias), “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15-16 ESV)

Now, Galatians chapter one and a good chunk of chapter two is Paul’s dedicated space for his personal defense. He recounts history, he presents witnesses and he sets up a solid defense against what appears to be inaccurate accusations. 

So, as we move into verse eleven of this second chapter, Paul begins to transition from narrative – giving examples and recounting history – to offering correction with theological reason. 

Now this transition is subtle because he uses a story to present a situation and then he eases into the theological implications that are produced from this established interaction. 

So this is the story’s set up; starting with verse eleven:

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. (Galatians 2:11-13 ESV)

Now let me remind you, Cephas is Peter in the Aramaic language. Peter is the Greek version. 

And it’s interesting because Paul bounces back and forth in using Peter in some places and then using Cephas in others. So far in this letter, he’s used Peter twice and Cephas four times. 

 It’s interesting because it appears to be strategic. This letter was written in Greek and I think Paul’s purpose in using Peter’s Aramaic name was meant to emphasis the context around its usage. In this case, I think Paul is emphasizing the importance of this confrontation.

Peter was a respected and important apostle among the twelve. And for Paul to correct him – it’s a significant moment for church history and also for understanding that everyone will need correction. 

 Let’s look at why Peter’s actions were such a big deal. 

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. (Galatians 2:11-13 ESV)

Now this was horrible, because the church in Antioch had both Jews and Gentiles within it. So when Peter came to visit, he first ate with the full church without discrimination. But when certain people from Jerusalem came – people that had very strong views about practicing certain Old Testament laws and following kosher guidelines – they came and their simple presence influenced Peter to act in a different way. He was intimidated by them. He was scared of them. He feared the circumcision party.

Now when it says that these men came from James, it doesn’t mean that James sent them in order to keep Peter in check. James was the known leader of the church in Jerusalem and so it just means that they came from the church in Jerusalem. Because we know from the book of Acts that James did not agree with or even support the circumcision party’s doctrine. So these guys aren’t in cahoots with James, they just came from his church in Jerusalem.

Once they arrived in Antioch, people started acting differently. It appears that they had a good amount of influence over others. Maybe it was their reputation, maybe it was their social status, we don’t really know why but this offers insight into why Paul spent so long giving a detailed defense. If these are the type of people who were causing problems in Galatia and leading people astray, Paul had to establish himself as a divine messenger, someone appointed by God, in order to offer any correction. Because these guys had such a grasp on those around them. 

First, Peter began to act differently by purposefully distancing himself from interacting with the Gentiles. But then, his example influenced the other Jews within the church to do the same thing. A schism was starting, and the apostle Peter was creating it. The degree to who was affected by this is demonstrated by even Barnabas following them. Barnabas was a leader in this church!

Not only were they creating this uncomfortable situation but they were acting hypocritically. They didn’t even believe this was necessary. They were just acting out of fear and following people’s influence. 

 So Paul approached Peter publicly and called out his hypocrisy. Verse fourteen:

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?” (Galatians 2:14 ESV)

That was the message being communicated to the Gentiles within the church. The reason that Jews would withdraw from Gentiles was because of the notion that they were unclean, unregenerate sinners. But if they became (prohs- il- lites) proselytes of these certain Jewish observances then they were accepted. Man, the social pressure to conform must have been intense for these people. 

And because it was a public issue, Paul addressed it publicly. He directly exposed Peter’s hypocrisy. Because Peter didn’t actively practice these specific Jewish customs even though he himself was a Jew. He didn’t believe that these practices were necessary for salvation. But he responded out of fear and began to act in a way that did not represent his beliefs. In fact, he acted in a way that undermined his beliefs and hindered his apostolic ministry. 

I love the way Paul phrases this observation – I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel. 

 Remember, apostles (as well as prophets) were supposed to be the foundation of the household of God with Jesus Christ being the cornerstone. But right now, in this moment, Peter was laying down a foundation that was not aligned with the cornerstone. 

Galatians 2:15-16

Paul directly addresses the distinction that had been made and encouraged between Jew and Gentile. He goes on to say in verse fifteen:

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;  yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ… (Galatians 2:15-16a ESV) 

This is the turning point. This is the emphatic truth of the gospel – presented as a correction. 

Paul makes a tongue-in-cheek mention of the ethnic distinctions, saying, “We were born Jews. We were born into God’s chosen family and we’re nothing like those unclean Gentiles who are outside of God’s favor.” 

You see, that was a fairly common mindset for Jewish people at that time. It’s easy to lose focus of something after a few generations, but that wasn’t God’s original purpose for setting Israel apart. 

Paul mentions the distinction between Jew and Gentile but then he says, yet we know that a person! No distinction. It doesn’t matter what your ethnicity is. No person is not justified by works of the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Justified. Another phrase you could use for this word is “counted righteous.” No one is counted righteous by works of the law. Rather righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Verse sixteen:

…we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, … so we also 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 no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16 ESV)

So even those who were born into the Jewish lineage, even they would need righteousness given to them. Justified by faith. Credited righteousness through belief.

Paul just tore this distinction apart. But he’s not even done. He goes father in the next chapter by saying,

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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.(Galatians 3:28-29 ESV)

Notice how each of these are contrasting social status. Think of the audience and the time period this letter entered into. A group of struggling churches in Galatia being coerced to adopt and submit to Jewish customs and regulations so that they could be saved. This was a time period of slaves and masters; of female oppression. 

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. (Galatians 3:28 ESV)

No distinction. This was a radical and a world-shattering statement. Jesus came to redeem the world not to reward those followed a list of rules. No one will be justified by works of the law. 

This would break the society of the day because of how sin had fortified a class system that said you’re only worth something if follow these rules. 

This was the power of the gospel. It shows no partiality, it doesn’t discriminate, the gospel of Jesus Christ can be received by anyone. 

Galatians 2:17-21

Paul presents a potential counter to his last statement and then addresses why a question like that would be flawed in its purpose. He says in verse seventeen:

But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 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. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness (or justification) were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:17-21 ESV)

Man, I don’t want to pull this apart and analyze it. It’s so beautiful. 

By grace we have been saved through faith. We have been given a godly righteousness. We have been justified, not through anything that we have done or even through anything that we could do. This is not something of our own doing; it is the gift of God. It is only through faith. It is only through faith. If it was anything more, then the gospel wouldn’t be good news because would never attain it. 

There is nothing comparable to God’s holy and righteous standards. There is nothing, no social class, no privilege, there’s nothing mankind could ever do to earn God’s favor. 

So God gave it to us through Jesus Christ and His humble submission to God’s will. 

 If we can’t earn justification or righteousness through works, what happens if we sin while believing that Jesus Christ is sufficient? 

Does our sin nullify the justification that Jesus gives us? Does it make Jesus an accomplice in our sin because he advocates for us? Paul says, “Certainly not!”

What kind of question is that? It’s a question that comes from fear … that Jesus wasn’t good enough. 

 Paul said in verse eighteen:

For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. (Galatians 2:18-20a ESV)

Paul isn’t saying that you become sinless when you become justified through Christ. Because he said, “I prove myself to be a transgressor.” The proofs in the pudding babe. We will continue to fall short of God’s righteous and holy standards. The life that we live in the flesh will be marred with sin. But through identification with Jesus Christ, we will have died to the way that we were and cling to the hope of a life with God the Father. 

Paul said,

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. (Galatians 2:20 ESV)

Jesus’ sacrificial payment on the cross was enough to not only cover the sins we have committed but also the sins that we have yet to make. If we add anything to the work of Jesus Christ, then Jesus died a pointless death.

Paul concludes,

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:21 ESV)

This stunning rebuke to Peter was important and necessary. Because the gospel’s integrity was at stake. The entire message could become distorted and unrecognizable from the one that Jesus lived out. 

This was the Galatians plight. “If we do this, this and this, then we might be saved.” Paul established a firm foundation that he could build off of so that he could reach the Galatians the absolute truth of the gospel. It is good news. Because it shows no distinction, no partiality, no discrimination. It can be received by anyone, and hopefully by everyone. 

Conclusion

Hey, thank you for joining me this week. 

Galatians has a particular soft spot in my heart because this letter is what knocked down the barriers and distinctions I had put up and it was through this letter that I was led to Christ. 

And so, being able to share this with you is an absolute joy for me. 

With that said, thank you again for listening. I know that time is precious and I genuinely appreciate you listening. If you would like to show appreciation for this podcast – tell your friends about it.

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