11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? (Galatians 2:11-14)
In today's text, we learn that it is possible for the believer in Christ to contradict the gospel through the way we treat others. Peter did this by requiring new converts to be circumcised in order to be acceptable.
In v.11 Cephas which is the Aramaic equivalent to Peter, travels to Antioch to visit a very healthy church. Paul informs us he opposed Peter because "before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles." (v.12).
Peter was a Jew who was enjoying the freedom that the gospel brings into a believers life, particularly freedom to eat with the Gentiles. In addition, he was requiring that Gentile believers to become Jews (by being circumcised and keeping the ceremonial laws which were a part of the culture God gave to the Jews).
There is a background story which explains Peter's change. As recorded in Acts 10, Peter shares the gospel with Cornelius, a Gentile. Immediately afterwards, God gave Peter a vision of a sheet which was lowered from heaven with all kinds of animals that the Old Testament pronounced unclean (Leviticus 11). Then the voice of God says, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." But Peter responds, "No, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice came back, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."
In Galatians 2:12, we discover the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem criticized Peter, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?" Peter's defense is recorded in Acts 11:17, "So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
When Peter ate with Gentile Christians in Antioch, he was enjoying one of the many results of the gospel. He experienced the freedom which enables us to love others freely.
But then certain Jews came to Antioch from James who was in Jerusalem (v.12). Peter feared this group. And, in a moment of weakness he cut off the fellowship with the Gentile believers. He literally stiff-armed the Gentiles.
In v.13 we read, "The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray." Peter and Barnabas and the others sought to avoid rejection from the Jerusalem Jewish Christians at the expense of their principles.
We are all fallen, and therefore, we are all, to some measure, insecure. And, the battle we are fighting is the battle to really believe the gospel. The gospel tells us that the death of Christ assures us of God's love, and so it gives security to our lives. And, the more we center our lives on the gospel.
Finally, according to v.14, Paul confronts Peter who was not living by the truth of the gospel. The blessings of the gospel are only received by faith in the Lord Jesus, not by works of the law. We do not attain the blessings of the gospel by being good enough. We attain forgiveness and joy and peace and power through daily reliance upon Jesus Christ who loved us and gave himself for us. And that faith creates a lifestyle that is in step with the truth of the gospel.
