Galatians 2:11-21 Bible Teaching

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Okay, we left off at verse 11 where Paul says

Galatians 2.11-
Milk
March 17th 2019

11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

Alright, back to verse 11.

Paul has been trying to explain the tenuous relationship he had with the Original Apostles – he loved and respected them in terms of them being brothers, but in terms of their insights on what Paul needed to do in his ministry Paul has not seen that they bring much to the table.

Instead, as in the case of Peter and the story he is about to tell, Paul encountered only trouble.

And he says:

11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

In telling this story Paul appears to illustrate a number of things.

First, it shows that he regarded himself as on the same level with the chief apostles and he did not seems to feel inferior to any of them.

And so even though Peter was the eldest, and probably the most honored of the apostles (it has been said that Peter was a man large in stature.

But Paul says that he did not even hesitate to confront him in a case where Peter was manifestly wrong.

In explaining how Peter was wrong Paul is able to also show how difficult it was to change the spirit of that Age (even for an apostle) but also how important those changes were to the Gospel going out to the rest of the world.

The fact that the rest of the Epistle to the churches at Galatia is about this very topic that Paul confronts Peter about is just icing on the cake to his purposes.

We don’t really know when Peter went to Antioch. I think seems evident that it was after this visit of Paul to Jerusalem for the first apostolic counsel but we cannot be sure.

Paul says, “I withstood him to the face.”

Again, I think he was killing several birds with one stone here and adding this in not only shows that he was equal to the original apostles, but that the point of the confrontation was worthy of being addressed.

So, he openly opposed him and reproved him.

The first thing to be noted is, that it was done openly, and with candor. It was a reproof addressed to the offender himself. Paul did not go to others and whisper his concerns.

Before the church he called Peter out.

Now, this is not seen as loving in our world as most of us would think such an approach was rude, confrontational and divisive.

I’m not so sure.

Last week we read that God is not a respector of persons. Neither should we be. If I, as your equal in the faith, am guilty of doing something that will harm the Gospel, even if it is uncomfortable to experience and do, I think it should be public (and I don’t mean on Facebook.)

If taken to task publicly, it gives me the accused the opportunity to address the accusation directly, and it gives the audience the opportunity to assess the situation from both sides.

This is the mature way to handle confrontations in the faith in my estimation – with love, with gentleness, but openly and honestly.

Part of this lies in the fact that since God is not a respector of persons, and neither was Paul, then neither should we – and nobody standing before a congregation is sacrosanct and impervious to criticism.

Additionally, the direct approach is so much better than the cowardly approach, which is to walk away from a situation or person and to talk behind their backs, spreading insinuations and innuendos while at the same time not allowing them a change to respond.

Of course, if our choice is to confront, we would always remember other advice for dealing with each other, like:

1st Corinthians 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s well being.

And

1st Corinthians 13:4 Godly love suffereth long, and is kind; it envieth not; it vaunts not itself, nor is it puffed up,
5 It doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Finally, because the reproof had to be in love, we know that it was for the benefit of all involved – Peter, the Jews, the Gentiles and the faith as a whole.

Paul says, “Because he was to be blamed.”

The word used here may either mean because he had incurred blame or because he deserved blame. The essential idea is, that he had done wrong, and that he was by his conduct doing injury to the cause of the faith.

At this point Paul explains his crime, saying at verse 12

12 For before that certain came from James, (either before Peter came from the presence of James or more probably, when certain orthodox Jews came from James who had embraced the faith) he (Peter) did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come (from James to Antioch), he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

If these were orthodox Jews we don’t know if they were sent by James or whether they came of their own accord.

What is evident is that they had been intimate with James at Jerusalem, and they doubtless pleaded his authority upon their arrival.

James may or may not have endorsed the course which they pursued as orthodox but the sense of the whole passage is, that James was a leading man at Jerusalem, and that the rites of Moses were observed there.

So, when they came down to Antioch, they of course observed those rites, and it appears that there was pressure that others should do so too.

It is evident from passages in Acts like 21:21 and 22-25 that the peculiar rites of the Jews were observed for a long time by those who became Christian converts at Jerusalem.

And according to Paul, Peter, before these Orthodox arrived at Antioch, “ate with the Gentiles.”

In Acts 10 we know that Peter had been taught through a remarkable vision that all foods were Lawful to eat.

But we also know that his initial response to the command that he was to eat the creatures on the net lowered down to him was to tell the Lord, “no way,” showing the strength of tradition in Peters blood.

Nevertheless, Peter was noshing with the Gentiles according to Paul – which was good and right. Then Paul adds:

“But when they (the Jerusalem Jews) were come, he withdrew and separated himself.”

Paul explains why Peter did this, saying:

“fearing them which were of the circumcision.”

We don’t know whether they demanded this fear from Peter, or whether they called him out on something.

All we know from Paul is that Peter was “fearing them.”

I find this utterly fascinating. I really do. Peter has seen and experienced so much. And yet, he still feared flesh and blood and what they could do to Him.

Perhaps he feared that they would oppose him. Or punish him. Or alienate him from other Christians. We don’t know what he feared only that he feared them.

In many ways, and ironically, our fear of each other is often stronger than our fear of God Himself. I suppose we think that God, who is love, will not hold us accountable for everything but humankind is not so kind.

The Orthodox Jews were renown for instilling fear in others. In Jesus day we read of the power of fear they instilled in others when John wrote of the masses:

John 7:13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

This was the clarion call to the Nation of Israel throughout their history – don’t fear men, fear God.

Isaiah 51:7 says:

Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

The Psalmist wrote in 118:6

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Additionally,

Psalm 56:4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Isaiah 8:12 Say ye not, “A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.”

And of course to the Nation of Israel through Moses God said:

Deuteronomy 20:1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

Of course Jeremiah was called to go and speak before a very hard hearted people and before doing so God said to him:

Jeremiah 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

Essentially, the Nation of Israel and those who loved God within it were promised physical protection from Him based on works righteousness, and it was this relationship that gave them the courage to enter into warfare with nations larger and more numerous than themselves.

But in the New Testament, we see a shift. In the former economy, the LORD would protect them and told them to not fear but in the New Testament, under faith in Christ, the command became, “do not fear those who can (and will) kill you.”

See the difference?

In other words, under Christ, who would strengthen you and be with you through your deaths, you would be empowered to endure whatever came your way.

The command under Christ was to suffer – and this was too much for the Nation writ large to embrace. Who would want to exchanged an economy of health and wealth and protection for one of suffering, mistreatment and poverty?

But when Jesus taught he clearly said:

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

In other words, “fear God who is able to destroy both body in soul in Gehenna, but do NOT fear those who can only kill the body.
Oh, and by the way, they will kill your bodies!”

In fact we have Peter himself being told in advance by the Lord that he was going to wind up dead. Remember?

It was after the Lord’s resurrection and they were on the beach on the Sea of Tiberius eating fish that had been caught by the Lord’s directions.

And Peter leapt in the water when he recognized him.

And while they were eating Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him? And three times Peter said he did.

And then right after the Lord says to Peter:

John 21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When you were young, your dressed yourself, and walked wherever you wanted: but when you will be old, you will stretch forth thy hands, and another will dress you, and carry you where you don’t want to go.

This was a prophecy on his death – which would surely be at the hands of the Jews who would see to it that Peter did not live long on this earth.

So, going into ministry, after watching the Lord and Savior be put to death himself, and after years of instructions that plainly told all the apostles:

Look, they are gonna hate you because they hated me first.

And to take up their crosses and follow him.

Peter is left in the lions den among the Jews – to share the risen Lord with the House of Israel.

Yes, he had been regenerated. Yes, he had witnessed MANY wonderful things at the hands of the living God, even the resurrected Lord first hand and on many occasions.

But you know, folks, I thank God for Peter because in him we are able to see ourselves in moments of the flesh. Time when in the midst of all of our knowledge and blessings we too stumble out of fear.

Times when we do “fear their faces,” and the repercussions of being Christians. I am convinced that though a sold out Christian, Peter remained terrified of the Jews.

I mean, he SAW that they were able to take the Christ and put him to death – the very one Peter watched walk on water, raise the dead and rise from the grave itself.

But he knew the power they had on earth, and add in that he also knew at some point he too was going to be taken by them, I think the thorn in his side was fear – and here at Antioch it got the best of him.

Well Paul’s thorn did not seem to be fear. IT was something altogether different. And after witnessing Peter step away from what was the proper way to engage with all Saints, and seeing that Peter was to blame (which is how Paul writes it) he confronted him face to face, before them all.

But Peter was not alone. Perhaps his actions encouraged others to slip back into poor form because next we read

13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

When Paul says, and “the other Jews,” it seems pretty apparent that he is speaking of those who had been converted to Christianity.

Naturally they regarded Peter as a leader it was probably very easy for them to follow his lead.

Lead into what? The King James calls it dissimulation. From the mouthful Greek term:

soon-oo-pok-rin’-om-ahee

a derivative of the term hoo-poc-ra-tace – which is where we get hypocrite or hypocrisy.

Peter, and the other Hebrew converts, were being hypocrites – they believed one thing, or had one view but acted in an entirely different way.

That’s hypocrisy – and if anything bothered Jesus is was religious hypocrisy. I mean, he seemed to really hate it.

Perhaps because it is SOOO easy to fall into by the flesh, and the root of it is feigning, its dishonestly, and it is a character trait of Satan and the darkness.

Twenty times in Matthew, Mark and Luke the Lord addresses the hypocrisy of the Pharisees – and he does not hold back, saying:

Matthew 16:3 O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

When it came to judging others, he said:

Luke 6:42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

When they criticized his healing on the Sabbath he said

Luke 13:15 Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

For their heart in keeping people from the truth he said:

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

For taking money of widows and making pretentious prayers he said:

Matthew 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

For making disciples of their ways he said

Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

For the way they tithed of their herbs but ignored mercy he said:

Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

For their religious dress and appearances he said

Matthew 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Again comparing their hollow hearts to their appearance, he said:

Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

For their honoring the prophets with their lips but being the very types to have killed them he said:

Matthew 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, Mt 23:30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

For the feigned words they used, he said in Mark 7:6

Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

And he told them that they were like invisible graves, saying

Luke 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Job tells us 13:16 “an hypocrite shall not come before God.”

We are not taking about moments of hypocrisy – we all, like Peter, have them. Its our nature and few escape this life not feigning in some manner before men.

In fact, I guess I am quite hypocritical in a way that I will confess you all here and now. I possess very strong opinions on certain activities people engage in that are popular in this day and age.

I have views and beliefs about them – and there are several – but I do NOT speak to them or address them when I am confronted with them for the simple reason I believe that one, that is not my job or call, I have beams in my own eyes and am not qualified to address these activities, and two, I believe that my job as a Christian is to share the light and not just damn the darkness.

So, I DO have views that are contrary to the way I behave. Is it always hypocrisy? To speak one way but to believe another?

It depends on what you are SAYING – and this is the key and what you are DOING. This is the first area to consider when we look at hypocrisy in our lives.

Let’s just say I think eating russet potatoes is a very evil thing. By holding my tongue in front of russet potato eaters is not a form of hypocrisy.

In many places this is called wisdom, love, and being humble. Remember, Jesus did not speak when taken before Herod but I’m sure he had thoughts about him as a person.

However, if I champion the cause of russet potatoe eating, and take the side of russet potatoe eaters while secretly judging them FOR their actions in this area, that is who-pocratace.

Again, the motives are behind the words and behaviors of the subject we are talking about. If love for God and all others is the motive, the words will never be hypocritical – even if they appear to be by some.

The second area that must be examined in the discussion of hypocrisy is that when we are talking about it, is it relative to the faith. This is the area that seemed to really get under the skin of our Lord.

In other words, when the heart is set on one thing, but the words and behaviors present another.

This cannot be. And every attempt, in my estimation, ought to be made to make sure that what we SAY AND DO relative to the faith is in harmony with what we think and believe.

For example, not matter what, I cannot teach a pure Trinitarian doctrine no matter what – why? I don’t believe it – not completely.

I am responsible before God and that responsibility includes the fact that when I teach or speak my words MUST be in harmony with what I see and believe.

That being said, I would never challenge a Trinitarian nor accuse them with being wrong, nor would I separate ways with them, and sit apart from them because of the view.

The point is, in the arena of the faith, it is vital that the heart and the mouth and the actions work in unison.

And here’s where the rubber meet the road.

When the Law is in operation, hypocrisy is always around the corner waiting to rear its head.

See, nobody, has ever been able to obey the Law completely – but Christ.

The Law comes as a whole package – its like pregnancy – you either are or your not – and so it is with the Law.

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

We are going to read in the next chapter of Galatians where Paul will say

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

So, when it comes to the faith we come to an impasse, don’t we, when it comes to the Law?

None have ever been able to keep it (except Jesus) and if all of it is NOT kept, then all of us are guilty of breaking all of it!!

Now to the hypocritical nature of the Law. If non of us are able to keep it, but we judge and condemn people around us for failing to keep it, we are automatically hypocrites and are, as Jesus said, straining at gnats but swallowing camels, or trying to remove slivers out of our neighbors eyes when we have a two by four in our own.

So, to take it out to our day in the faith which is dead to the Law:

Whenever anyone – pastor or parishioner – in this age where God writes his Laws upon our minds and hearts and all of us walk by and are saved by grace through faith – attempts to impose elements of the Law upon another, they are automatically guilty of hypocrisy.

How? All have sin? All are saved by grace through faith. All ought to be dead to the elements of the Law – why? Because it is the presence of the Law that gives the strength of sin.

And if there is a law presented by parishioner or pastor, they are themselves guilty of sin, but punishing or preaching law, makes them even more guilty of the very hypocrisy that God hates.

Can you see the ingenuity of God’s ways over mans? Getting back to the point and situation at hand, Peter was taking people who were made free by faith in Christ and was seeking, through his example, to put them under auspices of the Law.

We know this by the words of Paul which he says next in verse 14:

14 But when I saw that they (Jewish converts, Barnabas and Peter) walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

“But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel.”

Paul was all about people having clear access to the truth of the Good News.

In fact he uses the term three times – twice in Galatians:

In verse 5 (which we covered last week) where he says that he gave no subjection to those who were trying to subvert them, not even for an hour, he says, adding:

“that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” Then again here in Galatians 2:14, and then again in

Colossians 1:5 he writes, “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.”

I’m right with Paul, the truth of the Gospel is what is needed – nothing more nothing less.

Just the truth. And the truth of the Good News is the same Truth in the line, I am the way, the Truth and the life.

That is the truth of the Gospel.

The truth is NOT in the Law, it is not in rite or religious rituals. It is not in demands and commands for complicity.

The Truth of the Gospel, is that Jesus did it all – look to Him in faith and live – here and in the kingdom above.

His Spirit will move us to freedom from all bondage – all of it – if we let him. There is no other need needed by faith in him (to have completed it all, and love – first for God and next for all others).

This love is NOT possible in the presence of fear – and John wrote in 1st John and as Peter was showing here in how own life. And so Paul writes:

So “I said to Peter before them all.”

Again, this was a public affair where believers were being offended by his actions and so it was right and proper to address it publicly as it was vital to set the public precedence.

And what does he say to Peter?

“If you, being a Jew (a Jew by birth) lives after the manner of the Gentiles And not as do the Jews.”

What does he mean? Verse 12 tells us that Peter before was engaging and eating with the Gentiles before the Jews came from Jerusalem. The other Jews would NEVER do such a thing – but Peter would and did – because he had been taught the truth by the Lord Himself and new that the age of divisions between people based on laws, rites, gender, rituals and nationality were over.

But Paul says,

“If you, Peter, being a Jew (a Jew by birth) lives after the manner of the Gentiles and not as do the Jews . . .”

“Why are you compelling the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?

Now, it is not said here, but the meaning appears to be:

They why, through your behaviors, are you compelling (persuading) Gentiles BY AND THROUGH YOUR BEHAVIORS OF SIDING WITH JEWS AND SEPARATING FROM YOUR GENTILE BROTHERS – to be circumcised – which was the definitive sign of embracing the Law of Moses.

In other words, by showing a revulsion against sitting and eating with the Gentiles, he was tactily endorsing the Law and all of its impositions on those Gentiles who had received the faith by faith.

Additionally, Paul could have been using this to make the point that when it came to circumcision that the Gentiles were are free to reject it as Peter was free to ignore the other Jewish demand when he ate with the Gentiles days before.

I want to wrap today up by reading the rest of what Paul says which we will cover next week.

Speaking of the Jews Peter had aligned himself with, Paul adds at verse 15:

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 the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

And we will return to these passages next week and God willing.

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