SCRIPTURE: GALATIANS 2
PAUL ACCEPTED BY THE APOSTLES (vs. 1-10)
Paul brought along Barnabas and Titus to preach among the Gentiles. Some false brothers had compelled them to be circumcised, but they refused. They did not give in to their demand so that the truth of the gospel with the freedom we have in Christ Jesus could remain. But Paul was accepted by apostles Peter, James and John as apostle to the Gentiles as Peter was an apostle to the Jews. All they asked was to continue to remember the poor.
PAUL OPPOSES PETER (vs. 11-21)
When Peter came to Antioch, we were eating with the Gentiles. But when James and the people arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself for the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him including Barnabas. When Paul saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, Paul said to Peter 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?” (v. 14)
Paul said: “We who are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners” know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!. If I rebuild what I destroyed, I will prove that I am a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for it righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (vs.15-21)
THOUGHTS:
The essence of Paul’s message to both the Jews and Gentiles was that God’s salvation is offered to all people regardless of race, sex, nationality, wealth, social standing, educational level or anything else. Anyone can be forgiven by trusting in Christ. However, the false Christians (mostly Pharisees and Judaizers) were trying to pervert Christianity. They accused Paul of watering down the Good News to make it easier for Gentiles to accept while Paul accused the Judaizers of nullifying the truth of the Good News by adding conditions to it.
When Peter, Paul, the Judaizers and some Gentile Christians all gathered together in Antioch to share a meal, Peter stayed away from the Gentiles in order not to offend James and the Jewish Christians. Paul publicly confronted Peter face to face and opposed his action because his action violated the Good News. By joining the Judaizers, Peter implicitly was supporting their claim that Christ was not sufficient for salvation. Compromise is an important element in getting along with others. However, we must never compromise the truth of God’s Word. If you are convinced that someone is doing harm to the church, try the direct approach. There is no place for backstabbing in the body of Christ.
God has provided a way of salvation through Jesus Christ, not on our own efforts. We must guard against the temptation of using service, good deeds, charitable giving or other other efforts to substitute faith in Christ alone. Salvation is through Christ in faith. However, after we are saved, we have to show and prove our faith by deeds. By joining the Judaizers, Peter implicitly was supporting their claim that Christ was not sufficient for salvation.