Free Bible Commentary
“Galatians 2:11-14”
Categories: Galatians“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”
---End of Scripture verses---
Well it turns out that the Apostle Peter was not infallible after all. He allowed “peer pressure” to compel him to do something that he knew was not right. Peter knew that Jewish dietary restrictions were no longer in force in God’s covenant with mankind through Christ Jesus because the Lord had made that clear to him (Acts 10:16). God had also made it obvious to Peter that it was okay for Jews to eat with Gentiles (Acts 11:3). All foolish human prejudices are broken down by Christ Jesus. The Lord died for all people of all nationalities and societal classes (Matthew 28:19; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
While Peter was working among the brethren in the church at Antioch, some influential Jewish Christians came down from Jerusalem and saw Peter living and eating LIKE the Gentiles, and eating WITH the Gentiles. Instead of standing up for the truth and defending the equality of his Gentile Christian brethren, Peter buckled under the pressure and prejudices of his Jewish cronies and played the hypocrite. And, before we get too quick to judge Peter and come down too hard on him, please notice that the pressure to conform was so great that even Barnabas, the son of encouragement, was “carried away by their hypocrisy”!
Think about that imagery for a moment. Pressure from “the crowd” is depicted here as a “flash flood” that can pick us up and carry us away into a river of sin and hypocrisy. If we think that we are immune to such coercion and hypocrisy, think again. An inspired Apostle of Jesus Christ sinned openly and publicly because of peer pressure! And Barnabas, one of the most godly men to ever walk the face of the earth, caved into it as well! Beware evil influences! They corrupt good morals!
Paul’s point in bringing that unfortunate and embarrassing incident up was not to smear the names of Peter and Barnabas. Paul was still defending the legitimacy of his apostleship and the genuineness of his gospel. Paul had dedicated his life to teaching the Good News that Christ Jesus died for all people to unite them into one, undivided body. When he “opposed Peter to his face” for not living according to the gospel that he preached, he validated both his own teaching and his own authority as an Apostle. Even though Peter’s response in not recorded, the implication is that he acknowledged his error and made the necessary correction.
Please read Galatians 2:15-21 for tomorrow.
Have a blessed day!
-Louie Taylor
