Paul had the spiritual discernment to rise above the emotional trauma of the crisis: he saw the terrible consequences of Peter's action. He, she, it, they, them, same. I Cor.5:1) but they still needed to be saved (v.16). James had nothing to do with the course which they pursued; 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. Busy years passed with Peter going to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles with apostolic approval and Gods blessing (Gal. Some look at this and wonder how a person could publicly rebuke the Pope without serious ramifications. I think it is evident that it was after this visit of Paul to Jerusalem, and the occasion may have been to inspect the state of the church at Antioch, and to compose any differences of opinion which may have existed there. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. Could this mean that Peter actually answered to Paul? The question at Antioch was not whether the Gentiles were admissible to the Christian covenant without becoming circumcised, for that question had already been settled at the Jerusalem council just before. TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL: Which teaches that justification by legal works and observances is inconsistent with redemption by Christ. A. Pauls rebuke. As he would do, if he insisted that they should be circumcised, and observe the peculiar Jewish rites. This contradiction began with the sin of the devil and his angels. Peter ate meals with these Christians on a regular basis. It is probable that they were induced to do it by the example of Peter, as they would naturally regard him as a leader. This use of the name that Christ had given Peter could indicate Pauls respect for Peters special office. The first lesson is this that in the people of God, and Peter was a man of God, there is the morally, the religiously, contradictory. 4:111). This was what Peter had been in the habit of doing. BEING A JEW: That is, being a Jew by birth. Why is his teaching so different from "the twelve? for so did their fathers to the false prophets. You see the contrast, the contradiction indeed, between blessing and woe; but that is what faithfulness demands. 1. The Lord heard the cock, and he turned and looked upon Peter. What a contradiction between the benediction that Jesus had uttered a little before then: Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, and now, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. So you see these two elements which we shall focus attention upon for a little while. Jeremiah 23:6 says that the Messiah will be called The Lord Our Righteousness, but Jesus was not called this. Peter's denial was based partially on weakness, the weakness born of human frailty. But, like many Christians today, they were still adhering to the law of Moses. These verses describe Philip's evangelism in Samaria and the conversion of Simon the sorcerer. James makes no reference to Paul here. When Gentiles were saved, a problem was raised. This was a case so public and well known, that Paul made his remarks before the church, Galatians 2:14, because the church was interested in it, and because the conduct of Peter led the church into error. The case was distinct from that in I Cor. The instance before us is one of faithful public reproof; and every circumstance in it is worthy of special attention as it furnishes a most important illustration of the manner in which such reproof should be conducted. There is also a grandeur here. For in II Peter 3:15 Peter praises the very Epistles of Paul which he knew contained his own condemnation. He had been sitting back, keenly observing all of Peters hypocritical behavior and those of others who followed him. When Peter said that some of the things that Paul wrote were hard to understand, he was referring to the depth in Paul's writings, which those without spiritual insight have difficulty . This is lesson 1, in the sermon-series entitled: He walked not uprightly. This sermon deals with an important truth to be heard again by the church, and maybe for the first time the religious world. We must applaud Paul for what he did save the church of Christ in Antioch, and the entire world, by fulfilling his apostolic work: "reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine," 2 Timothy 4:1-3. Literally: For before some came from James. I PAUL'S REBUKE. Peter was one of the acknowledge leaders to whom Paul had gone to make certain the Church approved of it. The offense of Peter, Barnabas, and other Jews was before the assembly; at their "love feast," which we call "pot luck" that it presented an example of hypocrisy, that disturbed the unity and fellowship of the saints at Antioch. This is a sad illustration of Peter's characteristic trait of mind. In James 4:13-16 James rebukes the spirit of the believer who makes plans without taking Gods plans into account. He is desribing a kind of godly pride, not in himself or in his plans, but pride in the Corinthians. It is evident only that they had been intimate with James at Jerusalem, and they doubtless pleaded his authority. In that passage the story is told of a time when one apostle rebuked another in front of the church. And, in fact, the same tool is being used upon the Galatians, for Paul will write in 4:17, "They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them." One of the key features of this conflict is food. (See Matthew 13:55). Galatians 2:11-21 GNT - Paul Rebukes Peter at Antioch - But - Bible Gateway . This was the self-same problem of the Galatian church. (a) I take to myself, (b) I take aside, (c) I welcome. Peter was a confused combination of many traits: bold, ardent, zealous, and forward, while at the same time he could be timid and often irresolute; and he often had occasion for the deepest humility, and the most poignant regrets at the errors of his course. I withstood him to the face, It appears in a most striking, almost unbelievable way. Antioch was then the citadel of the Gentile Church: where first the Gospel was preached to idolatrous Gentiles, and where the name Christians was first given (Acts 11:20, 26). Does this mean that what followed was not inspired by God? But that is why this story is recorded for us. This evidently means that he had disregarded the peculiar laws of the Jews about meats and drinks, and had eaten the common food which was in use among the Gentiles. It is almost idle to attempt to trace a distinctly formulated thought in the sudden utterance of sorrow and alarm, but so far as the words go they seem of the nature of a protest against what seemed to the disciple a causeless despondency, a dark view of the future, at variance alike with his own expectations and what seemed to him the meaning of his Master's previous words. What he said to Peter on that occasion was exactly pertinent to the strain of the argument which he was pursuing with the Galatians, and he therefore introduces it Galatians 2:14-21 to show that he had held the same doctrine all along, and that he had defended it in the presence of Peter, and in a case where Peter did not reply to it. To save items to a SermonFolder, please sign in to your account. YouTube Prime Download Video (720p) Audio (.mp3) Slides So far in our study of Galatians we have seen that Paul is defending himself against accusations that he has changed the gospel in order to make it more palatable to Gentiles by removing certain commands concerning circumcision. An example of temptation arising from the fear of man. nature, yet there is no evidence that he became angry here, or that he did not receive the admonition of his brother Paul with perfect good temper, and with an acknowledgment that Paul was right and that he was wrong. They knew that the Jewish ceremonial was done away by the gospel, and had practically acknowledged it by eating with the Gentiles, but now they were afraid to publicly display their, Even Barnabas, Paul's long-time companion in labor, was infected by their, 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.. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation, And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him At first this is unacceptable to Peter; he does not want a Messiah who is anything but a mighty ruler who leads Israel to an earthly victory (v. 22). Throughout the Gospels, Peter was Christs closest follower. Is James written as a rebuke to and rejection of Paul and his followers? And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before thou shalt thrice (three times) deny that thou knowest me, Luke 22:31-34. DISSEMBLED: This is a rendering of a Greek word which literally means: joined in hypocrisy.. Literally: But when Peter came to Antioch. He told them to stay awake and pray while He went off to pray alone. Ephraim And The House Of Judah: Part 9 Of9. Woe unto you that are full! That is the only thing that produces right behavior. This was the real reason for Peter's cowardice. [ a] 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so . All rights reserved. However, Paul does not address Peters racial prejudice. 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., when I saw that they walked not uprightly The apostles function as the foundation of the church through their writings the New Testament which reveal and proclaim the churchs Lord. Again, he said Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. When he said This shall not be unto thee, it was from Satan that he was inspired and actuated. It is a question that each one of us must ask, a question that the most sanctified of you must ask of yourself. Having trouble logging into your account? a. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Asif that werent bad enough, the Holy Spirit recorded his misconduct in scripture so that 2,000 years-worth of believers, like you and me, would be able to read the story. Paul thus showed that he was equal with Peter in his apostolic authority and dignity. Scripture: Paul Rebukes Peter at Antioch 11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him in public, because he was clearly wrong. Peter, a Greek name meaning rock. When he said Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, it was from God the Father that he was inspired and actuated. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Isn't this a contradiction? The reason for Peters withdrawal: whether the Jewish visitors demanded this of him; or whether they encountered him in some debate; or whether he silently separated himself from the Gentiles without their having said anything to him, is unknown. OK, but Paul did not take an oath in Galatians 1:20. added nothing to me" (2:6), and, in fact as we have noted, in Antioch he "withstood [Peter] to the face, because he was to be blamed" (Galatians 2:11). Everything would have been after the pattern of that perfection that characterized Gods handiwork when he created it. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not. It is very evident that at Jerusalem the peculiar rites of the Jews were observed for a long time by those who became Christian converts. There was to be no truck with such a plea: Get behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me. Can you not see in this the Saviors commitment to that purpose for which he came into the world? It seems pretty dramatic to think that another significant figure in the early Church such as Paul, felt compelled to confront Peter in public. Second, this thesis implies that Pauls writings are not inspired (either that or James is not inspired), but Peter himself tells us that Pauls writings are inspired (2 Peter 3:15-16). In Antioch, the capital of Gentile Christianity and the central point of Christian missions, the controversy first arose, and in the same spot it now broke out afresh; and here Paul had first to encounter the party that afterwards persecuted him in every scene of his labors (Acts 15:30-35). To change their course from this because of fear of these men from Jerusalem, was to dissemble; that is, join in their hypocrisy. This dissimulation needed to be corrected immediately, before the entire assembly. b. The spirit of this world is crafty, cunning, and crooked. 12For before certain men came from James, (C)he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing (D)the circumcision party. The rebuke was fully justified. What a contrast but a short time after! When they came down to Antioch, they of course observed those rites, and insisted that others should do it also. . If it was right for Simon Peter to live as the gentile believers lived, why should he desire for Gentiles to live as the Jews? Censure or admonish; by implication, forbid. wording used here may mean either because Peter had incurred blame, or because he deserved blame. because he was to be blamed. 14:22; Luke 14:23; Acts 28:19). The instance before us is one of faithful. He did not seek to undermine the influence and authority of another by slander; It should be stated: it takes tremendous courage to rebuke another, in a public setting. And Peter went out (from them); and, wept bitterly, Luke 22:56-62. After the conversion of Cornelius it became evident to Christians that Gentiles could be saved without keeping the law of Moses. 2. It was the look of the bowels of compassion for Peter. It is a coming together! He did not seek to undermine the influence and authority of another by slander; b. Oh, what a warning!