Galatians 2:11 through Galatians 2:21 (KJV)
11But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he
was to be blamed. 12For 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. 13And the other Jews dissembled likewise
with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
14But 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? 15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the
Gentiles, 16Knowing 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. 17But if, while we seek to be
justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ
the minister of sin? God forbid. 18For if I build again the things which I
destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19For I through the law am dead to the
law, that I might live unto God. 20I 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. 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law,
then Christ is dead in vain.
Harry Houdini, the famed escape artist from a few years back, issued a challenge
wherever he went. He could be locked in any jail cell in the country, he
claimed, and set himself free in short order. Always he kept his promise, but
one time something went wrong. Houdini entered the jail in his street clothes;
the heavy, metal doors clanged shut behind him. He took from his belt a
concealed piece of metal, strong and flexible. He set to work immediately, but
something seemed to be unusual about this lock. For thirty minutes he worked and
got nowhere. An hour passed, and still he had not opened the door. By now he was
bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation, but he still could not pick the
lock. Finally, after laboring for two hours, Harry Houdini collapsed in
frustration and failure against the door he could not unlock. But when he fell
against the door, it swung open! It had never been locked at all! But in his
mind it was locked, and that was all it took to keep him from opening the door
and walking out of the jail cell.
Zig Ziglar
God, through the sacrifice of Christ has given us a blessed freedom that is
greater than any freedom we could ever achieve. Yet often, just as Harry
Houdini, we allow ourselves to be enslaved to the legalisms of tradition without
comparing them against the reality of grace. We are in bondage not because God
would have us to be, but because we want to remain secure in the comforts of
familiar actions.
It is just this situation we find in tonight’s scripture. We find Peter afraid
of the uncertainty of his newfound freedom in Christ. We find Peter reverting
to old traditions so that he will feel more comfortable.
It is a familiar situation, one which you and I find our selves in all too
often. We are many times afraid of what God can do if we will only allow him to
do so. So, we, like Peter revert to the tried and true methods of days gone by.
Peter’s Relapse Gal. 2:11-13
Galatians 2:11 through Galatians 2:13 (KJV)
11But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he
was to be blamed. 12For 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. 13And the other Jews dissembled likewise
with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
In the previous verses of this chapter we looked back into history as Paul
relived for us his encounter with Peter and James in Jerusalem. With a mighty
cheer and great big feeling of “atta boy” we were delighted to see Peter
standing up for Paul and backing his ministry to the gentiles. It was during
this time in Acts chapter 15 that Peter was able to experience freedom. He was
able to fellowship with the gentiles as a brother.
This couldn’t have been easy for Peter, as it would have gone against everything
he had learned growing up. He had been taught from his mother’s knee on the
proper rituals and formulas necessary to remain holy. Peter understood
ceremonial laws, and how to apply them to his life. Peter was comfortable with
the way things were. It was a giant leap of faith for him to trust Christ
enough to embrace the differences of his gentile brethren.
Here in our text though we see Peter making an unfortunate choice. Peter
decides to fall back into his old legalistic thoughts about how to be a
Christian. He was afraid of what the circumcised Christians would think about
him so he refused to associate with Christians that had been uncircumcised. In
reality this was fairly hypocritical. He had ably defended the right of the
gentiles to receive the Gospel, but his fear paralyzed him to the extent that he
was willing to revert to the old way of doing things.
You and I do the same things in our own ritualistic ways. We do things because
“that’s the way they were always done” even if there is no clear mandate from
God to continue. Peter tried to pretend that his refusal to fellowship with the
uncircumcised was because of his standing on principle, but it was he himself
who defended grace in Acts Chapter 15.
He was simply afraid. The real tragedy wasn’t that Peter was afraid, though.
The real tragedy was that Peter led others astray. He took others down with
him. Peter’s act of disobedience had repercussions because of his influence
over new Christians.
We too must be on guard to see how we influence those around us. The words we
say are powerful, but our actions are much more visible. The way we act is the
proof of our walk. Peter said one thing with his mouth, but in reality he
practiced something quite different. In doing so he ruined his testimony among
the growing Christian community around Galatia.
Paul’s Rebuke (2:14-21)
Galatians 2:14 through Galatians 2:21 (KJV)
14But 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? 15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the
Gentiles, 16Knowing 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. 17But if, while we seek to be
justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ
the minister of sin? God forbid. 18For if I build again the things which I
destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19For I through the law am dead to the
law, that I might live unto God. 20I 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. 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law,
then Christ is dead in vain.
Bible students are not sure just where Paul’s conversation with Peter ends and
where his letter to the Galatians continues in the passage. It does not really
matter since the entire section deals with the same topic: our liberty in Jesus
Christ. We will assume that the entire section represents Paul’s rebuke of
Peter. It is interesting to note that Paul builds the entire rebuke on doctrine.
There are five basic Christian doctrines that were being denied by Peter because
of his separation from the Gentiles.
We will briefly look at each of these doctrines.
The first of these doctrines is the Unity of the church found in verse 14. The
Christian church must be unified and not be a split camp of us against them.
When we start saying “Well this group is Christian because they wash their hands
five times before a meal, but this one is less Christian because they only wash
once,” it is then that we begin to splinter into fractious groups with no
cohesiveness. Peter was a Jew, but through his faith in Christ he had become a
Christian. Because he was a Christian, he was part of the church, and in the
church there are no racial distinctions (Gal. 3:28). We have seen how the Lord
taught Peter this important lesson, first in the house of Cornelius and then at
the Jerusalem Conference.
9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
(Acts 15:9)
These were the words of Peter speaking about the gentile converts to
Christianity. Yet now we see in tonight’s passage that it is Peter himself who
is driving the wedge between the two. God’s people must be one group, united
for one cause. We cannot allow petty squabbles over insignificant items of
polity distract us from the goal of winning the world for Christ.
The next doctrine we see being violated is the doctrine of justification by
faith. All throughout God’s word we find that we are justified by faith, and by
faith alone. Justification is that act by which God pours out HIS grace upon
us. It’s not an act that we can do, but rather an act that is God’s and God’s
alone. One brother cannot be more justified than another because it’s not a
matter of degrees. God has either justified us, or not. When Peter separated
himself from the Gentiles, he was denying the truth of justification by faith,
because he was saying, “We Jews are different from—and better than—the
Gentiles.” Yet both Jews and Gentiles are sinners (Rom. 3:22-23) and can be
saved only by faith in Christ.
The third doctrine Peter was violating was the doctrine concerning Freedom from
the Law. Now this is an area we will look at more in depth in future messages.
Galatians 2:17 through Galatians 2:18 (KJV)
17But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found
sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18For if I build
again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Peter had already compared the Mosaic law with a burdensome yoke in Acts Chapter
15. Now for inexplicable reasons (except for fear itself) Peter has voluntarily
placed himself back under that burden. Paul is using Peter’s own experiences to
show him his error.
We too do as Peter did and forget about the grace of God in order to inundate
our selves with minutiae. Sometimes it seems to me we view God as a petty God.
A God who spends his time chalking down every time well tell Aunt Sue that her
hat is pretty when it isn’t. Or making a list of everytime we tell someone God
Bless you after a sneeze without thinking about what we mean. The Jews had an
elaborate system of laws to help them achieve sanctification. We are not
sanctified by our actions, but rather by the grace of God.
The fourth doctrine is the Gospel itself. If we are to be justified by our
actions, then why did Christ have to die?
Be Free-Galatians
Wiersbe, Warren W.
Galatians 2:19
The very Gospel itself (vv. 19-20).
If a man is justified by the works of the Law, then why did Jesus Christ die?
His death, burial, and resurrection are the key truths of the Gospel (1 Cor.
15:1-8). We are saved by faith in Christ (He died for us), and we live by faith
in Christ (He lives in us). Furthermore, we are so identified with Christ by the
Spirit that we died with Him (see Rom. 6). This means that we are dead to the
Law. To go back to Moses is to return to the graveyard! We have been “raised to
walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4); and since we live by His resurrection
power, we do not need the “help” of the Law.
The final doctrine that Peter was violating was the doctrine of grace.
When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his
time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a
trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate
recognition for his long service or high acheivements, that is an award. But
when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves
no award--yet receives such a gift anyway--that is a good picture of God's
unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God.
G.W. Knight, Clip-Art Features for Church Newsletters, p. 53
Be Free-Galatians
Wiersbe, Warren W.
The grace of God (v. 21).
The Judaizers wanted to mix Law and grace, but Paul tells us that this is
impossible. To go back to the Law means to “set aside” the grace of God.
Peter had experienced God’s grace in his own salvation, and he had proclaimed
God’s grace in his own ministry. But when he withdrew from the Gentile Christian
fellowship, he openly denied the grace of God.
Grace says, “There is no difference! All are sinners, and all can be saved
through faith in Christ!”
But Peter’s actions had said, “There is a difference! The grace of God is not
sufficient; we also need the Law.”
Returning to the Law nullifies the Cross: “If righteousness came by the Law,
then Christ is dead in vain” (Gal. 2:21). Law says DO! Grace says DONE! “It is
finished!” was Christ’s victory cry (John 19:30). “For by grace are ye saved
through faith” (Eph. 2:8).
When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a
policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by
the officer that he would have to appear in court.
The judge asked, "Guilty, or not guilty?"When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge
replied, "That'll be ten dollars -- a dollar for every mile you went over the
limit."
Suddenly the judge recognized the famous minister. "You have violated the law,"
he said. "The fine must be paid--but I am going to pay it for you." He took a
ten dollar bill from his own wallet, attached it to the ticket, and then took
Graham out and bought him a steak dinner! "That," said Billy Graham, "is how God
treats repentant sinners!"
Progress Magazine, December 14, 1992
That’s what Grace is all about.
