Galatians 2:11-21 IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? The matter of Gentile believers being free from the works of the law was faced and dealt with when brethren from Antioch and Jerusalem met and clarified in plain words that salvation is by grace alone without the law being imposed on the Gentiles. Those false teachers, those unbelievers, whom the Galatians were listening to, were going against the doctrine of God that was accepted by the apostles who were the foundation of the church. But there were Jewish people who had professed to be saved. Were they free from the law too, or did they have to keep the law to be saved because they were Jews? It is important that we understand the fact that when a person is saved, that person is a new creation in Christ Jesus. "Old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."
In Antioch the Jews and Gentiles ate together and had good fellowship together because now they were saved there was no difference between them. There weren't two distinct groups. They were one in Christ. Peter had come to Antioch to strengthen the work and had no problem with the unity of both Jews and Gentiles. He fit in with the work there the way it was started. But when some other men came from Jerusalem apparently sent by James, Peter changed. Rather than offend the Jews, he did not eat with the Gentile believers. To compromise fundamental truth to avoid contentions because of the opinions of some is wrong. Gracious people may choose to remain silent when they should speak. They may compromise that which is right hoping that what is wrong will quietly go away. The powers of darkness do not work that way. "Give an inch and they will take a mile."
Peter was wrong when he stopped eating with the Gentiles. He probably thought he was promoting harmony by not offending the visitors and James who sent them. It is far more important that we "do not offend these little ones." New believers will often follow those who come to visit and are dogmatic in what they say even though it is only a personal opinion. Even if a man is a leader among us and is highly esteemed, that does not mean he is always right. It would be wrong for us to follow a man who is doing what we know is wrong, no matter how highly we regard him. Peter caused a big problem by taking his meal separately from the Gentile saints, because other Jews followed his lead, even Barnabas. There may be from time to time some reason to compromise on various ideas we have or on issues that are not doctrinal. But when it comes to biblical doctrine, it is a great danger, and serious consequences can follow because of one wrong act by one influential man.
Sometimes in life, we will be called upon in one way or another to face a serious problem. We can learn a lesson as to how to handle such a situation by copying Paul in this case. He didn't write letters of complaint to other assemblies about the action Peter took. He didn't go around to various people and started to gossip about Peter behind his back. No, He did what Jesus said. He went to Peter himself. Not only that but what Peter did was done publicly so Paul rebuked him publicly to correct not only Peter but those who had followed his lead. One man with the fear of God about him, and a true commitment to the word of God, can stop a problem soon after it arises. We need a man to "stand in the breach" when matters arise that need to be quickly and scripturally dealt with. By joining with the Judaizers Peter was passing his "okay" on their doctrine. it was not likely he had thought through all the implications of his impulsive act. Really, he was supporting their claim that Christ was not sufficiently able to save sinners without them doing their part.
All of us, no matter what our religious background is, are justified alone by faith in Jesus Christ. When we believe in Him, the works of the law are recognized for what they are. They condemn us because we are not able to meet God's standard of perfect righteousness. It is strange that Peter did not grasp what he was doing for some reason. We need to remind ourselves that we are capable of making the same mistake, and even worse if we listen to men instead of listening to God. If Peter was right by separating himself from the Gentiles in the assembly because of the law, then Christ was promoting sin because He told them of the cleansing power of His death. Peter never forgot that we are "redeemed by the precious blood of Christ." God has cleansed all who as believers have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Peter was the one who had reached out to the Gentiles at first, and now he was building up a wall to restrict the fellowship of those who have freedom in Christ. He was a transgressor.
The Galatian believers had to be reminded that the law condemned us all to death. The death sentence was passed and all of us are guilty before God. But in Christ, the guilty verdict has been nullified because its demand has been met and God's justice fully satisfied. The sinless One was crucified for me, and in Christ, I have been crucified. The death sentence has been carried out and the law is satisfied. When Christ died, I died in Him. When He was buried, the "old man" in me was done with. When he rose from the dead, I rose from the dead and now live in this body by "faith in the Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me." So now I am dead to the claims of the law and sin has no more dominion over me.
Now we are free from the guilt of our sins and from the power of sin reigning in this mortal body. A new nature has been implanted in this same body I always had. Because of the redemption that has been paid on our behalf, our life is now lived "in Christ." We now live by faith in Him who loved us. It may have seemed to a Jew like a small thing to merely refuse to eat dinner with a Gentile, but what was happening was the grace of God was being set aside for what was expedient to satisfy some men. That led to hypocrisy and a measure of deceit.
This was now happening in assemblies in Galatia and had to be stopped. Not only had they chosen law and set aside grace, but that indicated that there was no value in the death of Christ. We now live in the power of new life from God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith has justified us. It frustrated the grace of God when we add anything to the work of Christ. The Galatian assemblies had set aside the grace of God and chosen the law instead. Legally we have died with Christ. Relationally we are in Christ and live in Him daily. Practically we must "reckon ourselves dead with Christ" and alive to God. We now live our daily lives in the power of Christ's resurrection. This is how we are to live today and every day. We rest in this truth and live our lives in the good of this truth.