Galatians 2:12 Commentary

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Galatians 2:12

Comments

Paul is labouring to show the Galatians that they do not need to be circumcised, but surely this episode in Antioch has nothing to do with circumcision. Yes, but behind both matters is the question of the keeping of the law. Peter had previously eaten unashamedly with the Gentile Christians in Antioch. This was, as he knew, contrary to Jewish law, for the Jews understood from Leviticus 11 that it was not right for them to eat all foods as the Gentiles did. Furthermore the Jews had developed their own man-made restrictions which forbade them from eating together with Gentiles. When therefore these men arrived in Antioch, Peter’s courage failed him. He feared what the Jewish Christians from James would think of him and these fears cause him to change his behaviour contrary to what he knew to be true. His failing was not a matter of ignorance but of courage. By withdrawing in this way, he is saying that Jewish Christians must keep the food laws in order to be saved. From this it follows that the rest of the law is also necessary, and unless there is one rule for the Jews and another for the Gentiles in the matter of salvation, then the Gentiles must also keep these same laws in order to be saved. Peter was guilty of dissembling because he knew that this was not what Christ required of the Gentiles or even of the Jews for salvation.

Application

Questions

Is there not another more charitable view of what Peter did? Cannot his actions be viewed as no more than a concession to a weak Jewish conscience? After all, Paul taught the Romans, ‘Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died’, and ‘It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak’ (Romans 14:15, 21). Why can’t Peter’s action be interpreted as something done to avoid encouraging those with weak consciences to sin against their consciences? Peter’s actions were far more than a concession to the weak, because this was not about what foods the Gentiles ate, but about making submission to the law an essential to salvation. Peter did not simply say to the Gentiles, ‘Look, these Jews have arrived from Jerusalem. We all know that the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but we must be careful to avoid causing offense.’ Instead he withdrew altogether as if it was wrong to even associate with Gentiles who had not themselves become fully fledged Jews. By this act Peter put all the Gentiles outside of the sphere of salvation.

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Galatians 2:12 Commentary and Bible Study