Jul. 31, 2024

Dear Friends,

I hope you can join us tonight for Bible study as we continue our study in the book of Galatians. Tonight: Paul's confrontation with Peter, what was at stake, what is at the very heart of the Gospel? The Scripture is Galatians 2:7-21

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

HILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL

JULY 31, 2024

Galatians 2:7-21

7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as

Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his

apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when

James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they

gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the

circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For

before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back

and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.a 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically

along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their

conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a

Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justifiedb

by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order

to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be

justified.

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a

servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in

the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if

righteousnessc were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

_______________________

vv 7-9 – “On the contrary…”

Paul continues to write about his second (post-conversion) trip to Jerusalem—in particular, that

he was accepted as an apostle, coequal with the most esteemed apostles, including Peter, in

full understanding and agreement that God had called Paul and Barnabas to take the gospel to

the Gentiles, and “they to the circumcised.”

“to remember the poor”—meaning, the poor Christians in Jerusalem. In his ministry to follow,

Paul was collecting an offering for the poor Christians in Jerusalem.

He may have felt a special burden about this because of his background.

v 11 – “But when Cephas came to Antioch…”

A surprising and important episode—and a reminder that the apostles were not perfect men.

The theological issue of overriding importance—which is a, if not the, main theme of the letter—

and which was threatened by Peter’s action is that the law—Judaism—has been fulfilled in

a Or fearing those of the circumcision [ESV]

b Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16; also verse 17 [ESV]

c Or justification [ESV]

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Christ so that following the Jewish law is unequivocally not a requirement for (or means of)

salvation. More than that, to teach that it is required is to teach a “different gospel” (1:6 ff.),

roundly and repeatedly condemned by Paul in this letter.

This was a big deal. Such a big deal that Paul was compelled to oppose Peter “to his face.”

“because he stood condemned”—his behavior was indefensible and threatened the furtherance of

the Gospel.

v 12 – “For before certain men came…”

When Peter was there alone, he was “eating with the Gentiles”—as he should have been.

Taking a meal with Gentiles is something that Peter, as a Jew, prior to Christ, would never have

done. It may be hard for us to understand how entrenched was this mindset—unfortunately

the days of racial segregation are somewhat demonstrative.

But Peter had already received a clear revelation from God about this (Acts 10)—and he then

defended the legitimacy of salvation for the Gentiles to “those of the circumcision” (Acts

11:1-18) in Jerusalem. Later, he met with Paul and others as described previously.

And yet! When certain men came “from James,” Peter stopped eating with the Gentiles, “fearing

those of the circumcision.” A concession to human weakness.

v 13 – “And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically…”

Peter’s influence—which was great—immediately began to affect others.

No matter who we are—in fact, the greater our influence, the more the devil will seek to

use us and destroy our witness.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring

lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Peter knew this first-hand.

“along with him”—the were following Peter’s lead

“even Barnabas” was carried away by their hypocrisy

To repeat: this was a big deal and a bad situation.

v 14 – “But when I saw…”

Paul confronted Peter publicly—“before them all.”

It was necessary.

“If you, though a Jew…”

The ESV closes the quotation marks with v. 14. It seems perhaps more likely that Paul’s

statement to Peter continues at least through v. 16 and possible through v. 21. (I lean toward

v. 21.) None of this changes the theology of the statement.

Peter had accepted freedom from the law found in Christ—and yet, he became unwilling to

recognize this freedom being operative in the lives of Gentiles. This, with all of the hurt and

embarrassment and confusion that would naturally have accompanied what was going on.

vv 15-16 – “We ourselves are Jews by birth…”

More lit. “we are Jews by nature”—he is addressing a mindset, a natural way of living for them

and not “Gentile sinners” — it was normal for Jews to use those words interchangeable, as they

saw themselves as a people living in obedience to God’s laws as opposed to others who did

not.

Paul is acknowledging that there is a difference—the way we might say “we’re the kind of

people who grew up going to church and trying to do right, not like these people here who

didn’t have anything to do with God or church or living for him in any way”

“yet”! – more lit. “but having come to know”—in spite of these differences, and what we may

think about ourselves…

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“a person is not justified from [ex] works of the law…”

They knew this, but had trouble really accepting it and letting this truth overcome their

previous, and natural, way of thinking

“But through faith in Jesus Christ…”

Or, the faith of Jesus Christ

more lit. “and we in Christ Jesus have believed, that we might be justified by faith in [or of]

Christ…”

“that we might be justified” – aorist tense, meaning the action is completed. Like saying,

looking back in time, “I grabbed the offered life preserver that I might be saved from

drowning.” The justification is done, not ongoing or in the future.

“and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

This is a non-negotiable truth of the Gospel.

The word was particularly addressed to the Judaizers but also to those who were

teetering, who were having trouble being “all in” about salvation through faith in

Christ and justification coming only from Christ.

vv 17-19 – “But if, in our endeavor…”

Paul immediately seeks to address the accusation that constantly followed his teaching on

salvation through faith—essentially, “so since a person is saved only by Christ, without

regards to works of the law, then that person can just be a flagrant sinner and enjoy the

salvation of Christ at the same time,” thus making Christ a “servant/minister of sin,” an

enabler of sin.

And Paul’s initial response: “Certainly not!” - mē genoito, Never may it come to be!

Godless, immoral living is what Christians are saved out of by the work of Christ.

In Paul’s analogy (v 18) what he tore down is “godless living,” and for him to permit it, let alone

promote it, to “rebuild it,” would make him not an apostle, but a “transgressor.”

v 19 – “But through the law I died to the law, that I might live to God.”

A quintessential Pauline statement: concise, filled with truth, using plays on words, memorable.

The law led him something higher than the law. And when it did, he died to the law to embrace

life in Christ, to whom it all led.

But the life lived in Christ and received from Christ is of a higher moral order than a life lived

only according to rules according to one’s own strength.

v 20 — “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

more lit. “I have been crucified together with Christ. But I live—no longer I—but Christ lives in

me.”

The great truths of v. 19 become a lead-in for this unforgettable statement of Paul’s.

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised

from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”—Romans

6:4

The Christian life is that we die to Self and live unto Christ. Or, that we have died to Self that we

might live unto Christ.

But how was Paul (and how are we) crucified with Christ? Paul did not mean that he helped

Christ out in his redemptive work. He means that as our condemnation because of sin was

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nailed to the cross, that our old self and sinful loyalties have died as well—we are dead to

sin—and that we are now raised in Christ.

“by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set

aside, nailing it to the cross.”—Colossians 2:14

“And the life I now live…”

We are not dead! We were dead in our sins before. We are more alive than ever before.

“I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

From serving a law to loving and trusting and serving a person: Jesus Christ

This is now the theme of our lives

And this walk in Christ means stiving to live his very life—which surpasses a life that follows

rules. It is the opposite of a sinful life.

v 21 – “I do not nullify the grace of God…”

Paul is now returning to the theme of law vs grace

“I do not nullify the grace of God”—by regressing to say that the law must continue to be

followed and that justification is obtained through the law

If we do this, if we believe that justification can be obtained by obedience to rules, then “Christ

died to no purpose.”