Paul Confronts Peter (continued)

Galatians 2:14-21 NLT
¹⁴ When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?
¹⁵ “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. ¹⁶ Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
¹⁷ But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! ¹⁸ Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. ¹⁹ For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. ²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Examine the scriptures:

Scripture from the previous lesson.

Galatians 2:11-13 NLT
Paul Confronts Peter
Christians Confronting Christians
¹¹ But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.   ¹² When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore.  He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.  ¹³ As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Today’s lesson.

Galatians 2:14-21 NLT
Paul Confronts Peter (continued) 

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, 

The truth of the gospel message:

Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

• The truth of the gospel message: Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

I said to Peter in front of all the others,

What Peter had initiated created a public scandal and therefore deserved a public rebuke.

There are circumstances when individuals should be rebuked publicly.

• Peter’s actions needed to be addressed.

“Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

Peter and the other Jewish believers were “Practicing a double standard.”

• “Practicing a double standard” is wrong!

When Peter and the other Jewish believers were eating with the Gentile believers, they were not observing the Jewish food laws.

• Afraid of criticism, Peter and other Jewish believers stopped “eating” with Gentiles who were not circumcised.

Peter’s hypocrisy was blatant.

At first it was o.k. for Peter to ignore Jewish food laws and treat uncircumcised Gentiles as equals.

Afraid of criticism, Peter and the other Jewish believers stopped eating (fellowshipping) with the Gentile believers.

• The actions of Peter and the other Jewish believers implied that faith in Christ was not enough.

Their actions implied that Gentiles had to be circumcised to become true believers. 

¹⁵ “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 

Of course, the Gentiles were sinners.

The Gentiles did not have the “advantage” that the Jews had, which was the divine written law.

We know that this is irony.

Romans 3:23 NLT
²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 

¹⁶ Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

• Jews and Gentiles alike are sinners.

• Justification (for all people) is by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law.

Example:

Genesis 15:6 NLT
⁶ And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. 

(Before the law was given to Moses)

One new people from the two groups.

Ephesians 2:14-16 NLT
¹⁴ For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. ¹⁵ He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. ¹⁶ Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 

¹⁷ But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 

Just because following the law does not lead to salvation does not mean that the law has no value.

This is not a license to live a sinful life.

John 14:15-17 NLT
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
¹⁵ “If you love me, obey my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. 

¹⁸ Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.  

Salvation by grace alone through faith alone. (Not by keeping the law.)

• I am a sinner if I teach that we must keep the law to be saved.

Practice Jewish food laws and be circumcised. 

¹⁹ For when I (Paul) tried to keep the law, it condemned me.

The Law demanded death for those who broke it.

So I (Paul) died to the law—I (Paul) stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I (Paul) might live for God. 

Paul makes a similar comment addressing the Romans.

Romans 7:6-11 NLT
⁶ But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
God’s Law Reveals Our Sin
⁷ Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. 

Romans 8:1-2 NLT
Life in the Spirit
8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ² And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 

• The law shows us the need for a Savior.

• Paul stopped trying to meet all of the requirements of the law. 

²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

Faith in Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

²¹ I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless.

• Grace is the undeserved favor of a loving God freely given to sinful people who did nothing to earn it.

• Salvation is not a combination of keeping the law and God’s grace. 

For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

• The truth of the gospel message: Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.