Gal. 2:11-21, Confronting an Erring Brother

·       The fruit of confronting an erring brother, 2:11-31.

It is quite likely Paul’s words to Peter continue to the end of the chapter; then Paul addresses the foolish Galatians (3:1).  It is also likely that this event occurred before the council at Jerusalem.  Gal. 2:11 just says, Now when Peter had come to Antioch.  It is unlikely it was any time after the council where the issue was settled. 

A third observation we should make is that this event did not sour Peter’s love for Paul.  We know this, of course, from 2 Peter 3:14-16.  But you can see it as well in all of 1 Peter, where Peter’s teachings I believe are remarkably similar to Paul’s.  For example, compare 1 Peter 1 to Ephesians 1.  What is different is that Peter wrote to a Jewish Christian audience (1 Pt. 1:1-2) while Paul wrote to a Gentile Christian audience (Eph. 1:1-2).

Antioch (2:11) became Paul’s “home church” and was the church that sent him out on his missionary treks.  Why did Paul confront Peter publicly (v11, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed)?  The answer is found in Paul’s instructions to Timothy in 1 Tim. 5:19-20.  It was clear that Peter was wrong because his actions were seen by Paul and everyone else.  Because Peter was an Elder, one who is supposed to lead God’s people and whom they should follow, he needed to be rebuked publicly, lest people assume they are to follow him.  How often we have seen this over the years when Elders are permitted to do things that are common in their community but which are contrary to God’s word.  It is one of the primary reasons for dissention in the Body of Christ.  Paul did the right thing.

Unlike Peter and even Barnabas, by their actions, Paul is straightforward about the truth (2:14).  This was hypocrisy (2:13).  The Greek word is sunhupokrinomi, a combination of “sun” (to be with someone else) and “hupokrinomi” (to be a hypocrite).  That’s what we mean about this kind of situation being a cause of dissention in the Church.  Peter took some significant people with him.  Paul had to confront him.  How we need to be faithful to God and His Word in these situations.

I love Paul’s words in v15.  Paul is, of course, a Jew.  Peter’s actions were seeming to say that Gentiles were worse sinners than the Jewish believers.  Paul says, in essence, “we Jews are just as much sinners as the Gentile sinners; we just do it with a different cultural emphasis.”  This kind of bias was present in the NT Church and it is present today, sad to say.  In James the bias was against the poor and in favor of the rich.  Look around your church today and see what divides people.  Is it a love for the truth?  Or is it a cultural difference?  Or some other division based on human standards?  In the end, these all require us to be straightforward about the truth.  Ringleaders need to be confronted publicly.  The immature brother needs careful shepherding.