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Paul continues, "Then after 14 years, I went up to Jerusalem." What was the occasion? Acts 15 says, Paul, Barnabas and Titus went to Jerusalem, sent by the Christians at Antioch, to determine what the churches stand was on Judaizers. You may recall this meeting with James and the other members of the council, that resolved itself into a trial. Paul testified as to how he had been preaching the Gospel and that he did not believe that it was necessary for Gentiles to be circumcised in order to become Christians. The Judaizers told their side of the question. As we saw, Titus, an uncircumcised Greek, a Gentile, had gone up with them to Jerusalem, and here Paul makes a point to these Galatians that no fuss was made by the leadership at Jerusalem.
Here Paul calls the attempt by the Judaizers at that meeting an attempt to destroy the freedom that we have in Christ and bring us into bondage. This is exactly what people do when they attempt to add anything to that which is necessary in God's plan of salvation.
Well what did the council decide? These "pillars of the church", as Paul calls them, when they hear of the success that Paul and Barnabas was having among the Gentiles, concur that it would be taking from these Gentiles the freedoms that was theirs in Christ to require that they be circumcised. They sent them back to Antioch with their blessing and one request, "Remember the poor", which of course, Paul always did.
So Paul has defended his Gospel two ways. First, by showing that it was divinely
inspired, and then by showing that it had the approval of the leadership at
Jerusalem.
Hypocrisy Rebuked
["Click here for Galatians 2:11-21"]
In these verses he defends his Gospel by showing that anything else is hypocrisy. To do this, Paul tells a story about Peter. Peter had come up to Antioch and fellowshipped with the Gentiles, but when certain Jews came up from Jerusalem he separated himself from the Gentiles. It appears that these Jews from Jerusalem were from the Circumcision Party, those who believed that circumcision was necessary for salvation. What did Paul hope to accomplish by telling this story? Two things. First, he wanted to show the weakness and inconsistency of the best of men. Paul wanted them to see how apt we are to falter in our duty to God out of undue regard for the pleasing of men. Secondly, he wanted to give them an example of hypocrisy. We must never under estimate our influence. We are not free to do as we please. Christ may have made us free but He expects us to use that freedom cautiously. Hypocrisy is the tool of the Devil to destroy the effectiveness of our witness.
Notice Paul did not hesitate to reprimand Peter. He did not fear Peter's position in the church. Peter was wrong and Paul opposed him, face to face. Notice what happened when Peter separated himself from the Gentiles. His poor example caused Barnabas to do the same. Paul accused Peter of living like a "Gentile", unknowledgeable. Verse 14, "If you, who is supposed to be knowledgeable of God, live like someone who is unknowledgeable, how can you expect to witness?"
Peter preached at Pentecost, and 5000 souls were saved. What kind of sermon did Peter preach at Antioch, how many did he loose that day? Peter was saying in effect that there was a distinction between the Jew and the Gentile and when those from Jerusalem showed up, he demonstrated that belief. Paul said to Peter, "there is no longer any distinction between Jew and Gentile." "We who are Jews know that man is not justified by works but rather thru faith in Jesus Christ."
Notice what he accused Peter of doing. "You are, by your example, building up those false teachings which I tore down." "You are still living in your old prejudice ways."
Then Paul tells Peter that he could not preach "justification by faith" and live up-holding the Law. "This", Paul says, "Will nullify Grace." It says, in effect, Christ died for no purpose. It was hard for the Jew to accept justification by faith, apart from works, as they had been brought up on the importance of works. It is hard for a man who believes that he is "righteous" to accept the fact that it will not save him.
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