For before certain men came from James, he [Peter] used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles …
Summary: In this passage, Paul tells the story about a time when Peter came to visit his ministry in Antioch.
In storytelling, there is a technique called a “flashback.” A flashback is a part of the story told out of sequence.
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he tells how he came to know and preach the true gospel. He begins in chapter one, verse eleven, and tells us that the gospel was not of “human origin,” but was received directly from Jesus Christ. Then, he gives us the story of his conversion and what happened afterward.
He describes his first meeting with Peter and James, the Lord’s brother, three years after his revelation from Jesus (Galatians 1:18-19). Then, he tells us about another meeting fourteen years later. Like the first meeting, this meeting also went well. Yet, somewhere in the middle, there was a meeting that didn’t go so well.
Luke’s historical account, written in the Book of Acts, tells us more. After Paul’s first meeting in Jerusalem, he returns home to Tarsus. He stayed there a long time, perhaps as long as eight to ten years. Then Barnabas came looking for him and brought him back to Antioch (Acts 11:25-26).
At this point in his story, Paul “flashes back” to a time when he was teaching in Antioch. (This would be two or three years before his second visit to Jerusalem.) Peter apparently came from Jerusalem to Antioch for a visit and was teaching the Jewish Christians that they had to remain separate from the Gentile Christians.
Paul immediately spotted the inconsistency in Peter’s message. He remembered Peter telling him about his vision of the sheet and the Lord’s instruction to “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” (Acts 11: 13) Peter had then been led by the Spirit to visit a Gentile named Cornelius where he learned that “God does not show favoritism” (Acts 11:34). From then on, at least for a time, Peter did not distinguish between Jew and Gentile, but treated both equally.
Then, Paul tells us, “certain men came from James.” It seems that James was part of what Paul called the “circumcision group.” James had convinced Peter that he had to remain true to the Mosaic laws. This meant that as a Jew, even one who believed in Jesus, he should treat Gentiles as unclean. But should he? As it turned out, Paul had other ideas.
Application: Stay alert. Compare what happens in the present to what has been decided in the past.
Food for Thought: How do you think Peter felt being in the situation Paul describes?
The lesson today and your question made me think of a time in my life, while serving overseas, that I had the opportunity to get to know people from the former Soviet Union. Having been raised in the 80’s though I was initially very suspicious of them. In my childhood, it was ingrained into my head that “those people” wanted to destroy my way of life, a way of life that was founded on the religious freedom to serve God. It took a while to let go of the idea that they were all the enemy on some level, and that by even talking with them I wasn’t somehow “betraying” my upbringing. It was more than an intellectual concept, it seemed to be sewn into the very fabric of who I was as an American. I look back on that and recognize there was a lot of fear there on my part. I was actually more concerned about what others would think about me than what was right. I think that is as about as close as I can speculate on what Peter may have been feeling.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Chris,
Thank you! I like that story! I can relate to the experience of having to re-evaluate my core beliefs. It is, I suppose, like trying to rewire a house while the power is still on.
It is hard to speculate what Peter was feeling. I am pretty sure he didn’t like being in that situation. But he was responsible to act in a manner worthy of the gospel. Paul called him out and he responded as he should. I am not sure how he felt, but I do know that he repented. However we feel, our actions should align with God’s truth. Peter got there and Paul helped the process.
Thanks, Rich!
It is good to separate out our feelings from the reality we find ourselves in. Peter found himself in a situation where he was being forced to look at himself as he really was. As you say, we can be pretty sure he didn’t like being in that situation! 🙂
02-06-2024, How do you think Peter felt being in the situation Paul describes?
I appreciate comments of Rich.
He does not seem to have been a timid man, however he did demonstrate an impulsive nature. He, like all believers was an imperfect being seeking to serve our perfect God.
Peter was one of three men chosen by Jesus to be the inner circle of His ministry, and called the rock by Jesus. He was the first of the disciples to express faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God (Matthew 16:16). The Holy Spirit spoke through Peter and preached to the crowd, as the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of the listeners, so that 3,000 people of at least 15 languages put their faith in Jesus that day (Acts 2:41), he was used by God to raise Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-43) and much, much more. I would say, just as he regretted denying Jesus 3 times, just as we regret every incident we act in our flesh rather than in the Spirit, he regretted what he had done.
Paul was a faithful brother bringing the severity of the situation to Peter’s attention.
Ron,
Thanks!
Yes, I agree. I suspect that Paul brought the situation to Peter’s attention in a loving way.