Galatians 2:7-21

But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised 8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), 9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They only asked us to remember the poor — the very thing I also was eager to do.

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

Here we will look at one last passage in Galatians having to do with Peter. I will make two comments. Even though Peter was used by God to begin a revival of the Gentiles, he was mainly a minister to the Jews (the circumcised), and Paul to the Gentiles.

Secondly, Paul thought that he needed to write about what happened with Peter at Antioch. Yes, Paul would not let Peter off the hook. He was guilty of fearing the more uppity-up Jews, choosing to eat only with them in order to make a favorable impression on them. In so doing he was guilty of hypocrisy. He was also sinning against all those he was wrongly influencing—other Jews (even Barnabus), and also believing Gentiles. But his sin was mainly toward God.

I would say that Peter, by Paul’s confrontation of him, had probably changed his hypocritical behavior. We all get caught up in this kind of fear and hypocrisy, and we need to check ourselves. We ought always to treat everyone the same, with love, regardless of what others may think. Jesus is our best example.