What was Peter still doing that Paul had confronted him about before Galatians 2:15?
Peter was still succumbing to the demands of the Law and keeping Jews at Jerusalem, the very behavior Paul had confronted him about before Galatians 2:15. Paul then resumes with “we who are Jews by nature” in verse 15, moving into justification by faith rather than works of the Law.
Les explains that Paul is writing after coming away from his confrontation with Peter, who was still succumbing to the demands of the Law and keeping Jews at Jerusalem. Paul then says in Galatians 2:15, “we who are Jews by nature,” meaning by birth, not pagan Gentiles who were looked down upon by the Jews of that day. In verse 16, Paul affirms that a man is not justified by the works of the Law; even Jewish believers have believed in Jesus Christ so that they might be justified by the faith of Christ, not by the works of the Law. Les also notes that Romans makes this plainer than Galatians, comparing Galatians to an artist’s pencil sketch and Romans to the finished oil painting.
We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
More Questions
What led up to Paul's words in Galatians 2:15?
Paul comes to Galatians 2:15 right after his confrontation with Peter, who was still succumbing to the demands of the Law and keeping Jews at Jerusalem, so he addresses Jewish believers by birth.