Why Paul Confronted Peter to His Face — Galatians Chapter 2

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick, an Oklahoma rancher and farmer. Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for over 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. I appreciate the fact that we seem to be succeeding in letting you feel like you're a part of our class right here in the studio. And we trust that as many of you have written, you're using your Bibles and taking notes. And then if you need some extra help and you want our videos or our little booklets, they are available there on the screen. We now also made them available with audio cassette. But we do it as a service, not that we try to generate income from them. Let's just get right back to Galatians chapter 2, where we left off at the end of our last program. Galatians chapter 2, and Peter and Barnabas have finally gotten the okay from the leadership of Jerusalem, that they can continue their ministry to the Gentiles, and they will continue their ministry to the Jew. But they're going to put some strings on it, as I said. Number one, that they wanted Paul to remember the poor saints in Jerusalem, who remember have been there now because of the events of Acts chapter 2 and 3 and 4, where they sold all their goods with the idea that the King was coming, and they wouldn't need them. And when the King was rejected and didn't come, why they were naturally left destitute. And so God providentially is providing for them now with the offerings from Paul's Gentile converts. We looked at that in the closing moments that Romans 15 and 1 Corinthians 16 designated that those offerings were for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Now let's just read the verse a minute, and then we'll go back to Acts. Verse 9 of Galatians 2, when James, and Peter, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace, or understood the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go to the heathen, or the Gentiles, and they would go to the circumcision, or the Jew." Now verse 10, only they would that we should remember the poor, that is the saints there in Jerusalem, which Paul says we were forward to do. Now let's come back to Acts 15 and we'll see that they also added a couple other little strings to the whole deal. In Acts chapter 15, and it's kind of interesting as we looked at it a few programs ago, that in verse 12 of Acts 15, after Peter has finally come to Paul's rescue, and I've always said if he wouldn't have, Paul's gospel would have died right then and there, but of course God is sovereign, He had Peter ready now, and I maintain that's the big reason He sent him up to the house of Cornelius, is not just for the house of Cornelius, but that Peter would be in a mental position to come to Paul's defense at this conference in Jerusalem 12 years later. You know God always sees the big picture, we see the near term, but He sees the big picture, and we're going to see another graphic illustration of that a little later in Galatians. But Peter suddenly realized that yes, he had gone to the house of pagan Gentiles, and he hadn't brought them under the Law, he hadn't introduced circumcision, and while he was yet speaking, what happened? They believed! And of course they didn't believe Paul's gospel, that hadn't been revealed yet, but they believed that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, and God saved them. Now let's go back and look at verse 12 of Acts chapter 1, and all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. Now there's another point, remember what I Corinthians says, let's go back and look at it. I Corinthians 1, verse 22, and you can't escape this, it just constantly comes up in front of you. I Corinthians 1, verse 22, and again most people I suppose just read right over it, but what a graphic statement. For the Jews require a sign, like Missourians, and so the Jews said, unless I see a sign I won't believe. Well God knew that, and He put up with that all the way up through their history. Now when Moses was first confronted, he was a typical Jew, and he said, God they're not going to believe me. How do I know? And what did God have to do? Show him a sign, and throw your rod on the ground. And then when he got into Pharaoh, and the only way he could convince the children of Israel that he was legitimate, he had to do it with signs and miracles. Why have I always said Christ performed all those miracles in His earthly ministry? To prove to Israel who He was. I think he so graphically showed the difference in the mindset of Jews and Gentiles, because back in his earthly ministry he told the citizens of Capernaum, that had the people of Sodom and Gomorrah witnessed what you have witnessed, what would they have done? They would have repented in sackcloth and lashes. Why? They wouldn't have had to say, well show us a sign. They were Gentiles, they were ready to believe it for being able to hear it. But the Jews required a sign. Now back to Acts chapter 15. So again I am positive that if Paul and Barnabas could not have rehearsed some miraculous signs and miracles in their ministry, the Jews would have never bought it. But since they could according to verse 11, they were convinced. And so that's what it says. Acts 15. All the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring the miracles and wonders that God had wrought amongst the Gentiles. Well that got the Jews attention. Now then verse 13. So after they held their peace, that is the Jews, James answered. Now who is the moderator? Well you'd think it should have been Peter. Here we have a big important conference, settling something that's crucial. Peter is not the conference moderator, James is, and if I'm not mistaken it's not even the James who was of the Twelve. I think he's already been beheaded. This is the other James. So you see Peter has slipped out of his place of being the head man, and now it's James. And now he says, verse 13. James said, "...men and brethren, hearken unto me. Simeon, that is Peter, hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name, and to disagree the words of the prophets that is written after this." That is after calling out a people for his name, God told the prophet, I will return and build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen down, and I will build again the and I will set it up, referring of course to His Second Coming. Then come all the way down to verse 19. Ephesians 2a "...Wherefore, in light of all that has just taken place, my decision is as the moderator, that we trouble not them who from among the Gentiles are turned to God, but..." We're going to put some strings on it. "...we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols, from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood." Now you see in a way it's amazing that these things were repeated, and on the other hand it isn't because these things still hold true today. God still has never given the human race permission to do any of these things. They are still anathema to Him, and I'll show you why in just a minute. So verse 21 gives the reason. Ephesians 2a "...for Moses, that is Jews, who were still adherents of Judaism, for Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day." Now look, if you're going to go out into the Gentile world and preach this Gospel of Grace, that's well and good, but for the sake of Jews who are in those pagan communities, at least make your converts understand that some of these things are still fundamental going all the way back to the Law of Moses. And that of course Paul agreed with, and I'm sure that he taught it as such. Ephesians 2a "...then it pleased the apostles and elders with the whole church, that is the church of Jerusalem, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, and they wrote letters after this manner confirming it that it was in writing, and no doubt they signed it, that they were no longer going to force them to keep the Law, and practice circumcision, and so forth." And then drop down to verse 29, and the Holy Spirit is seen fit to repeat it. Ephesians 2a "...that this was part of this written agreement, that went from the Jerusalem church up to Antioch, that you abstain from meat offered to idols, and from blood and things strangled, and from fornication, from which if you keep yourselves you shall do well." Now let's go back to the Old Testament a moment and see what they were referring to, and that would be in Leviticus chapter 17 and 18. So even though this was part of the Law, yet it was such that God could sanction its going right on along through with the Gospel of Grace. And I firmly believe that even though we're under Grace, we're not under Law. God is still holding us accountable for not doing any of these things. Now it's interesting that for those who get involved in Satan worship, this is where they begin. This is usually part of their initiation process, that they drink blood, and they become immoral, and all the rest of it. Now here's the reason in Leviticus 17, and whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood, I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. Now this is God speaking, for the life of the flesh is in the blood. Now this is why the blood had to be sacrificed for the remission of sin. It was death for life. Leviticus 17a "...for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar, to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that make an atonement for the soul." But now I'm going to make a point. What had to happen to the blood in the Old Testament sacrifices, as well as Christ's blood? What had to be done with the blood for it to become an efficacious atonement for sin? It had to be applied. It had to be sprinkled on the altar, it had to be sprinkled on the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, and Christ also had to present His blood in heaven. So it follows all the way through, and for this reason God still demands that even under grace, we do not partake of these things. Now the other point was not to practice fornication or immorality. Now I know I've got a lot of little kids watching my program, and I'm not going to read it because it's rather graphic, but you get into chapter 18 and God explicitly lays down these various immoral sins that believers are to have nothing to do with. Why? Because you see in Leviticus 18 verse 3, "...after the doings of the land of Egypt wherein you dwelt, you shall not do. And after the doings of the land of Canaan, whether I bring you, you shall not do, neither shall you walk in their ordinances, you shall do My judgments, and you shall keep My ordinances, because I am the LORD your God." Then beginning in verse 6 He goes down and stipulates graphically all the immoral sins of the Canaanites and the Egyptians, and which believers were to have nothing to do with. And that's still applicable. Just because we are under grace, doesn't mean that we are now free to eat blood and practice immorality, or worship idols. Absolutely not! Those things are as the German would say, verboten. They are forbidden, and we better remember that. Now we come back to Galatians chapter 2, and we are going to come to an interesting situation, and I always have to clarify myself lest I be accused of not having a warm place in my heart for Peter. Yes I do, because I understand Peter's position. Peter was still steeped in legalism, and still had not had his eyes totally open to these Pauline truths, and so Peter was in perfect accord with his Lord as far as it went. And I'm not taking anything away from the man's spiritual aspect whatsoever, but he could not comprehend what it was to be totally out from under the Law. So now sometime after the Jerusalem Council, and had been saved by the Gospel of Grace, they were free to eat whatever they wanted to eat. They were not under any law of dietary form whatsoever, and Peter comes up to visit the Antioch Church, and now look at it. It's rather interesting. But when Peter was come to Antioch sometime after the Jerusalem Council, Paul says, I withstood him to the face. Now I think he had to get on a soap box to do that, because I think Peter was a big tall Galilean, and I think Paul was pretty much a short typical Jew. And I can just see if Paul was face to face. He had to look up at him, but I say he must have jumped on a little box or something. Because I can always remember back when I was farming in Iowa, I had one of the neighbor's kids who would help me, and whenever he wasn't tall enough or something, he would throw down a bale of hay, and he would jump on it so he could look at me eyeball to eyeball. Well this is what I kind of see Peter doing. He must have either jumped on something so he could look Peter in the face, or else he had to look up, because I know I'm almost positive he was much, much shorter in stature than Peter. But nevertheless what does the statement say? I withstood him to the face, publicly. My that must have been an embarrassing thing for Peter, and look what goes on. And so he says, I withstood him to the face, why? Because he was to be blamed. He was at fault. Now this isn't the first time poor old Peter stumbled, nor do we get to the place where we don't stumble. So again I'm not taking anything away from Peter, he was just as human as all of us. And here he stumbled, and Paul called him on it. Now let's look at verse 12. Here was the whole reason, for before, that is in time wise, before that certain came from James, who is now the headman of Jerusalem, when emissaries came to Antioch from James's congregation in Jerusalem, before that Peter ate with Paul and those Gentile believers, regardless of what the meal was. But after these Jewish people came up from Jerusalem, what does Peter do? He's scared of them. He's afraid of them. And so to continue on and maintain the testimony of Paul's Gospel of Grace, that he could prove to these Jews from Jerusalem, that we are free to eat whatever we want to eat, we are no longer under the dietary laws, we've been set free from all that. Instead of that Peter gives in. He gave in and refused to go in and eat with Paul's Gentile converts. Can you imagine what this did to the apostle Paul? Now Paul had that little short temper side of him, and I think Paul just got real upset with Peter. Now Peter you're being two faced, that's what we'd say today. When there wasn't anybody from Jerusalem, you didn't have any problem eating with us and my Gentile converts. But as soon as those people came from Jerusalem, you say, I'm a good Jew, I can't do that. And so Paul calls him on it. And so he says, He did eat with the Gentiles, and when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself from the Gentiles, fearing who? Not God, but the men from Jerusalem. Now I've always given Peter credit, and I still do. Do you remember that leading up to his crucifixion, and suddenly when he saw that Jesus was arrested, and the young maids thought she recognized him, and you know the accounts, he said, Well, you're one of them. What did he do? He denied it three times. He denied it, swore. Why? He was afraid of the powers that were. But I've always made this point, and I'll make it again. After Peter witnessed the resurrection and the power of it, what happened to him? He was a different person. He was no longer afraid of anybody. He stood up to the Jewish religious leaders, he stood up to the Romans, and no doubt took a martyr's death because of it. But here, as an ordinary practicing Jew, in a moment of weakness amongst these Gentile believers, he blows his testimony again, and Paul has to call him on it. And other Jews, because of what Peter did, other Jews dissembled or withdrew likewise with him, even to the point in so much that Barnabas, good old Barnabas that's seen everything that Paul was accomplishing amongst the Gentiles, even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation or their hypocrisy, that they couldn't eat with these Gentiles. Now verse 14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly, and when they were not walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, what gospel? Paul's gospel, the gospel of grace, which now sets us free from these dietary rules and regulations. There is now no difference between Jew and Gentile, and Peter was not yet ready to recognize that. Now let me show you what I'm talking about. I've mentioned before we've used the verse on the program, but it's been a long time ago. Come back to II Peter, and I think this is such an enlightening verse, I taught for a long time before I found it, but what a verse. Dropping down in II Peter chapter 3, verse 15. Now remember this is just shortly before he and Paul were martyred. This isn't in the beginning of his ministry, this is way at the end. He's had all these years of being in contact with Paul and Paul's message, and still he writes by inspiration. Verse 15, II Peter 3. II Peter 3. "...account, or understand, that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, has written unto you." Verse 16, "...as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things..." What things? Salvation, the gospel of grace. "...speaking in them of these things, in which..." That is his epistles. "...in which are some things hard to be understood." Now you can't imagine Peter saying like that, can you? After all these years he still can't quite comprehend what Paul is driving home. Well I'll tell you why. He was so steeped in Judaism that it just didn't come through. So read on. "...in which are some things hard to be understood, and he wasn't alone." Now look at the multitude that are encompassed in the last part of this verse. "...which they that are unlearned and unstable twist." Now what is he still talking about? Paul's epistles. And so the unstable, those who don't comprehend the Scriptures are still twisting them, as they do also the other Scriptures, and then what's the conclusion? "...to their own destruction." And so when they ignore, or they delete the writings of the apostle Paul, they are according to Peter, signing themselves up for their own destruction. And that's exactly why Paul wrote such strong language in the first chapter, that if someone is going to preach any other gospel than his gospel, let him be accursed. Now that's strong language. I know it is, but I didn't put it in there. The Book says it, and we have to stand on it. Now let's just go a little bit further, and then our time is gone. Verse 14, back in Galatians 2. "...but when I saw that they," Peter, Barnabas, and these other Jews, "...when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, that if thou being a Jew," which of course Peter and Barnabas were. If you're going to live after the manner of Gentiles, if you are going to admit that the grace of God has set you free from the Law, and do not as the Jews, then why are you being two faced? If this is what you understand, that the grace of God has set everybody free from the Law, then why do you still compel Gentiles to live as Jews? You see what he's saying? And listen, it's no different today. Oh I know the rhetoric is a little different, but the concept is the same. That people are adding things that do not belong to the gospel of grace, and then they wonder why people have a hard time comprehending it. Well it's confusion, see?