The Apostle Paul lectures to the Apostle Peter about what the Gospel of Christ is.

Galatians 2:11-21

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“Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.” Galatians 2:11-13

Antioch was about 300 miles north of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem was where the Church leaders, such as Peter and James governed from. Paul and Barnabas had a powerful and effective ministry in Antioch where the Gospel of Christ was forming strong roots. Peter traveled those long 300 miles from Jerusalem to Antioch to check on Paul’s ministry. When Peter got to Antioch, Paul saw that Peter’s attitude towards the non-Jewish population was totally wrong, and Paul confronted him about it. Peter feared those of Judaism more than his dedication to practicing the teachings of Jesus with the non-Jews. Paul called Peter a hypocrite and blamed him for causing the rest of the Jewish Christians [and Barnabas] to follow in his hypocrisy.

As followers of Jesus Christ, the only way to bring others to Him is by accepting their potential within the family of Christ, without ignoring and judging them. Paul caught Peter doing just that, and Peter’s hypocrisy caused many others to falter in spreading the Good News to whoever. This is the word of God, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

“But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “You’re Jewish, but you live like a person who is not Jewish. So how can you insist that people who are not Jewish must live like Jews?”” Galatians 2:14

Paul felt the need to remind Peter of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the born-again experience of believing by faith that Jesus is the Christ and Son of God. He reminded Peter that they were both Jewish and by the law of Judaism they are not considered to be sinners, which lawfully separated them from the non-Jewish population. At the same time, Paul reminded Peter that they both know that no one is born-again by following the laws of Judaism, such as circumcision. Paul had to remind Peter that being born-again in mind, spirit, and soul is by faith in Jesus Christ. Every person is justified by faith in Jesus, not by policies, rules, laws etc. of religious doctrines. As quoted, “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Galatians 2:15-16

“If we, the same people who are searching for God’s approval in Christ, are still sinners, does that mean that Christ encourages us to sin? That’s unthinkable!” Galatians 2:17

Paul lectures Peter on the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, which forgives us of our sin while we are still sinners. “…God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 If we are looking for God’s approval by faith in Jesus Christ, not by our own works by following religious rules, then how are we still sinners by including non-Christians into the family of Christ? “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works…” Ephesians 2:8-9 Christ does not redeem us out of religious rules to encourage us to sin, and it is sin to discard people from God’s Salvation plan, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” Romans 6:15

“For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”” Galatians 2:18-21

Paul lectures Peter on what they are doing through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is to destroy the laws of the Old Testament, such as circumcision, animal sacrifices, believing that Jewish people are sinless and the rest of the world are sinners, etc. Paul lectured Peter on rebuilding the laws of Judaism by withdrawing from non-Jews because they are sinners by the laws of Judaism, but he is pure simply for being Jewish, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Paul told Peter that if they go back to teaching Judaism then they have both broke the laws of Judaism and are guilty of major crimes. Like Paul, we too must say that we have died to religious doctrines to live for God through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. The life we live now in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God, who loves us and gives Himself for us. We do not set aside the grace of God because if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ died in vain.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1