Fly 04 — Galatians 2:11-16 — Live In Step With The Gospel

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

A Completely Different Visit

Paul wanted the Galatians—and us—to fly up into a life of freedom and love, and he knew that the gospel message is what can take us there (Gal. 5:13). But the Galatians were in danger of destroying the gospel message by adding to it, so Paul wrote this letter to defend the precious message of the gospel of grace. And since he was the one who first brought the gospel to Galatia, Paul knew he had to defend himself as a way to defend his message.

And, in defending himself, Paul recounted two early and peaceful interactions with the apostles in Jerusalem (Gal. 1:18-2:10). Twice, they had confirmed his message, the gospel of grace. But this third encounter wasn't as peaceful.

And it didn't take place in Jerusalem but in Antioch, the third most important city in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria (11). It was located only 300 miles north of Jerusalem and boasted a large Jewish population, so when persecution hit the church in Jerusalem, many Christians fled there. And, in Antioch, the gospel spread and the church flourished. Barnabas ministered there and, as I mentioned last week, eventually recruited Paul to help him (Acts 11:19-30). It was a beautiful church full of the grace of God (Acts 11:23).

At some point, we don't know exactly when, Peter (Cephas) came to Antioch (11). At first, his presence only added to the beauty of the church there because he was so united to the Gentile believers in Antioch that he regularly ate with the Gentiles (12). The harmony of different cultures, customs, and backgrounds, all coming together under the banner of the cross, was breathtaking. This man, Peter, the lead apostle, a racial and cultural Jew, signified through his actions that the blood of Jesus had united him with his Gentile brothers. As Paul said to the Ephesian church, Jesus had broken down the wall of separation and had made a new humanity by his death, burial, and resurrection—Peter felt he was part of it with the Gentile church in Antioch (Eph. 2:15-16).

But Paul had to oppose Peter to his face because Peter did something worthy of condemnation (11). During his visit, some men came from James down in Jerusalem (12). Paul doesn't say why they were there, but, whatever the reason, Peter feared the circumcision party and began to slink back and separate himself from his Gentile friends (12). And, because he was a leader, his shameful act spread like wildfire, and soon the rest of the Jews separated themselves during meal time (13). Even Barnabas, a beloved pastor and friend to the Antioch church, was swept up by their hypocrisy (13). You can imagine the hurt and confusion the believers in Antioch suffered because of Peter and Barnabas' withdrawal from them. The dividing wall of separation that Christ had destroyed was now fully rebuilt.

As you might suspect, Paul could not stand by and let this unfold with no consequence. He arose to rebuke Peter before them all (14). In addressing Peter, Paul addressed everyone who went along with him, reminding Peter of the doctrine of justification by faith that Peter preached and espoused, bringing Peter back in line with the gospel he professed.

Why Include This Story?

But why include this embarrassing story? Paul has already told us that if anyone distorts the gospel, they should be cut off. If even an angel or an apostle adds to the gospel message, they should be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9). By confronting Peter, Paul shows that no one is above the gospel and that even if we profess it, as Peter did, we must also live by it, which Peter did not.

And that was Paul's main issue with Peter. He said, "When I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I rebuked Peter before them all" (14).

Don't miss what's happening here: Peter was a champion of the gospel of grace. He was the one who took the keys of the kingdom and opened the door wide to the Gentile world. Years earlier, God led him to go to Caesarea and preach to the household of a Gentile military officer named Cornelius. And when he did, they all believed and were filled with the Spirit (Acts 10:44). Seeing that God had accepted these Gentiles, so did Peter, and he baptized them on the spot (Acts 10:47-48). And when Peter went back to Jerusalem, he defended his actions by saying things like:

"If God gave the same gift (of the Holy Spirit) to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" (Acts 11:17).

Nothing in the passage before us suggests that Peter changed his mind about any of that. He did not separate himself because he'd come to a new theological conclusion, but out of fear of the circumcision party (12). The fear of man led him to act contrary to his theological convictions, and Paul knew it, which is why he sought to bring Peter back into living in step with the gospel he believed. The gospel presents a path to walk on—and Peter stepped of it for a moment. As Matthew Harmon wrote:

"The gospel is not merely the way we begin the Christian life; it is the means by which we continue to live the Christian life. It sets out a path for us as believers to walk."[^1]

So how does this passage encourage us to walk out the gospel? What does it teach us about living in step with the gospel?

1. Unite Over The Gospel

First, most significantly, this passage shows us that we must unite over the gospel. When Peter acted the way he did, he united with some over Judaism, which divided him (unnecessarily) from others who did not embrace Judaism.

Again, Peter believed the gospel, but through his actions, Peter was telling a whole church of Gentile Christians that simple faith in Christ was not enough—they needed to add circumcision and dietary laws. They needed to become Jewish! This would have been an intensely depressing message for a group of Gentile Christians living in a Gentile society. The good news that Jesus came to save them was turning into the bad news that they would have to adopt Judaism. And, since Peter was a heavyweight in the church, he was telling the entire future church the same thing!

But when Peter freely ate with the Gentile believers, he was representing the gospel well, living in line with the gospel of grace. During those meals, he was saying, "It's the gospel of Christ that unites us. It is bigger than any other dividing factor." But once he separated, he was saying, "The issue of Judaism is on the level of the gospel. It is just as important. And you cannot be fully accepted by God unless you embrace it."

We might also be tempted to get out of line with the gospel with our actions. In fact, the passage suggests we should be on guard for the inevitable moments we will get out of step with the gospel. If the Apostle Peter, who had Scriptures, dreams, visions, and personal experiences showing him that the gospel was for the Gentiles, fell to the temptation to live out of step with the gospel, who are we to think we wouldn't? Like Peter, we might not denounce the core elements of the gospel, but we should not, with our actions, communicate that one must add anything to faith in Christ.

In many facets of life, we must be on guard against doing what Peter did. To, as Paul said, live in step with the gospel is to never stray from the straight path of the gospel. But detours abound, and we must resist them.

• To live in step with the gospel is to avoid classism, the tendency to only be in relationships with people from the same social class.

• To live in step with the gospel is to resist sectarianism, the tendency to withdraw into small theological enclaves that agree with even the most minor points of doctrine while rejecting everyone else.

• To live in step with the gospel is to embrace different personalities, believing that Jesus loves and has created everyone.

• To live in step with the gospel is to avoid dividing over the spectrum of political persuasions, knowing that we should not put up a barrier to entry into Christ's kingdom that Christ himself did not construct.

• To live in step with the gospel is to avoid relational snobbery, the tendency to spend time only with those who are easy (for you) to be around.

• To live in step with the gospel is to appreciate people from every generation because you recognize that your generation's values and norms are subservient to the supremacy of the gospel.

• To live in step with the gospel destroys racism—blatantly racist attitudes or the soft racism of nodding at racial stereotypes behind closed doors—because the gospel adds to all the Bible says about creation, so not only are we all made in God's image, but the gospel puts us all on the same level before God.

So we must be careful not to communicate through our words or actions that, to be a real Christian approved by God, you have to be of a certain class, sect, personality, political persuasion, social skill, generational value system, race, or anything else. And even if we wouldn't say such a thing with our words, we cannot say such a thing with our actions. Peter would only eat with those under Judaism. To eat was to commune and fellowship with someone. So if we will only commune and fellowship with someone who is of a certain class, sect, personality, political persuasion, social skill, generational value system, or race, what are we communicating about the gospel?

I am sure you've heard about the recent rise in popularity of the sport pickleball. It is a bit like tennis, but quite different. And it is a very laid-back crowd that plays it, so much so that I've heard that when someone is too argumentative, aggressive, or competitive on the pickleball court, others will say, "You're being a bit 'tennis' about it."[^2] It's their way of calling someone out for losing the big picture and becoming a bit too intense. And when it comes to secondary matters, we must keep them in that second place. The moment we become "too tennis about" our secondary things, we've given the impression they are on the level with the gospel, meaning we are out of step with the gospel.

As John Stott wrote: "When the issue between us is trivial, we must be as pliable as possible. But when the truth of the gospel is at stake, we must stand our ground."[^3]

2. Be Motivated By The Gospel

So the passage shows us that we must unite under the gospel, but it also shows us, secondly, that we must be motivated by the gospel. Peter acted the way he did because he grew to fear the circumcision party (12). He was motivated by fear.

But when Paul confronted Peter, he didn't try to shift Peter's motivation to shame, embarrassment, or anger. He wasn't saying, "You should be ashamed of yourself, Peter. You are a terrible person. You disgust me." He didn't merely point out that Peter was breaking the rules—though he was—but instead pointed out that Peter had forgotten the gospel.[^4] He reminded Peter what the gospel had done to him: "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not a Jew, how can you force Gentiles to live like Jews?" (14). Then he said, "We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed..." (16). WE—he was reminding Peter of what he'd been, what he'd believed, and how the gospel had set him free from the law.

Paul reminded Peter of who he was and what he'd believed. This is a far better form of motivation than manipulation, anger, or shame. When we are reminded of who we are in Christ, the riches that we have in Christ, and the destiny that is ours in Christ, we are elevated to a better motivation.

I recently heard from a beloved woman in our church who had to be hospitalized for a time, but far from here. Because of the distance, many people sent her flowers. The hospital staff had to rearrange the room quite often to make room for all the flowers and cards that flooded her room. And she said she noticed that as more flowers arrived, the quality of the medical care she received seemed to increase. To her, it was as if the nursing staff said, "She is really important to a lot of people. She is loved. We need to take care of her."

In a similar way, when we realize how much we are loved, when we are reminded afresh of the gospel of Christ, we are tapping into the best motivation for right living. By realizing our position before God because of justification by faith, and the position of all others who have believed in Jesus, the way we treat others improves.

I heard of a mom whose teenage son lost his contact lens while playing basketball in the driveway. He came in and announced that, though he'd looked everywhere, he couldn't find it. She went straight outside and found it in a couple of minutes. He asked her, "How did you find it?" She said, "We weren't looking for the same thing. You were looking for a contact lens. I was looking for $200." If Peter had only remembered the value God had placed on those Gentile believers in Antioch, he would have found the motivation to resist his fear of the legalists.

Every day, we must be reminded of the gospel because it correctly frames our motivations. Just as ancient Israel, while wandering in the wilderness, went out daily to get a fresh supply of manna, so we need to daily set our minds again on the cross. They weren't allowed to collect two days' worth of manna. Each day they got what they needed for that day. And we must do the same. Be in the word every day so you can be reminded of the cross every day. It is the message that can truly motivate us.

3. Know Justification Comes By The Gospel

The last way to live in line with the gospel I'll mention today is that we must know justification comes by the gospel. Paul said, "We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ" (16).

This is the first time the word "justification" is used in Galatians. It is a term from the legal world and is the opposite of condemnation. To be condemned, you are guilty in a court of law. To be justified, you are found not guilty in that same court of law.

In the Bible, justification is used to describe a once-and-for-all experience when you trust in Christ's work instead of your own. God deposits Christ's righteousness into your account, which means he begins to see you just as he sees his Son, without error, without sin, and without guilt. You have been justified.

Envision two open documents on a computer screen. One is the record of you life. We don't want anyone to read that document. The other is the record of Jesus' life—God the Son. If you trusted in Christ, it was as if God selected all in Jesus' document, copied it, went to you document, deleted everything, and pasted Jesus' record into yours. Now, when he opens your document, he sees the righteousness of his only begotten Son.

I heard an old-time preacher illustrate justification with a story about a man in England who put his Rolls-Royce on a boat so he could take it to Europe for vacation. While touring throughout Europe, the car abruptly stopped working. He contacted Rolls-Royce back in England, and they flew a mechanic right over, and he fixed it on the spot. The man continued his vacation but began wondering how much that bill was going to be—a flight! A mechanic! Parts! When he returned home, he wrote to Rolls-Royce to ask, and they replied with a note that said: "Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce." The record was clean. It was as if nothing had ever happened.[^5]

And, in the eyes of God, we are completely justified, clean, as if nothing had ever happened, when we trust in Jesus' work and not our own. There is no record in God's files anywhere that anything ever went wrong.

Paul is emphatic that we receive this justification not by our own works but by faith. Three times in one verse, Paul highlighted that this justification comes by faith. First, he said justification comes through faith in Jesus Christ (16). Second, he said, "We also have believed in Christ Jesus" (16). And third, he said again that we are "justified by faith in Christ" (16).

Some try to claim that faith is somehow a work before God. It's not. It's trust in the work of God through the gospel. It's belief. It's not "the work" for which God is waiting. As my friend Richard Cimino wrote:

"Faith is not a work that earns us salvation. It is the channel through which salvation is received." — Who I Am: Receiving The Identity We Could Never Create, Richard Cimino[^6]

When God made his promises to Abraham that he would bless him, make a great nation out of him, and bless the world through him, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6, Rom. 4:3). And what Paul is saying is that you can only really be justified that way—faith in Christ's work. Trust. Believe. Hold it to be true. Lean upon it.

The only other way to be justified is by the works of the law, which Paul also mentions three times in our passage (16). This means that if you execute the law without fail, without error, without sin, for the entirety of your life, you can be justified that way. But it's a non-starter. Paul said: by works of the law no one will be justified (16). It just can't happen.

And to live in line with the gospel is to never forget this glorious truth. We stand before God, not because of anything we have done, but because of what Christ has done.

Conclusion

When God delivered the people of Israel from their captivity in Egypt, the final victory they won over their captors was at the Red Sea. As Moses stretched out his hands and his staff, the waters parted so Israel could cross on dry ground. And when the Egyptian armies pursued them, the waters closed upon them, ensuring freedom for God's children.

From that point on, Israel was meant to walk in line with the events of the Red Sea. When intertribal disputes arose, they needed to realize that, for all their differences, God chose all of them that day—they were united at the Red Sea. When they were faced with impressive foes in the Promised Land, they needed to remember who they were, God's victorious people—they needed to be motivated by the Red Sea. And when God gave them the tabernacle system of worship, they needed to remember that they were already God's chosen people—they became his at the Red Sea. And Israel should have pushed forward in determination, all because of the great and final victory God had won for them at the Red Sea.

And this great gospel message should produce a determination in us: I am going to live in step with the gospel I believe. I will unite with everyone who comes under the banner of the gospel. I am motivated to do so because that same gospel calls me up into a better version of life. And justification only comes by faith in that gospel—I will never trust my personal performance to gain me right standing with God, nor will I require others to perform above and beyond the gospel to get right standing with me. I will live in step with the gospel.

[^1]:Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Lexham Academic. [^2]:The Journal: Is Big Money Souring Pickleball? 2022. Wall Street Journal. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/is-big-money-souring-pickleball/id1469394914?i=1000583878607. [^3]:Stott, John R. W. 2008. Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press. [^4]:Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company. [^5]:Wiersbe, Warren W. 2002. Key Words of the Christian Life: Understanding and Applying Their Meanings. Ada, OK: Baker Books. [^6]:Cimino, Richard. 2022. Who I Am: Receiving the Identity We Could Never Create. Clay Bridges Press.