Reprimanded

An Overview of Galatians

By Joe Guagliardo

Galatians 2:11-24

“Reprimanded”

June 11, 2023

During my life, I’ve been admonished many times. I’m guessing we all have. I felt like I couldn’t do anything right when I was young. My mom or dad constantly admonished me for one thing or another.

When I was in school, I was either admonished by a teacher or sent to the principal’s office for a problem I was involved in.

As an adult, we all get admonished for one thing or another. Our spouse might correct us for something we’ve done wrong, or our employer may correct us for a mistake we’ve made.

Even Peter, the great Apostle, was admonished by a fellow follower of Christ, Paul.

Let’s take a moment and examine the circumstances of this reprimand.

“When Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy, even Barnabas was led astray.

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by Faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have put our Faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by Faith in Christ and not by the works of the law because, by the works of the law, no one will be justified.

“But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by Faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have put our Faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by Faith in Christ and not by the works of the law because, by the works of the law, no one will be justified.

Acts 2:11-24

There is a bit of discrepancy among some scholars as to when the above passage occurred. For the sake of argument and what I believe to be accurate, this reprimand of Peter by Paul happened sometime in 53 A.D., after the Jerusalem Council.

That fact makes this passage even more critical. It had been declared that the Gentiles were saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ. Peter and the other Apostles were to seek out Jews, preach, and convert them to Christianity. While Paul and his followers would do the same with the Gentiles.

Now, after only two years since the Council, we find Peter uncomfortable dining with Gentiles and holding firm to the outcome of the Jerusalem Council. (We sometimes find Peter preaching and teaching Gentiles and Paul doing the same to Jews.)

Paul was allowing himself to ever so slightly side with the Judaizers of the time, and he admonished him in front of others that what he was doing was wrong. Paul comes right out and says to Peter:

“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by Faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have put our Faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by Faith in Christ and not by the works of the law because, by the works of the law, no one will be justified.”

Paul admonished and reminded Peter that we are saved by Faith, including the Gentiles, and that works would not justify them or anyone before God.

Paul’s final words in this passage summarize his beliefs and where he feels Peter was missing the mark.

“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by Faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have put our Faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by Faith in Christ and not by the works of the law because, by the works of the law, no one will be justified.”

Paul nails it. He says, what we still believe today. It’s something that has to be reiterated over and over again. B.G.T.F. This is the only way to the Father. It is through the Son, our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ.