When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?" Sermons
I. CONSIDER PETER'S LIFE OF LIBERTY. (Ver. 12.) It was only right, and what we should expect, for Peter to throw aside his Jewish narrowness, the punctiliousness about meats and drinks, and to go in for brotherhood with the Gentiles at their feasts. Here we have the noble and big-hearted apostle acting upon his own better impulses. It is such liberty the gospel fosters. It is the foe of that narrowness which so often keeps men from uniting. It is the foe of that little-mindedness which keeps so many in estrangement. We cannot be broader in our sympathies or freer in our life than the gospel makes us. It can be easily shown that the so-called liberties beyond its sphere are real bondages. II. CONSIDER PETER'S RETURN TO BONDAGE. (Vers. 12, 13.) When the Judaizers came down from Jerusalem, they were so positive about the necessity of the Jewish ceremonies and scrupulosities, as to put pressure upon the apostle; so that, taking counsel of his fears, he deliberately withdrew from Gentile society and shut himself up with the Jews. This was a sore fall. And so astute were these brethren in their dissimulation that Barnabas was also led away. It is well to see clearly how bondage sets in immediately on our abandoning principle and acting on the pressure of our fears. Men fancy that, when called upon to act on principle, they are forfeiting their liberty; but the truth is all the other way. The free are those who act upon the dictates of truth; the slaves are those who have surrendered principle because of pressure. III. CONSIDER PAUL'S NOBLE REPRIMAND OF PETER. (Ver. 14.) It must have been a trial for Paul to take his stand against his senior both in years and in the apostolate. He must have appreciated the delicacy of his position in standing up against the conduct of the apostle of the circumcision. But he felt constrained to rebuke his brother as by his vacillating conduct traitorous to truth. And in no way can we testify so powerfully to truth as when we take the field, however reluctantly, against those we respect, and who are deservedly popular, but who have somehow erred in judgment upon some point of importance. It requires courage and firmness; but it always has its reward in the extension of truth and of God's kingdom. IV. PAUL SHOWS THAT THE QUESTION OF JUSTIFICATION WAS REALLY INVOLVED IN PETER'S CONDUCT. (Vers. 15-17.) Peter had very properly, though a Jew, lived after the manner of Gentiles, and so manifested his Christian liberty. Why, asks Paul, does he now turn round and require Gentiles to live like Jews? Is it to be thus insinuated that ceremonies save men's souls? Is not this the vilest bondage? Is not the gospel, on the contrary, the embodiment of the truth that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? If Jewish ceremonies are still necessary to justification, then the work of Jesus Christ, in which we are asked to trust, cannot be complete. Such ceremonialism is thus seen to be in conflict with the gospel of justification by faith alone. To tell men that ceremonies must save them is to turn them away from Christ as the object of trust to rites and ceremonies as the object. Am I to believe in the power of baptism and of the sacraments as administered by certain persons in order to salvation? or am I to trust my Saviour? The two methods of salvation are totally distinct, and it is fatal to confound them. The meaning of all such ceremonialism is to put souls upon a false track, so far as salvation is concerned. It is to translate man's justification from the true foundation in Christ's work to the rotten foundation of self-righteousness. Against this we must ever wage persistent war. V. PAUL CONSEQUENTLY INSISTS ON THE SINFULNESS OF THE LEGAL SPIRIT. (Ver. 18.) For what we destroy in accepting the gospel is all trust in ceremonies as grounds of salvation. The works of the Law are seen to be no ground of trust for justification and salvation. If, then, after having destroyed the self-righteous and legal spirit, and fled for refuge to Jesus as our Hope, we turn round like Peter to rebuild the edifice of self-righteousness and legalism, we are simply making ourselves transgressors. We are forfeiting our liberty and piling up fresh sin. Hence it is of the utmost moment that we should clearly and constantly recognize the sinfulness of the legal spirit. It robs Jesus of his rightful position as Saviour of mankind. It casts away the gospel and goes back for salvation to the Law, which can only condemn us; it makes the sacrifice of Jesus vain and only increases sin. Against all legalism, consequently, we must wage incessant war. Nothing is so derogatory to Jesus or destructive of men's souls. It is another gospel, but an utterly fallacious one. Unless Jesus has the whole credit of salvation, he will not be our Saviour. He must be all or nothing. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." - R.M.E.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly. I. Its NATURE.1. Literally — not to walk on straight feet, i.e., erect, or straightforwardly. 2. Morally. (1) (2) (3) II. ITS RELATION TO THE GOSPEL. It is "not according to its truth." 1. In the letter. 2. In the spirit. III. Its MOTIVES. 1. Aversion to unpleasantness. 2. Desire to be agreeable all round. 3. Hope by its means to get over a temporary difficulty. IV. Its CONSEQUENCES. 1. It deceives the very elect, "even Barnabas." 2. It involves others in deplorable inconsistencies. V. Its INEXCUSABLENESS (vers. 15, 16). 1. Knowledge and experience are against it. 2. Spiritual privileges render it unnecessary. 3. God's Word has condemned the doing of evil that good may come. VI. THE DUTY OF THE TRUTH-LOVER with reference to it. To rebuke it in — 1. The most eminent. 2. The most esteemed. has been defined as a mixture of sincerity and simplicity, and is well illustrated by an anecdote of Bishop Atterbury. On one occasion he was asked why he would not suffer his servants to deny him when he did not care to see company. "It is not a lie for them to say that you are not at home, for it deceives no one; every one knows that it only means that your lordship is busy." He replied, "If it is (which I doubt) consistent with sincerity, yet I am sure it is not consistent with that simplicity which becomes a bishop." But the fine nervous Saxon word aptly explains the virtue for which it stands. It is rectitude in motion, movement in a right direction in spite of all inducements to swerve, movement on that straight line which in morals as in mathematics is the shortest distance between two points.There was no question of charity here, but a question of principle. To eat with the Gentiles was either right or wrong. In the light of the gospel it was right; but to shilly-shally on the matter and to let it depend on the presence or absence of certain people was clearly wrong. It was monstrous that a Gentile convert should at one time be treated as a brother, and at another shunned as though he were a Pariah.(F. H. Farrar.) This involved concessions of the nature of which it is almost impossible for us at this distance to conceive. It was to the Jew what the breaking of caste is to the Hindoo, as startling, in some respects, as though in our own country peers and working men were found to be working daily on the most friendly terms,(S. Pearson, M. A.) Many have the gospel, but not the truth of the gospel. So Paul saith here, that Peter, Barnabas, and other of the Jews, had the gospel, but walked not uprightly according to the gospel. For, albeit they preached the gospel, yet, through their dissimulation (which could not stand with the truth of the gospel) they established the law; but the establishing of the law is the abolishing of the gospel. Whoso then can rightly judge between the law and the gospel, let him thank God, and know that he is a right divine. Now the way to discern the one from the other, is to place the gospel in heaven, and the law on earth; to call the righteousness of the gospel heavenly, and that of the law earthly; and to put as great difference between the righteousness of the gospel and of the law as God hath made between heaven and earth, light and darkness, day and night. Wherefore, if the question be concerning the matter of faith or conscience, let us utterly exclude the law, and leave it on the earth; but, if we have to do with works, then let us lighten the lantern of works and of the righteousness of the law. Wherefore, if thy conscience be terrified with the sense and feeling of sin, think thus with thyself: Thou art now remaining upon earth; there let the ass labour and travail; there let him serve and carry the burden that is laid upon him; that is to say, let the body with his members be subject to the law. But when thou mountest up into heaven, then leave the ass with his burden on the earth; for the conscience hath nothing to do with the law, or works, or with the earthly righteousness. So doth the ass remain in the valley, but the conscience ascendeth with Isaac into the mountain, knowing nothing at all of the law or works thereof, but only looking to the remission of sins and pure righteousness offered and freely given unto us in Christ.(Luther.) Bishop Hooper was condemned to be burned at Gloucester, in Queen Mary's reign. A gentleman, with the view of inducing him to recant, said to him, "Life is sweet, and death is bitter." Hooper replied, "The death to come is more bitter, and the life to come more sweet. I am come hither to end this life, and suffer death, because I will not gainsay the truth I have here formerly taught you." When brought to the stake, a box, with a pardon from the queen in it, was set before him. The determined martyr cried out, "If you love my soul, away with it! if you love my soul, away with it!"(Foster.) 1. The multitude of those who swerve from truth should not make truth seem less lovely to others, or damp their ardour in defending it against error. Though truth should be deserted by all except one only, yet is it worthy to be owned, stood to, and defended by that one, against all who oppose it.2. It is the duty of all professors to walk so, both in the matter of opinion and practice, as is suitable to, and well agreeing with, the sincere truth of God held out in the gospel; holding nothing which is even indirectly contrary to it, and practising nothing which may reflect upon it. When they halt, or walk not with a straight foot in either of those, they are blameworthy. 3. When many are guilty of one and the same sin, the minister of Jesus Christ ought to reprove wisely and without respect of persons; making the weight of the reproof light upon them, as they have been more or less accessory to the sin. 4. Though private sins, which have not broken forth to a public scandal of many, are to be rebuked in private (Matthew 18:15), yet public sins are to receive public rebukes, that hereby the public scandal may be removed, and others may be scared from taking encouragement to do the like (1 Timothy 5:20). 5. Though the binding power of the ceremonial law was abrogated at Christ's death, and the practice thereof, in some things at least, left as a thing lawful and in itself indifferent unto all for a time after that, yet the observance thereof, even for that time, was dispensed with more for the Jews' sake, and was more tolerable in them who were born and educated under the binding power of that yoke, than in the Gentiles, to whom that law was never given, and so were to observe it, or any part of it, only in ease of scandalising the weak Jews by their neglect of it (Romans 14:20, 21). 6. A minister must not take liberty of practice to himself in things which he condemns in others. 7. It is no small sin for superiors to bind where the Lord has left free, by urging upon their inferiors the observing of a thing, in its own nature indifferent, as necessary; except it be in those cases wherein the Lord, by those circumstances which accompany it, points it out as necessary; e.g., cases of scandal (Acts 15:28, 29), and contempt (1 Corinthians 14:40). 8. In the primitive times of the Christian Church, the people of God did wonderfully subject themselves to the ministry of the Word in the head of His servants, and much more than people now do; for if the actions of the apostles compelled men to do this or that, as Peter's action did compel the Gentiles, what then did their doctrine and heavenly exhortations? (James Fergusson.) I. THAT THE GOSPEL SUPPLIES THE RULE OF LIFE.II. TO DEPART FROM THE RULE OF GOSPEL TRUTH IS TO BECOME INCONSISTENT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. III. SUCH INCONSISTENCY CALLS FOR REPROOF. 1. That reproofs are sometimes necessary. An earthly life is ever an imperfect one, and the best men may in unguarded moments fall into grievous errors. 2. They should be given with faithfulness, yet in love. No ties of private friendship should prevent sin being reproved, and where the sin has been committed openly, it should be reproved openly — Burkitt. Yet there should be no personal reproaches, but the manifestations of brotherly love. (R. Nicholls.) People Barnabas, Cephas, Galatians, James, John, Paul, Peter, TitusPlaces Jerusalem, Syrian AntiochTopics Compel, Customs, Didn't, Follow, Force, Front, Gentile, Gentiles, Gospel, Jew, Jewish, Jews, Line, News, Peter, Truth, Uprightly, Walk, YetOutline 1. He shows when he went up again to Jerusalem, and for what purpose;3. and that Titus was not circumcised; 11. and that he resisted Peter, and told him the reason; 14. why he and others, being Jews, believe in Christ to be justified by faith, and not by works; 20. and that they live not in sin, who are so justified. Dictionary of Bible Themes Galatians 2:11-14 5114 Peter, apostle 5010 conscience, matters of Library February 10. "I am Crucified with Christ; Nevertheless I Live" (Gal. Ii. 20). "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live" (Gal. ii. 20). Christ life is in harmony with our nature. A lady asked me the other day--a thoughtful, intelligent woman who was not a Christian, but who had the deepest hunger for that which is right: "How can this be so, and we not lose our individuality! This will destroy our personality, and it violates our responsibility as individuals." I said: "Dear sister, your personality is only half without Christ. Christ was made for you, and you were … Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth September 25. "The Faith of the Son of God" (Gal. Ii. 20). December 18. "The Faith of the Son of God" (Gal. Ii. 20). From Centre to Circumference The Duty of Remembering the Poor "And if Christ be in You, the Body is Dead Because Sin," Nor have I Undertaken that in the Present Discourse... Or are we Indeed to Believe that it is for any Other Reason... Thus the Spirit of Man, Cleaving unto the Spirit of God... So Great Blindness, Moreover, Hath Occupied Men's Minds... Neither do they Confess that they are Awed by those Citations from the Old... Introduction to Apologia De Fuga. The Main Current of the Reformation Whether God Became Incarnate in Order to Take Away Actual Sin, Rather than to Take Away Original Sin? Bread and Wine Cont. The Great Debt She Owed to Our Lord for his Mercy to Her. She Takes St. Joseph for Her Patron. Relation ii. To one of Her Confessors, from the House of Dona Luisa De La Cerda, in 1562. Estimate of the Scope and Value of Jerome's Writings. Galatians. Twentieth Day. Holiness and Liberty. Charity and Rebuke. Second Great Group of Parables. The Critical Reconstruction of the History of the Apostolic Age. This Question I Should Briefly Solve, if I Should Say... Links Galatians 2:14 NIVGalatians 2:14 NLT Galatians 2:14 ESV Galatians 2:14 NASB Galatians 2:14 KJV Galatians 2:14 Bible Apps Galatians 2:14 Parallel Galatians 2:14 Biblia Paralela Galatians 2:14 Chinese Bible Galatians 2:14 French Bible Galatians 2:14 German Bible Galatians 2:14 Commentaries Bible Hub |