Paul Confronts Peter!

Galatians 2:11-14 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 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. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 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?

When Paul refers to "Cephas", he is referring the Apostle Peter. "Cephas: is an Aramaic form of the same name. Peter's given name is "Simon".  Both "Peter" which means "rock" in Greek, and "Cephas" which means rock in Hebrew were the name Jesus gave Peter when he confessed him as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Regardless, in this instance, Peter was acting in a duplicitous way.  

Before James and his posse came from Jerusalem, he ate with the Gentiles.  But when they came on the scene, he distanced himself from them for fear of them seeing him fraternizing with a "Gentile Christian".  Paul will have none of this.  He is so offended by Peter's hypocrisy he confronts him face to face.  Remember this is the apostle Peter widely recognized as a pillar in the Christian movment.  While Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, Peter was the apostle to the Jews.  But in this moment the famous apostle Peter capitulaties to peer pressure. 

We see Peter is human.  He wants to be liked by the Gentiles and also wants to be esteemed by his fellow Jews, even these who were still stuck in the Jewish law.  Paul is put in a delicate position.  Instead of shrinking back in fear he confronts Peter.  Why?  Because he sees the gospel is at stake.  If these men won the day the Christian movement would take a step back toward the Jewish law rather than salvation by grace and faith alone.  Paul says in effect, "We can never back to the slavery of the Law after being freed by grace."  

Like Peter we often shrink back when other Christians, even leaders, move in a direction antithetical to the gospel.  Paul was more concerned about the gospel than his own reputation and even his relationship with Peter.  Paul took a risk and it helped keep the church focused on the gospel at a critical time in the church's early life.