Galatians the freedom letter

2:13-21 “There is no going back

The way is shut”!

11) Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;

12) 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.

13) And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

14) But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all,

“If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

15) “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

16) “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.

17) “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!

18) “For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

19) “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.

20) “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.”

11) Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face,

because he was to be blamed;12) 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.

13) And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

This takes place in Antioch the ancient capital of Syria

It is a public rebuke of Peter

What did he do that was so bad?1. Failed to live out the gospel that he

believed. Note vs 212.It wasn’t that Peter stopped

believing look at Acts 10:28-35 and chapter 15. If he didn’t do these, then what did he do?

21) “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Why did he do what he did?3. He became frightened by these

strong willed personalities and gave into a “spirit of fear”. Most legalist are strong willed intimidating people.

Romans 8:15For you did not receive the spirit of

bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

“People who think that salvation is attained by living according to a law-code – God’s law-code or their own law-code – can befrightening people.

They threaten you with the anger of God. They slander you to your friends. They accuse you of all sorts of terrible things. It is not surprising that Peter was afraid of them.” Michael Eaton p. 51,52 Galatians

All legalists saved and unsaved have these characteristics.

1. They themselves need control2. They need others to believe the way

they do in order to have uniformity.3. They are relentless, because they

are driven by emotion, pride, fear and insecurity.

4. They always bring fear into it.5. They manipulate by flattery or brow

beating.6. They are almost always angry

people.

7. They are very much about correcting everyone else, in order that they don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed. They do not want you to make them look bad.

8. They are very concerned with the holiness of God. That is what gives them such a foothold. To oppose them is to be unconcerned with holy living.

9. They need little boxes of conformity, no gray areas, all black and white.

10. They are almost always arrogant. You can hear it in their speech, even though they act humble.

11. They can be wolves like in 2:4 4) And this occurred because of false

brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),

However they can also be confused believers. Note 3:1-3….

Gal 31) O foolish Galatians! Who has

bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

2) This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3) Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

3. Note; if you affect the head the body follows. Peter was the leader and soon it spilled down to all the Jews and even to Paul’s best partner in ministry; Barnabus.

The constant theme to remember for this chapter is, “do not frustrate the grace of God”!

To not live out the gospel, is to not be straightforward about the truth of the gospel!!!!!!

It is just that plain!

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