I. Paul’s Point, v.11-14. In v.11, Paul’s story moves from the Jerusalem council back to Antioch. Paul tells the story here of how he had to confront Peter face to face about his manner of living that was not in line with the doctrine they had all agreed upon. Verse 12 begins to provide the background of the point Paul is making. Peter (in Acts 10-11) had been the tool used of God to bring the gospel to the Gentiles originally. You will find in Acts 10 the account of the Gentile “Pentecost”. As part of this Peter is taught by God through diet that: What had previously been unclean is now clean. Foods he previously couldn’t eat, he was told to eat. Thus, people he previously didn’t interact with, he would: Enter their homes. Share their food. Receive their hospitality, at the command of God. Peter struggled with this, but God made it right for him through the work of Christ on the cross. Through the gospel, there was no more Jew and Gentile, Clean and Unclean, there was just the church…God’s elect people. The issue Paul points out in v.12 is that Peter is good with this until a group of Jews from Jerusalem sent by James arrived. In this case he withdrew from Gentile brothers in the faith. He did this not out of deference to the Jewish Believers, but out of fear. Instead of helping them know what God has done, he feared their rejection of him which led to a separation where God had created unity. V.13 takes the blame of this even deeper on Peter. This was not just an action that affected him. His action caused others to follow. Even Barnabas followed Peter in this errant behavior. There is space here for a quick point of application. Peter was a leader in the church — to the good or the bad. Never take your leadership responsibility lightly. This applies to church leadership, leadership in the workplace, and especially in the home. Dad, mother and children will do as you do or don’t. Mom, Dad, the little ones will pick up your habits to the good or the bad. Church gossip will only ever cease when someone stops it. Great steps of faith will only ever be taken by most, when they see this in a trusted leader. Etc. V.14 — What does Paul do? He spoke to Peter before them all. He addressed Peter, in the presence of those Peter had led astray. What is Paul’s reasoning? Peter was a converted Jew who God had led to embrace the Gentiles. Why compel the Gentiles to begin living like the Jews? Did God require this of them? Did their justification? No! In fact, to bring them the gospel and the baptism (indwelling) of the Holy Spirit…God had required Peter to become like them! The larger point here on Jew/Gentile is not who has to become like who… Rather, it is that God no longer recognized these national differences. But Peter through these recent actions, was implying that observances of Jewish laws and customs was necessary for holiness, and that the Gentile believers would have to live as Jews. Paul is correct and clear here: 14a, “…they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel. II. Paul’s Persuasion, v.15-18. He has stated the point, now he gets into the logic, the reasoning. v.15-16 - Being Jews by birth and not from among the Gentiles. Still, they had to convert by faith into Christianity. But can you grasp Paul’s reasoning? If Jews (God’s people, not sinful Gentile dogs) still had to convert to Christianity–same as God converted the Gentiles (outside the law and not with the law). How in the world could converted Jews now require Judaism of converted Gentiles? How could they justify separating from brothers just because their lineage was not Jewish? Either the scriptures are right and the living is wrong or just the opposite. Paul puts Peter’s living up against this most sacred doctrine. Follow his logic in v.16: Don’t we know that a man is not justified by the law? Isn’t our faith Christ? Don’t we hope in future glorification because of justification received by faith in what Christ accomplished on our behalf? We aren’t hoping for future glorification through works of the law are we? V.17 is where we must be careful to see that Paul is not yet dealing in doctrine as much as he is persuading / reasoning. He is simply making an argument to Peter using a proof of something that is impossible — though an end that could be reached through this argument. If Peter is right by still embracing the heritage and tradition of Judaism — then he indirectly makes Christ the minister of sin. v.18 concludes that line of thinking. The church shouldn’t be attaching itself to Judaism. It has become a false religion in this regard. Better said, it is a completed religion…the law having been fulfilled in Christ. We must be ever so careful within the new covenant not to be trying to fulfill the old! III. Paul’s Proof, v.19-21. v.19 - The law revealed our deadness that we might find new life in Christ / unto God. How is this accomplished? v.20 - By being crucified with Christ — yet remaining alive! When Jesus died on the cross, we died too, as He died for us. This was the end of striving by merit to earn salvation! This leaves us not having to live unto self, but living by the power of Christ now at work within us. v.21 - Here Paul ends with the only other alternative up against Peter and the others’ actions. Frustrating the grace of God. From the greek term atheteo (ah the teo) this means: To render ineffective. To take away the legal force of. Annulment, regarding as invalid. Can you sense Paul’s seriousness, his urgency? This is more than just a preferential thing. It fundamentally undermines the most crucial doctrines of our faith. Note his final statement — If we can become righteous through the keeping of the law, Christ didn’t need to die. Conclusion: Be sure of this doctrine. Salvation is by faith alone and not of works. The law functions to bring us hopelessly to Christ as our only way of escaping God’s wrath. We are not justified by the keeping of the law. Use Paul and Peter’s example in the churches today: We must always be reforming lest by tradition we frustrate the God’s grace. In this, we must be able to oppose and be opposed. Also, we must keep the big picture in mind to have the proper perspective. It is necessary that we hold to and live out the foundational doctrines on this level. No matter who is to blame, let us all be willing to take the proper steps to reform.