Chapter 2:10 to 21
“But when Peter came to Antioch I withstood him to the face, because he was to be condemned; for before that certain came from James, he ate with those of the nations; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision; and the rest of the Jews also played the same dissembling part with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away, too, by their dissimulation.
“But when I saw that they do not walk straightforwardly, according to the truth of the glad tidings, I said to Peter before all, if thou, being a Jew, livest as the nations and not as the Jews, how dost thou compel the nations to Judaize? We, Jews by nature, and not sinners of the nations, but knowing that a man is not justified on the principle of works of law, nor but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we also have believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified on the principle of the faith of Christ, and not of works of law; because on the principle of works of law no flesh shall be justified.
“Now if in seeking to be justified in Christ we also have been found sinners, then is Christ minister of sin. Far be the thought. For if the things I have thrown down, these I build again, I constitute myself a transgressor. For I through law have died to law, that I may live to God. I am crucified with Christ, and no longer live, I, but Christ lives in me, but in that I now live in flesh, I live by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who has loved me and given Himself for me.
“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness is by law, then Christ has died for nothing” (verses 11-21, JND).
Peter had done well in his testimony at the Jerusalem conference, but he failed sadly at Antioch. Before “certain came from James” —probably Jewish believers from Jerusalem where Judaism had its center—Peter ate with the Gentile believers, as of course he should; but when these others came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing the newcomers; and the other Jews followed his example, even Barnabas, Paul’s companion, among them.
If Peter did not realize the gravity of what he was doing, Paul did, and he at once took Peter to task before all. The occasion was not one where the feelings of another could be considered and he be spoken to privately about his error. Nor could the fact that God had acted mightily in Peter, who was beyond question reckoned one of the chief apostles, justify silence about the offense. Finally no question of apostolic rank, as of Peter’s being Paul’s superior, to whom deference must be shown, could be raised, for Peter had no such appointment.
The Lord had committed the gospel to Paul’s responsibility, and silence could not be permitted where that gospel was falsified. To Peter therefore he said before all:
“If thou, being a Jew, livest as the nations ... how dost thou compel the nations to Judaize? We, Jews by nature ... have believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified on the principle of the faith of Christ, and not of works of law; because on the principle of works of law no flesh shall be justified.”
Paul’s words went right to the heart of the matter, the Holy Spirit by him showing how much was involved in Peter’s act. In order for Gentile believers to enjoy full Christian communion, they must live as Jews, if Peter’s example should stand; yet he had before felt free to live as the Gentiles did. But said the Lord’s faithful servant in pointed words of truth:
“We, Jews by nature and not sinners of the nations, but knowing that a man is not justified on the principle of works of law; nor but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we also have believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified on the principle of the faith of Christ and not of works of law; because on the principle of works of law no flesh shall be justified.”
“Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His (God’s) sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin,” and, a few verses following, there is:
“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (verse 24).
It may be well to remark that, as the careful reader may have noticed, the better translations have “works of law” or “deeds of law,” not “the works (or deeds) of the law” as in the common version of our Bible. The language in the original would apply to any deeds under any laws or rules, not the ten commandments only.
Verse 17. Going back to the law after receiving Christ had this effect, that having ceased to seek righteousness by the law in order to come to Him, and now judging that they had done wrong in giving up the law, Christ was made to be a minister of sin, because He had made them transgressors under it; as another has expressed it, “If after you have got Christ you are only found through the law to be a sinner, you in effect make Christ the minister of sin.” Monstrous thought!
Verse 18. In coming to Christ, I give up the law as the ground of my hope of salvation; and if I turn back to the law, I make myself a transgressor under it, for the law condemns me, cannot deliver, cannot save me.
Commenting on Peter’s failure and nature’s tendency to lean upon ordinances, the well-known writer frequently quoted in these pages has this to say:
“What a result from the weakness which, in order to please men, had returned to those things that were gratifying to the flesh! How little did Peter think of this! How little do many Christians suspect it! To rest upon ordinances, is to rest upon the flesh; there are none in heaven. When Christ, who is there, is everything, it cannot be done. Christ has indeed established ordinances to distinguish His people from the world, by that which signified on the one hand that they were not of it, but dead with Him to it, and on the other hand, to gather them on the ground of that which alone can unite them all—on the ground of the cross and of accomplished redemption, in the unity of His body.
“But if, instead of using them with thanksgiving according to His will, we rest upon them, we have forsaken the fullness, the sufficiency, of Christ, to build upon the flesh, which can thus occupy itself with these ordinances, and find in them its fatal sustenance, and a veil to hide the perfect Saviour of whose death, as in connection with this world, and with man living in the flesh, these ordinances so plainly speak to us. To rest upon Christian ordinances is exactly to deny the precious and solemn truth which they present to us, that there is no longer righteousness after the flesh, since Christ is dead and risen.” (Synopsis: Galatians; J. N. Darby)
Verse 19: “For I through law have died to law, that I may live to God.”
Once Paul had been under law; his conscience awakened, he saw what he was as a condemned sinner, deserving eternal judgment; his soul then had realized death in all its power. Through law he died to law, because law has nothing to say to a dead man; died to it, in order that he might live to God.
Verse 20: “I am crucified with Christ, and no longer live, I, but Christ lives in me.”
Christ had borne sin’s judgment, suffered the curse of the law of God and death, yet lives, the risen one. Paul was set free in Christ, outside of the law in grace; was crucified with Him, so that condemnation was gone for him. Nevertheless he lived, no longer Paul, but Christ living in him.
“But in that I now live in flesh, I live by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who has loved me and given Himself for me.”
Happy Paul! living in flesh, as he says, he lives by faith, the faith of the Son of God; he has an all attractive object before his soul, outside of this world; and that object is the one who loved him and gave Himself for him.
Verse 21. This gives the conclusion of the whole matter. The grace of God is not frustrated, and Christ has not died in vain, thinking of the present enjoyment of Christ which the believer may have, of which he is robbed by the false teaching, much current in our day, another has said:
“What a loss, dreadful and inseparable, to lose such a Christ as we under grace have known Him; such a righteousness; such a love; the Son of God our portion, our life; the Son of God devoted for us, and to us!”