Galatians 2:14

Paul was not afraid of anyone. He cared more about the true *good news. He wanted everyone to know the truth. This important matter was affecting many Christians. Even the Christians in Galatia heard about this problem. So Paul did not see Peter privately. Instead, he spoke to Peter publicly so that all the Christians heard.

Paul showed Peter that his behaviour was not reasonable. Peter was a *Jew but he had not behaved like a *Jew. Instead, he was free from the *Jewish laws and traditions. So he had freely mixed with the *Gentile Christians. Then Peter separated from them because they were *Gentiles. He mixed only with *Jewish Christians. That suggested that he wanted the *Gentile Christians to become *Jews. Peter knew that this was not correct. But he may not have realised what his action meant. It was the opposite of what James, Peter and John had said earlier in this chapter.

Paul’s conversation with Peter

v15 ‘We were born as *Jews. We are not like the *Gentiles who do not live by God’s standards. v16 We know whom God accepts. God accepts only the people who trust Christ. We can never please God just because we obey the *Jewish law. So we have trusted Jesus Christ. And God accepts us only because we have trusted Christ. He will not accept us just because we have obeyed the *Jewish law. God does not accept anyone who only obeys the law.

v17 Now, we want God to accept us because of Christ. But suppose that we fail to live by God’s standards. Christ certainly does not cause us to *sin. v18 If I destroy something, it is wrong for me to rebuild it. v19 The law declared that I deserved to die. So my life, when I had to obey the law, ended. Instead, I now live to serve God. v20 It is as if I died with Christ on his cross. I am not the person who is still living. Instead, Christ is living in me. My body is weak. But the way that I now live is to trust God’s Son. He loved me. And he died for my benefit. v21 God’s kindness was vital for me. A person cannot please God just because that person obeys the *Jewish law. Christ’s death was for an essential purpose.’