Galatians 2:14

2:11-14 Notwithstanding Peter's character, yet, when Paul saw him acting so as to hurt the truth of the gospel and the peace of the church, he was not afraid to reprove him. When he saw that Peter and the others did not live up to that principle which the gospel taught, and which they professed, namely, That by the death of Christ the partition wall between Jew and Gentile was taken down, and the observance of the law of Moses was no longer in force; as Peter's offence was public, he publicly reproved him. There is a very great difference between the prudence of St. Paul, who bore with, and used for a time, the ceremonies of the law as not sinful, and the timid conduct of St. Peter, who, by withdrawing from the Gentiles, led others to think that these ceremonies were necessary.

Galatians 2:14. When I saw that, in this matter, they walked not uprightly — Ουκ ορθοποδουσι , did not walk with a straight step, or in a plain and straight path; according to the truth of the gospel — That is, according to their own knowledge of the simplicity of the true gospel doctrine; I said to Peter, before them all — That is, in the hearing of Barnabas and all the Judaizers: see Paul single against Peter and all the Jews! If thou, being a Jew — And having been brought by circumcision under the strongest engagements to fulfil the whole law; livest after the manner of the Gentiles — Conversing and eating freely with them, as since the vision which thou sawest thou hast done; and not as do the Jews — Not observing the ceremonial law, which thou knowest to be now abolished; why compellest thou the Gentiles — By refusing to eat and converse freely with them, as if the distinction of meats was necessary to be observed in order to salvation, and by withdrawing thyself, and all the ministers, from them; to live as do the Jews — Ιουδαιζειν , to Judaize; to keep the ceremonial law, or be excluded from church communion. What is here recorded, probably took place at the conclusion of some of their meetings for public worship; for on these occasions it was usual, after the reading of the law and the prophets, to give the assembly exhortations.

Had this offence of Peter been of a private nature, undoubtedly, as duty required, Paul would have expostulated with him privately upon it, and not have brought it, at least in the first instance, before such a number of persons: but as it was a public affair, in which many persons were deeply concerned, the method Paul took was certainly most proper. And in thus openly reproving Peter, he not only acted honestly, but generously; for it would have been mean to have found fault with him behind his back, without giving him an opportunity to vindicate himself, if he could have done it. “Perhaps,” says Macknight, “Peter in this, and in a former instance, may have been suffered to fall, the more effectually to discountenance the arrogant claims of his pretended successors to supremacy and infallibility.”

But when I saw that they walked not {l} uprightly according to the {m} truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why {n} compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? (l) Literally, with a right foot, which he sets against halting and hypocrisy, which is a backwards state. (m) He calls the truth of the Gospel, both the doctrine itself, and also the use of doctrine, which we call the practice. (n) He says they were forced who lived as Jews by Peter's example.

Uprightly, here, is opposed to halting. Peter halted between two opinions, (as Elijah sometime told the Israelites), when he was with the Gentiles alone, he did as they did, using the liberty of the gospel; but when the Jews came from Jerusalem, he left the Gentile church, and joined with the Jews; this was not according to that plainness and sincerity which the gospel required; he did not (according to the precept he held, Hebrews 12:13 ) make straight paths to his feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way. Paul not hearing this from the report of others, but being an eye-witness to it, doth not defer the reproof, lest the scandal should grow: nor doth he reprove him privately, because the offence was public, and such a plaster would not have fitted the sore; but he speaketh unto Peter before them all, rebuking him openly, because he sinned openly; and by this action had not offended a private person, but the church in the place where he was, who were all eyewitnesses of his halting and prevarication, 1 Timothy 5:20 .

If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews; if thou, who art a Jew, not by religion only, but by birth and education, hast formerly lived, eat, and drank, and had communion with the Gentiles, in the omission of the observance of circumcision, and other Jewish rites, generally observed by those of their synagogues; (as Peter had done before the Jews came from from Jerusalem to Antioch); why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? Why dost thou, by thy example, compel the members of a Gentile church to observe the Jewish rites? For compelling here doth not signify any act of violence, (Peter used none such), but the example of leaders in the church, who are persons of reputation and authority, is a kind of compulsion to those that are inferiors, and who have a great veneration for such leaders. So the word here used, anagkazeiv, is used in 2 Corinthians 12:2 , as also to express the force of exhortations and arguments. Of such a compulsion the word is used, Luke 14:23 .

Galatians 2:14 . Ἐ͂ ιδον , I saw ) A happy observation [of their error].— ὀρθοποδοῦσι ) they walk [ with a straightforward and open step ] according to the rule, Galatians 6:16 ; in the right way, or rather with body erect [as Engl. Vers. translates it uprightly ], so that it is opposed to lameness, and to what is properly called straddling. Straightness of the feet is the thing intended. The Greeks say also ὀρθοβατεῖν , ὀρθοδραμεῖν .— τοῦ εὐαγγελίου , of the Gospel ) For the Gospel teaches, that righteousness from the works of the law and the necessity for observance of the ceremonial law are inconsistent with redemption by the death of Christ.— εἶπον , I said ) Paul alone maintained the point in this place, without associates [to support him], against Judaism; afterwards also against heathenism, 2 Timothy 4:16-17 .— τῷ ) The authors of this conduct ought to be attacked.— ἔμπροσθεν πάντων , before all ) 1 Timothy 5:20 .— εἰ σὺ , if thou ) In this argument Paul reminds Peter of the argument which the latter had used against the Pharisees, Acts 15:10-11 .

Here commences a proposition consisting of two members, of which the first, if thou , etc., is treated of in Galatians 2:15-16 ; the second, why—the Gentiles , etc., at Galatians 2:17-18 .— Ἰουδαῖος ὑπάρχων , being a Jew ) and therefore more closely related to the law.— ἐθνικῶς ζῇς , livest after the manner of Gentiles ) So Paul speaks, κατʼ ἄνθρωπον , i.e. [using the ad hominem argument, turning Peter’s own practice as an argument against him] For Peter, retracting his former mode of living, declared for the Gentile mode, since it was right in itself. Taking away this figure, the proposition itself, we must not live after the manner of the Jews, is presently discussed.— τὰ ἔθνη , the Gentiles ) set free from the law.— ἀναγκάζεις , thou compellest ) by thy conduct. They would have held it necessary that the Gentiles should either follow the Jewish ritual, or be deprived of communion with the Church.— Ἰουδαΐζειν , to live as do the Jews [Judaize]) what had been formerly obedience to the law is now mere Judaism.

See additional note at the end of this chapter. Walked not uprightly (ὀρθοποδοῦσιν) Lit. are not walking. N.T.o. olxx. oClass. Lit. to be straight-footed. Being a Jew (ὑπάρχων) The verb means originally to begin; thence to come forth, be at hand, be in existence. It is sometimes claimed that ὑπάρχειν as distinguished from εἶναι implies an antecedent condition - being originally. That is true in some cases. But, on the other hand, it sometimes denotes a present as related to a future condition. The most that can be said is that it often is found simply in the sense of to be. Livest after the manner of Gentiles (ἐθνικῶς ζῇς) Ἑθνικῶς, N.T.o. The force of the present livest must not be pressed. The reference is not strictly temporal, either as referring to Peter's former intercourse with the Gentile Christians, or as indicating that he was now associating with them at table. It is rather the statement of a general principle. If you, at whatever time, act on the principle of living according to Gentile usage. At the time of Paul's address to Peter, Peter was living after the manner of Jews (Ἱουδαΐκῶς). Compellest (ἀναγκάζεις) Indirect compulsion exerted by Peter's example. Not that he directly imposed Jewish separatism on the Gentile converts. To live as do the Jews (Ἱουδαΐ̀ζειν) N.T.o. Once in lxx, Esther 8:17. Also in Joseph. B. J. 2:18, 2, and Plut. Cic. 7. It is used by Ignatius, Magn. x. Χριστιανίζειν to practice Christianity occurs in Origen.

Galatians 2:14 . πρὸς τ . ἀλήθειαν . Our versions render πρός , according to , like κατά : and so impugn these men for want of uprightness in their conduct rather than for inconsistency of doctrine. But the censure of the Apostle is really directed to the falsehood of their teaching. They were not dealing straightforwardly with the truth in casting the slur of uncleanness on those whom God had cleansed in Christ.— ἀναγκάζεις . Peter was by his example really putting a severe pressure on Gentile converts to adopt a Jewish rule of life, though perhaps unintentionally.— ὑπάρχων . This participle notes the bearing of antecedents on present action. Peter being a Jew might have been expected to act otherwise.

14. walked not uprightly—literally, "straight": "were not walking with straightforward steps." Compare Ga 6:16. truth of the gospel—which teaches that justification by legal works and observances is inconsistent with redemption by Christ. Paul alone here maintained the truth against Judaism, as afterwards against heathenism (2Ti 4:16, 17). Peter—"Cephas" in the oldest manuscripts before … all—(1Ti 5:20). If thou, &c.—"If thou, although being a Jew (and therefore one who might seem to be more bound to the law than the Gentiles), livest (habitually, without scruple and from conviction, Ac 15:10, 11) as a Gentile (freely eating of every food, and living in other respects also as if legal ordinances in no way justify, Ga 2:12), and not as a Jew, how (so the oldest manuscripts read, for 'why') is it that thou art compelling (virtually, by thine example) the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" (literally, to Judaize, that is, to keep the ceremonial customs of the Jews: What had been formerly obedience to the law, is now mere Judaism). The high authority of Peter would constrain the Gentile Christians to regard Judaizing as necessary to all, since Jewish Christians could not consort with Gentile converts in communion without it.