Hypocrisy vs. Truth of the Gospel

Galatians 2:13

• And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

As I have written in the previous post, Peter acted hypocritically, not following the truth of the gospel, and he separated himself from the Gentiles so that he can eat with the Jews who still adhered to the strict dietary restrictions of the law of Moses. 

What happened next was that the rest of the Jews who lived in Antioch with other Gentile Christians were led astray and those Jewish Christians in Antioch also separated themselves from the Gentiles and joined the Jews from Jerusalem.

This goes to show how important the leader's role is in setting an example for others to follow, especially in regards to keeping and walking in line with the truth of the gospel.

Peter feared the judgmental attitude of the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem, as did the rest of the Jews in Antioch, and finally so did Barnabas. They all contradicted the truth of the gospel. 

The message of the gospel is this. 

Galatians 2:16

• yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Peter's hypocrisy was that although he did eat with the Gentiles before the circumcision party (Jews) came from Jerusalem. Once they came, he no longer ate with the Gentiles, and followed the dietary law of the Jews.

He is essentially saying through his behaviour that the dietary law is a requirement for a Christian, in addition to faith in Jesus Christ.

This is in total contradiction to the truth of the gospel.

No man is justified (become righteous in the sight of God) by any deed or work one does, but only by faith in God and grace of God.

2 Corinthians 5:18, 19

• All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself

• that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them.