The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 145

be surprised at his being suddenly swayed from a noble course. It was of a piece with his nobly de.ring to walk on the water toward Christ, and then, when he looked on the trou~led ~at.er, cr~ng out in fear," Lord, save me; I perish.'' It '!as of a piece with his drawmg lns sword m defence of his Master, and then, when questioned by the servants in the hall of the high priest, denying him three times, the third time with au oath. So he had made a. noble vindication of his conduct ou a former occasion, when· taken to task for going in to the uncircumcised and eating with them. He .was still actin" under the same noble impulse when at :first in Antioch be freely !l,ssociated with th~ Gentile Christians. But when be saw certain from James, from no unbrotherly foelin"' toward Paul or toward the Gentile Christians, but, simply afraid of how it would affect bin~ with them of the circumcision, he drew back and back until he placed a decided distanco between him and the Gentile Christians. 3. His dissimulation was followed. "And the rest of the Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation." Peter's conduct is characterized as dissimula- tion. That was the head and front of his offending. And a very serious offence it was. It was not that he was narrow-minded like the comers from James, but that he concealed his liberal sentiments. It was not that he had changed his mind, but that he acted as though he had changed his mind. 'l'his was serious, not only in itself, but in its consequences. For Peter held high position as an apostle. His influence would !,ave carried the rest of the Jews forward in their free intercourse with the Gentiles. But when he dissembled, he carried the rest of the Jews with him in his dissimulation. Numbers carry influence a.s ·well as position. Even Barnabas got into the stream. Be was a man of position. He had been under the influence of Paul, and with Paul had championed Gentile liberty at Jerusalem. But when the. rest of the Jews dissembled with Peter, the consequence was ( expressed, if not by "insomuch," by "carried") that he was carried away as by a stream. Paul was equal to the occasion. "But when I ~aw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel." The influence from James was not decided enough. Peter dissembled, the rest of the Jews followed, even Barnabas was carried off his feet, only Paul walked, as the expression here is, with straight feet,-the stream did not carry him away; for which the Church to all time is his debtor. He saw that they were not straight-footed, that they were being carried away and aside from the path of gospel liberty. He saw what was at stake, tbat it was really, as before, the enslavemeClt of the Gentiles; and therefore, unawed by the repute.. tion of Peter, unawed by the influence of numbers, unshaken by the desertion of Barnabas, he to the face withstood Peter. IL THE woRDs WITH WHICH BE WITHSTOOD PETEB. "I said unto Cephas before them all." It was not silent, dogged withstanding; it was rational withstanding. Paul had Lis reason, which he stated, not only promptly, but publicly. Peter's offence bad been public, especially in its consequences. It was not a case, therefore, for consulting the feelings of the offender. There was public procedure to be counteracted. They all, as well as Peter, needed to be brought back to the truth of the gospel. And therefore what be said, he said, not behind Peter's back, nor to him in private, but to his face before them alL 1. Peter was not acting fairly with the Gentiles, . "If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest.thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" Paul proceeds upon Pater's pracUcc. He had been living up to that time in Antioch after Gentile fashion, i.e. in disregard of the law of meats, and not after Jewish fashion, i.e. showing regard to the law of meats. There was no con- sistency, therefore, iri compelling the Gentiles to Judaize. That is the word which is in the Greek (distinct from the former mode of expression), and which ought to have been in the translation as guidiniz to the meaning. The force put upon the Gentiles was not the force of Peter',; example, but the force or logic of~,Peter's position. It was not that Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to have communion with Christ, which had been disclaimed at the public conference; but it was that they needed to be circumcised in order to have communion with Jewish Christians, In that respect it was putting the Gentiles to the necessity of Judaizing. 2, Jews as well as Ge11tilea needed to believe on Christ in ord,er to be justified. "We being Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, eave through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by faitii in Christ and not by the worki; of the Law: because by the works OB. 11, 1-21.] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 111