Galatians 2 and Paul Withstanding Peter

Apostleship

In Galatians 2:11 the Apostle Paul writes:

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

One could say at that point in church history, Peter was the greatest apostle.  Peter saw Jesus’ glory on the Mount of Transfiguration.  Peter was the first to the empty tomb.  Jesus said directly to Peter, Feed my sheep.  Peter preached the great sermons in the first half of Acts.  God saved at least three thousand at Peter’s preaching on the Day of Pentecost.  He got the vision from God in Acts 10, overturning Old Testament restrictions.  The Jerusalem church sent Peter to Antioch to assess what happened there.  Yet, Paul withstood Peter to the face.

In the context of Galatians 2, Paul defends his apostleship against false teachers.  They attacked Paul because they opposed the gospel he preached.  These false teachers at least added circumcision to Christ in their false gospel.  Paul deals with that in Galatians but also spends almost two chapters showing his authority to preach the true gospel.

The false teachers attacking Paul in Galatian churches said Paul didn’t have the authority of the original twelve.  In addition to many other arguments for his own authority, Paul wrote that he withstood Peter to his face.  On his own, he could challenge Peter.  This showed Paul’s direct authority received from Jesus Christ Himself (Galatians 1:12, 16).

Withstanding

“Withstood” comes from a compound verb, composed of the two words, “against” and “stand.”  Paul stood against Peter.  Paul explains why.  Peter ate with Gentiles in Antioch until a faction claiming association with James came to visit.  Because of their presence, Peter stopped eating with Gentiles.  Paul regarded this as a type of gospel perversion by Peter.  Through Peter’s dissembling, he confused the lost about the gospel.

Paul stood against Peter because of a possible gospel corruption.  He did not confront him to show his authority.  He opposed Peter with authority, not over authority.  Paul wasn’t showing Peter who was boss.

The authority of Paul rose to challenge corruption of the gospel.  That issue motivated the authority of Paul.  Paul explains this intention in Galatians 2:5:  “that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”  Paul wanted the truth of the gospel to continue with churches.

The Gospel the Bedrock Issue for Authority

The gospel is the bedrock issue of the church, even as Jesus said in Matthew 16:16-18.  Peter’s salvation confession of Matthew 16:16 was the rock upon which Jesus built the Jerusalem church.  The gospel calls out the saints that make up a church.  It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes it.

Issues other than the gospel do confront church leaders.  However, gospel ones raised the altercation of Paul with Peter.  The continuance of the gospel brought contention between Jerusalem and Antioch churches in Acts 15.  Nevertheless, the churches stayed unified, because they paused to address their dispute between one another.

During the Acts 15 controversy, not one man made himself chieftain over the existing churches.  Church leaders settled their discord together.  A doctrinal issue did not become a personal one, rival factions vying for greatest positions.  It could have gone that direction.

Teaching of Jesus about Vying for Authority

Close to his death, the disciples asked (Matthew 18:1), “Who is the greatest in the kingdom?”  Jesus answered, “The one who speaks with the most authoritative voice and acts the big shot.”  No, He didn’t.  He said in essence, “The one who will humble himself like a little child.”  Not long after, the mother of James and John told Jesus (Matthew 20:21):

Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

Jesus answered in essence, “You don’t know what you’re asking, because it’s going to be someone who will drink the cup that I will drink from.”  That cup, of course, was His suffering.

When the other ten heard the request for John and James, “they were moved to indignation” against them (Matthew 20:24).  Jesus said to all of them (verses 25-28):

25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Some had in mind that they that are great “exercise dominion over” other people.  Jesus said, “But it shall not be so among you.”  True believers do not covet authority.  They won’t grasp after it.  They have other priorities than who gets the final say in matters.

Diotrephes

Again, division and contention may and should arise for more than the gospel.  Jesus cleansed the temple over desecration of true worship, probably a gospel issue.  However, should men turn on each other over the issue of authority itself?  In 3 John 1:9-10, the Apostle John writes:

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Diotrephes was an authority-for-his-authority-sake person.  He saw himself at the top of the pecking order, the biggest rooster in the coop.  No doctrinal issue manifests itself in verses 9-10 except for the doctrine of authority.  Why did he cast people out of the church?  To make a point that he was in charge, which is not a good enough reason.

Don’t get me wrong.  I believe in authority.  God gave authority to the church.  Churches send people.  Members fit into Christ’s body.  God sits at the top of the entire flow chart, so “Peter and the other apostles” said, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).  Whatever little seats of authority God gives men on earth, He still sits at the top.  It’s not about “whosoever will be chief among you” in your little pond.

Not As Lords Over God’s Heritage

In mid to late 2021 my wife and I joined another church, one other than the one God used us to start.  We enjoyed our year there very much.  Shortly thereafter, another pastor called my pastor to pressure him to prevent me from continuing “What Is Truth.”  He saw my writing here as a violation of authority.  I understand if you think you see some irony there.  Since I wasn’t in authority, he tried to use authority to stop me from writing this blog.

I heard from someone when I was young, “If the mortar’s thin, you must fling it hard.”  Without a good scriptural foundation, people might rely on force of personality.  I know intimidation can work.  If he’s not stopped, the biggest kid in the nursery will always have his favorite toy.

Before I started pastoring and early in that office, I committed to Peter’s teaching (1 Peter 5:2-3):  “taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage.”  The point of pastoring was not having people do what I told them to do.  Christ is Lord.  Every pastor should willingly back down from what he wants to stop offending someone else or to keep unity in the church.

Every church should stand on the teaching of scripture.  Pastors have authority.  However, churches don’t stand on the authority of a pastor.  Jesus is the Head of the church.  Pastors should not rule a church with their authority, they should rule it behind the authority of the Word of God.  That means very often giving liberty when it comes to their own opinions.

More to Come