Reading this chapter, fresh was the way to do it this time for me. I have read it many times and heard different leaders speak on it, and still something bothered me about it. The LORD is good to shine new lights, and HE knows how my brain works! In the past I have watched people take this book and bash Peter, and do it by saying they are following Pauls example. (Remember, Paul heard, then he saw, then he confronted – this is not how I see many confrontations taking place.) The problem I have with that is God also had Peter write two books of the Bible and I can’t excuse them as its a whole book from cover to cover. SO my question to my self before GOD was, “what am I supposed to make of this?” and “doesn’t there have to be more to this than just confrontation?” Here is what I came up with…
It does not matter how much you love Jesus, or how very much you are setting out to serve HIM, there will always be something there that will cause you to think “well maybe this will apply as well”. I see Peter that way, and he fell to Legalism, as do many many well meaning Christ Followers. Then I look at Paul, and it was right for him to call Peter on it. This particular chapter is not just about “False Teachers” as whole. This chapter is following up the verse in chapter one that I started this study with.
Gal. 1:4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of God our Father…
Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I know longer live,but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of GOD, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Do you see the theme? Jesus death on the cross was enough! Its finished, HIS words not mine.
This chapter is about knowing your freedom in Christ, and what the blood of Jesus has done for each of us, and allow no man to alter that in the slightest way, the result in this instance was bondage to Legalism. (Which in my opinion, is the strongest bondage in the Body of Christ today! point fingers at someone else, judge unjustly, tell someone how to dress for church,anything that adds to the Gospel message for human gain..Legalistic!)
Once you are bound by something, it seems to be easier to fall to anything.
What do you believe? Does your belief system work for you? In this chapter I see two loved very much by Christ, both serving HIM, and a confrontation needed to help one out of the bondage that has started to consume him. Can you relate to thinking you are on the right track, only to find later deception was trying to tie you down? It happens, pray that it does not happen to you? I am praying for the same thing for myself. Let’s not bash Peter, and let’s not put Paul on a pedestal. But look at the application, we will soon enough be on both sides of it in some point in our life.
ponderings of a princess... 
Sister Darla, try reading this letter with the idea that these Christians know better. As the oldest child of two hard headed boys my parents would often start they ‘lectures’ to me with, “Have you lost your every loving mind?” My mother’s favorite was, “Who in the Sam Hill do you think you are?” Understand this Paul knew his audience, he knew that he gave them the Gospel clear and easy. The Galatians Church was by our standards a Pentecostal congregation with the Move of the Holy Spirit as evidence.
The Judaizers were going from church to church telling the new converts that they weren’t real Christians unless they also practiced Jewish Law. And I also guess Paul was getting a little tried of this and they did it to one of his favorite churches. Paul even tells them if you think circumcision will make you holy then cut off you penis and become super holy. Seriously, read the fifth Chapter in the Amplified Bible.
As we strive to live as Paul did for Christ…
We all have our Peter moments don’t we? 😉
Peace and love sis.
“This chapter is about knowing your freedom in Christ, and what the blood of Jesus has done for each of us, and allow no man to alter that in the slightest way, the result in this instance was bondage to Legalism.”
I’m not sure that it’s a good or a bad thing that I can relate to Peter so well 🙂 I do forget, I do strive on my own, but God is faithful to only let me get so far before He snaps by chain and tells me to once again follow that straight and narrow…
I love the challenges at the end….
My prayer for today that it is no longer I who live but Christ within me.
Thanks for bringing a balance to this particular passage.
Peter is a type of many Christians–always popping off with the latest thing to cross his mind. Yet the Lord chose him. I know that I am certainly not immune to being led astray by the necessity/convenience of the moment.
We have to remember, Paul is not God. He can make mistakes too. So everything Paul does in not perfect, Christ is.
You’re right Darla. We need to pray for discernment every day. So easy for something to appear right but ends up not so.
“Remember, Paul heard, then he saw, then he confronted – this is not how I see many confrontations taking place.”
I really like this. I have been rebuked many times by well-meaning jerks 🙂 who had “heard” something about me and had come running to rebuke me only to find out it was a lie to begin with!
I don’t think we should avoid confrontation, but my goodness we need to approach it with fear and trembling don’t we?
Good stuff sis. This I can really use right now in my life.
the beauty of the blogged bible study is that by the end of the week I learn so much from reading all the posts, i hope you all are reading all the posts.
Thanks for participating and commenting!
What is amazing to me is that Peter was the one of the 12 who Christ said had the most faith within Him – He was the only one to walk on the water to reach Christ on the Sea of Galilee.
Peter was also one of the 12 who received the Holy Spirit during the Pentecost.
Peter stayed true to Christ until a most horrible death.
And yet Peter was also human and therefore able to still make mistakes.
i doubt a single one of us could claim to be more ‘holy’ than was Peter so what does that tell us about how well we can only live in Spirit? How much do we keep the Victory of SPirit over our flesh?
And yet it seems from what Darla has observed that there are many who are very happy to judge others – even Peter Himself.
I would caution all that they not confront others – but that they be lead of the Holy Spirit to all others and ensure His Love is their only motivation if some ‘error’ is seen through your eyes and in your mind – or better yet – through the leading of His Spirit within you.
We are to be united in the One Spirit and not dissimulating one from another of those in Christ – or who desire to be.
Paul was able through the Spirit to see where Peter had erred and called him out on it – far more of us see with our corrupt eyes and not with the Spirit within us of God’s Love who can correct any and all of us who may slip for a moment back into human ways still.
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LOVE! amen, written very well, it really speaks my heart in this. thank you for your comment
Sometimes i get ‘things’ right….
But i still could have written all that betterer 😉
D’Oh!
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Love, 😯 luv ya brutha
I am so glad I found this place. I have been studying Galatians and was questioning what Paul saw in Peter . Yes we are ALL able to get into legalism and that takes a portion of grace from our lives. God forbid!