If this was not good news in the fullest sense to sinning and backsliding Israel, then

words have no meaning. But it rested squarely upon the redeeming work of Christ on the

cross, just as Paul's gospel did.

The leaders of the Jerusalem church, James, Peter and John fully admitted this and

therefore sealed the matter by giving the "right hands of fellowship" (Gal. 2: 9), thereby

showing that there was no rivalry between them even though they went to the

circumcision (Israel), while Paul's sphere was the "heathen" (the Gentiles). In other

words, it was recognized that his was a Christ-directed ministry independent of the

Twelve and the mother church at Jerusalem.

It was only possibly a little while later that the incident recorded in verses 11-16 took

place. It is always lamentable when violent disagreement occurs between believers over

the Word of God and its practice, and even worse when it is in public with the possibility

of unbelievers being present. Doubtless Paul would rather have dealt privately with

Peter's inconsistent walk, but danger was not past, even though the result of the meeting

with the Jewish leaders had proved satisfactory. By his actions, Peter was denying the

reconciliation that commenced in Acts 10: There God had showed him that it was now

His will that the barrier between Jew and Gentile should be removed, so that Gentiles

could be saved and be grafted in to the stock of Israel and share their covenant blessings

(Rom. 11: 16-18) and also act as a spur to the nation "to provoke them to jealousy"

(Rom. 10: 19; 11: 11).

It was logical therefore that Peter could now have close fellowship with Gentile

believers and even share his meals with them.  Before Acts 10: Peter's attitude would

have been entirely different. As he said to Cornelius:

The divine reversal Peter had obeyed until "certain came from James . . . . ., but when

they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the

circumcision" (Gal. 2: 11, 12). Those who came were obviously Judaizers, hence Peter's

fear, though we need not assume that they were sent from James with his authority. In

fact Acts 15: 24 denies this. Peter probably remembered the rebuke the Jerusalem

believers had given him for eating with the Gentiles (Acts 11: 1-18). The fear of man that

bringeth a snare has been at the root of many an action that has resulted in backsliding.

Fear can make cowards of us all. It was not only the lapse of a prominent leader that was

to be regretted but the bad effect that this action had on others and even Barnabas:

Both courage and fear can be contagious. We can radiate both by our actions. Here at

Antioch Paul had to act quickly before the rot spread any further and as a consequence he