Galatians 2:11-14

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 146
• Hymn — Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah (#57)
• Shorter Catechism — Questions 65–66 (Fifth Commandment)
• Hymn — A Christian Home (#719)
• Pastoral Prayer
• Scripture Reading — Galatians 2:11-14
• Sermon
• Closing Prayer
• Hymn — Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me (#335)
• Benediction

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Sermon Title: Gospel Faithfulness and the Fear of Men

Scripture: Galatians 2:11-14

I. Gospel Unfaithfulness Due to the Fear of Men

A. Peter had been freely eating with the Gentiles, but when men from James arrived, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party (Galatians 2:12)

B. Peter's prior pattern of fearing men is seen in his three denials of Christ — not from doctrinal doubt but from fear of the crowd

C. The fear of man is a powerful weapon in Satan's arsenal, used not only in grand, landmark moments but in ordinary daily pressures

1. We may never face a "here I stand" moment like Luther at the Diet of Worms or Polycarp before the emperor, but we face many microcosmic versions daily
2. Peter's failure was not a grand theological decision — it was the equivalent of leaving the "uncool kids' table" when the popular crowd arrived

D. The antidote to the fear of man is preparation through meditation on God — his holiness, goodness, faithfulness, and love

1. Proverbs teaches that wisdom begins with the fear of God; the "simple" are those who live by the fear of man
2. Daily meditation on God's Word trains our instincts so that we gravitate toward the glory of God rather than the approval of men

II. Gospel Unfaithfulness Due to Superior Men

A. Peter's departure acted like a steering wheel — wherever he went, the rest of the Jews followed, and even Barnabas was led astray (Galatians 2:13)

B. Paul expresses shock that Barnabas, his longtime ministry partner who witnessed the Spirit poured out on the Gentiles and stood with him at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), would be swept away

C. Peter was the chief Apostle — the "superior" — and blind deference to superiors is another of Satan's tactics for pulling the church from gospel truth

1. The Reformation was built on Sola Scriptura precisely because the reformers recognized that without Scripture as the sole authority, the traditions and positions of men would lead the church astray
2. All five Reformation Solas depend on Sola Scriptura as their foundation

D. Church leaders hold authority that is ministerial and declarative only — they lead insofar as they minister and declare the truths of Christ; their authority ends where their conduct or doctrine departs from the gospel

E. There is a hidden polemic against the claims of Rome here: Paul publicly opposes Peter — the supposed rock of the papacy — demonstrating that even Peter was not above Scripture or the gospel

III. Gospel Unfaithfulness Opposed by Godly Men

A. Paul's opposition to Peter stands out as one of the clearest demonstrations of his zeal for the gospel

1. Paul himself had been a Pharisee of Pharisees — a member of the circumcision party (Philippians 3:5-6) — making the temptation to join the crowd especially strong
2. Yet he stays put, so enamored with the freedom of the gospel that he will not return to its chains

B. Paul opposes Peter publicly, before them all (Galatians 2:14)

1. 1 Timothy 5:20 — elders who persist in sin are to be rebuked publicly before the congregation so that others may stand in fear
2. Public figures whose sin leads the people astray must be publicly admonished for the safety and sanctity of those they serve
3. Calvin: "Those who have sinned publicly must be publicly chastised, so that their sin may not by remaining unpunished form a dangerous example for the flock"

C. Paul opposes Peter directly, to his face — not in a corner with like-minded critics

1. Matthew 18:15 — if your brother sins, go and show him his fault between you and him alone
2. Going directly to a brother or sister who is straying is one of the most loving things we can do for them and for the whole body
3. 1 Corinthians 5:6 — a little leaven leavens the whole lump; unaddressed sin spreads through the congregation

D. Had Paul been silent, Peter's hypocrisy would have continued and deep confusion would have settled into the church at Antioch — the gospel itself was at stake

E. Application: We are often more like Peter than Paul — silenced by the fear of man or the influence of superiors — yet nothing is more precious than the gospel, and we are called to defend it in both word and conduct