954 words, 5 minutes read time.
Scripture
11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.
13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
15 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles
16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[a] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!
18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.
19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”[b]
Galatians 2:11–21 (NIV)
Devotional
I thought I knew Galatians. But one night, a simple curiosity question to Grok AI sent me down a rabbit hole of first-century table politics, Judaizers, and the raw social pressure in the Antioch church. By the time I landed on verse 11, it hit me like a linebacker I never saw coming.
Peter (called “Cephas” here—the Aramaic name Jesus gave him that simply means “rock”)—the Pentecost preacher, the man who walked on water—was wrong. Publicly. And Paul had to call him out in front of everyone.
His sin wasn’t loud heresy. It was quiet, respectable fear. When certain men from Jerusalem showed up, Peter stopped eating with Gentile believers. He moved his chair. He rebuilt the wall Jesus died to tear down.
A few nights earlier I’d been digging into the backstory with Grok—asking about the Judaizers, the Jerusalem council, the raw social pressure in that mixed Antioch church. The history lesson turned into a mirror. Suddenly Peter wasn’t a character in a commentary. He was me.
I felt the Holy Spirit ask, “When did you last hide behind a conviction instead of walking across it?”
We do it too. We draw lines we swear are biblical, then quietly stop crossing them. We don’t burn bridges with torches; we just stop inviting certain people to the table. We call it “guarding the truth.” Paul called it hypocrisy. Jesus called it a return to the yoke of slavery.
Peter knew better—he’d had the vision, defended the Gentiles, eaten unclean food with unclean hands. Yet when the “important” brothers arrived, fear of man won. One glance back, like Lot’s wife, and he turned into salt—useless for the future God was calling him into.
Jesus spent His ministry eating with tax collectors, sinners, Samaritans, and prostitutes while the religious elite clutched their pearls. His harshest words were never for the broken; they were for the men who built systems that kept the broken at arm’s length.
Sometimes I’ve been those men.
Tomorrow everything changes if we let it. Jesus still walks up to His own people and asks the same question Paul asked Peter. Tonight He’s asking us: Will we pull our chair back to the table He paid for?
The invitation still stands. The Host hasn’t moved.
Reflection Questions
- When was the last time you “hid behind a conviction instead of walking across it”—withdrawing from another believer over a disagreement that, in light of the gospel, probably wasn’t worth it?
- Where might fear of man (or fear of being labeled “wrong”) still decide who you will and won’t eat with, serve, or truly listen to?
- Read Acts 10 and Galatians 2 side by side. What do Peter’s vision and his later failure teach you about how quickly we can forget what God has shown us?
- Who is one person (or group) the Lord might be asking you to pull a chair up for this week? What’s your first step?
- How does Lot’s wife “looking back” mirror modern legalism or religious separatism in your own heart?
Prayer
Father, forgive me for every time I’ve chosen being right over being with Your people. Forgive me for the tables I’ve walked away from because someone didn’t fit my categories. Jesus, thank You for eating with sinners like me and for not letting me stay comfortable in my hypocrisy. Wreck me with Your kindness. Pull my chair back to the table You paid for. Meet us tomorrow when we open Your Word again. Amen.
Call to Action
If this devotional encouraged you, don’t just scroll on. Subscribe for more devotionals, share a comment about what God is teaching you, or reach out and tell me what you’re reflecting on today. Let’s grow in faith together.
Sources
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.