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On Simon Peter (Cephas)

Active
I would like to create a new thread on Peter because I would like some clarification on a few things about his conversion and I'm not certain he sinned after conversion as people on here have inferred or implied.

Peters conversion was genuine he was the first of the apostles to declare that Jesus was the christ (Messiah) the son of God and at Pentecost he was the first to prophesy to all those gathered. See Acts chapter 2. Both Peter and John go on to heal and do miracles by Gods power. But the unbelieving Jews and high priests are sceptical and even set out to stone them and forbid them from teaching on Jesus name. however Peter says we ought to obey God rather than men. In chapter 5.

Further on in Acts 10 Peter gets given a vision by God about clean and unclean foods and by this vision God lets Peter know salvation is open to the Gentiles. Cornelius, a gentile is born again. Further adventures follow, Peter is chucked in prison at one point but is set free, Paul is converted and Barnabas goes and helps him spread the word to the gentiles.

But they Paul and Baranbas also get stoned and persecuted for spreading the gospel by certain sects of the Pharisees saying nobody can be saved unless they are circumcised. Chapter 14 they are preaching to a mixture of gentiles and jews and things are getting contentious. Verse 4 says the multitude of the city was divided, part held with the Jews, part with the apostles. More miracles and they end up at Antioch where the whole church is gathered together reporting on what happened with the gentiles. At this point they decide to consult Peter and the other apostles on the question of whether its anybody can be saved unless they are circumcised as some Pharisees from judea were teaching. Ok so what does Peter say well you can read it acts 15:7-11
 
Member
I believe Paul sums this one up...
1 Corinthians 7:19 - "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God."
 
Loyal
to be sinless in my mind is to be able to love your neighbor as yourself like Christ did he died for all of us, unless I am willing to die for the homeless guy on the street I am not loving my neighbor as my self. I think God has a much higher standard of sinless then we can even imagine. LOVE your neighbor as yourself did peter do this when he stopped eating with the gentiles??

Please understand I am not bashing Peter he is a apostle of Christ and deserves the utmost respect he was saved before the foundation of the world, Jesus is the only human to ever walk the planet a sinless life, no one IMO lives a sinless life even after conversion, now you will see huge change and not practice sin, but you realize even if you worry you are sinning according to the bible who can say they have not worried about something. If you have one ill thought of someone you have sinned.

Good thread looking forward to some other comments and other perspectives, I know Peter was a Holly righteous man, and did not practice sin that is for sure. But I see avoiding someone as not loving them as yourself and that becomes sin.
 
Loyal
Peter is called the apostle to the Jews (by Paul)

Gal 2:7; But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised
Gal 2:8; (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles),

Peter was married.
Matt 8:14; When Jesus came into Peter's home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever.
Mark 1:30; Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they *spoke to Jesus about her.
Luke 4:38; Then He got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon's home. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her.
1 Cor 9:5; Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

Peter warns about some of Paul's teachings being difficult for some.
2 Pet 3:15; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,
2 Pet 3:16; as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
2 Pet 3:17; You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,

Peter wasn't the only disciple to sin after receiving the Holy Spirit.

Acts 15:37; Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.
Acts 15:38; But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
Acts 15:39; And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

Paul and Mark did eventually become friends again.

2 Tim 4:11; Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
 
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Active
Peter did not stop eating with the believing Gentiles. Remember he was put in jail by the unbelievingJews and nearly stoned to death for preaching Jesus. They accused him falsely of many things such as opening the temple to allow gentiles to sacrifice as well. King Herod killed James and was going to kill Peter. Miraculously he was delivered by the angel.

Lets look at the rest of Acts after Peter declared there was no difference between us and them (gentile and jew) and that we (disciples/believing jews/apostles) will be saved by grace even as they (believing gentiles) . After that no more mention is made of Peter in the book of acts except James (the other James, brother of Jesus) agrees with the words of the prophets about the gentiles acts 16 verses 16-18 then proposes that they trouble not the gentiles who have turned to God to be circumcised and write to them that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled and from blood. These letters were to be read just as Moses was read in the synagoues every sabbath day.

Everyone agreed with that and Paul and Barnabas as well as Judas and silas get sent out again with these letters to the gentiles. So that is why we have the letters to corinthians, galatians, etc explaining to the gentiles of these churches to abstain from fornication and idols, and to eat with thanksgiving etc, you can read them yourself! Other letters from Peter, James and john we read also agree with Pauls letters



Peter wasn't the only disciple to sin after receiving the Holy Spirit.

Acts 15:37; Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.
Acts 15:38; But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
Acts 15:39; And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

Paul and Mark did eventually become friends again.

2 Tim 4:11; Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
They did not sin, they just had a difference and they went separate ways. Where does it say they sinned, i dont read that anywhere. Just because you and I go separate ways doesnt mean you and I sin. Jesus wants us to spread the gospel far and wide, why should everyone all go in one place?

to be sinless in my mind is to be able to love your neighbor as yourself like Christ did he died for all of us, unless I am willing to die for the homeless guy on the street I am not loving my neighbor as my self. I think God has a much higher standard of sinless then we can even imagine. LOVE your neighbor as yourself did peter do this when he stopped eating with the gentiles??

Please understand I am not bashing Peter he is a apostle of Christ and deserves the utmost respect he was saved before the foundation of the world, Jesus is the only human to ever walk the planet a sinless life, no one IMO lives a sinless life even after conversion, now you will see huge change and not practice sin, but you realize even if you worry you are sinning according to the bible who can say they have not worried about something. If you have one ill thought of someone you have sinned.

Good thread looking forward to some other comments and other perspectives, I know Peter was a Holly righteous man, and did not practice sin that is for sure. But I see avoiding someone as not loving them as yourself and that becomes sin.
That is in your mind and your opinion but ask God what He says.

Stop accusing Peter of sinning when he did no such thing.

There are also parts of the bible that do say we are to avoid eating with certain people and to not be unequally yoked.

to be sinless in my mind is to be able to love your neighbor as yourself like Christ did he died for all of us, unless I am willing to die for the homeless guy on the street I am not loving my neighbor as my self. I think God has a much higher standard of sinless then we can even imagine. LOVE your neighbor as yourself did peter do this when he stopped eating with the gentiles??

Please understand I am not bashing Peter he is a apostle of Christ and deserves the utmost respect he was saved before the foundation of the world, Jesus is the only human to ever walk the planet a sinless life, no one IMO lives a sinless life even after conversion, now you will see huge change and not practice sin, but you realize even if you worry you are sinning according to the bible who can say they have not worried about something. If you have one ill thought of someone you have sinned.

Good thread looking forward to some other comments and other perspectives, I know Peter was a Holly righteous man, and did not practice sin that is for sure. But I see avoiding someone as not loving them as yourself and that becomes sin.
We dont worry we just pray to God, who cares about us.
I dont believe christians have ill thoughts about people...we pray for others as well.
 
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Loyal
Gal 2:11; But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

You can't be blamed if you haven't done anything wrong.

Gal 2:12; For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Peter did this because he was afraid of what the Jews would think. Fear is not from God.

Gal 2:13; And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14; But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

If you aren't walking according "to the truth" of the Gospel.. you are sinning. Plain and simple.

They did not sin, they just had a difference and they went separate ways. Where does it say they sinned, i dont read that anywhere.

Gal 5:17; For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Gal 5:19; Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20; Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21; Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like

If there is strife and sedition.... this is of the flesh. Not of the Spirit.

In modrrn language...

Gal 5:19; Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
Gal 5:20; idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

It was the same with Paul.... they were dissenting, arguing, disagreeing to the point he left Mark.

Act 15:39; And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;

Yes God used this situation, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a sin. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery.. God used that too...
But that doesn't mean they didn't sin.
 
Active
Peter loved his neighbour.

This is what Jesus told him to do to feed the sheep and his lambs.

Read Peters letters and see that he is writing to encourage believers. Peter wrote in his first letter chapter 2 verse 24 how we (the disciples) are dead to sins. Does that sound like something a sinner would write?

When Peter and John were walking by many homeless people in Jerusalem what did peter say to them? There was a lame man right outside thegate of the temple asking for money. He was the first person they saw!

Acts 3 verse 6 go read your bible.

Gal 2:11; But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

You can't be blamed if you haven't done anything wrong.

Gal 2:12; For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Peter did this because he was afraid of what the Jews would think. Fear is not from God.

Gal 2:13; And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14; But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

If you aren't walking according "to the truth" of the Gospel.. you are sinning. Plain and simple.



Gal 5:17; For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Gal 5:19; Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20; Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21; Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like

If there is strife and sedition.... this is of the flesh. Not of the Spirit.

In modrrn language...

Gal 5:19; Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
Gal 5:20; idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

It was the same with Paul.... they were dissenting, arguing, disagreeing to the point he left Mark.

Act 15:39; And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;

Yes God used this situation, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a sin. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery.. God used that too...
But that doesn't mean they didn't sin.
Sharp contention doesnt mean sinning. It just means they had a difference. It is not strife.

Paul was out minsitering to gentiles and working miracles amongst them as well. Paul singled out Peter to appeal to because he knew Peter would back him up against the unbeliving Jews. Remember Peter had just got out of prison! King Herod was about to kill him!

Gal 2:11; But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

You can't be blamed if you haven't done anything wrong.

Gal 2:12; For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Peter did this because he was afraid of what the Jews would think. Fear is not from God.

Gal 2:13; And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14; But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

If you aren't walking according "to the truth" of the Gospel.. you are sinning. Plain and simple.



Gal 5:17; For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Gal 5:19; Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20; Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21; Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like

If there is strife and sedition.... this is of the flesh. Not of the Spirit.

In modrrn language...

Gal 5:19; Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
Gal 5:20; idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

It was the same with Paul.... they were dissenting, arguing, disagreeing to the point he left Mark.

Act 15:39; And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;

Yes God used this situation, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a sin. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery.. God used that too...
But that doesn't mean they didn't sin.
Read your bible again. Unbelieving Jews, Pharisees and the chief priests(not the apostles) were also teaching things contrary to what the apostles were teaching.

Peters second letter chapter 2 talks about the false prophets and false teachers.

Why would he write that? He was not one himself.

Bac what version and how many different versions are you reading of the Bible I asked you before but you didnt say.
Can I ask you read the letters one at a time and not just bits here and there. The book of Acts you also need to read the whole thing not just here and there.


It just seems like you are claiming Peter sinned to justify something to yourself.

Can you just stick with KJV? Or one version? In the bible there are no underlined bits, but you seem to have added them yourself.
 
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Loyal
For clarity, here's the relevant passage in the King James translation.

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

12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
 
Active
For clarity, here's the relevant passage in the King James translation.

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

12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
Thanks for the "clarity".
Would I be considered a hypocritical sinner if I (who knows that drinking beer or wine in moderation is not a sin), refused to offer a beer to a Mormon (who won't drink anything because to them it is sinful)?
Am I a sinner for this?
That is exactly what Peter did.
He pleased the visitors instead of the Gentiles, (even though we are not told that the Gentiles were offended)..
Peter's "fault" was that he lent credence to keeping the law and customs by adhering to them instead of adhering to the new covenant freedom from those laws and customs.
Too bad we don't know how the visiting Jews reacted when Paul invited them in for a meal with the Gentiles.
Did they balk at all?
Did they refuse, and have to hear Paul's reasonings?
Was that even enough to blend two different brands of believer?

I feel that Peter didn't commit sin.
 
Active
The gentiles did actually have to learn some table manners, but very basic ones like dont eat meat with blood still in it and the heads still on cos you strangled it. And maybe dont fornicate and expose your cleavage in front of others. And put your idol pictures and statues away.

I mean, the letters dont say dont burp in front of others thats rude, but imagine these jewish believers so used to thinking themselves as clean and holy, to have these barbarian smelly gentiles rock up to the temple suddenly wanting to be friends with them.
 
Loyal
We dont worry we just pray to God, who cares about us.
I dont believe christians have ill thoughts about people...we pray for others as well.

The bible tells us to love our enemy, so if you know someone that has just done harm to you do you love them?

What about people who always ask you to do stuff maybe do you feel like they are taking advantage of you do love them as yourself or do you wish they would leave you alone?

Do you understand the depths of loving your neighbor as yourself ??
 
Active
The bible tells us to love our enemy, so if you know someone that has just done harm to you do you love them?

What about people who always ask you to do stuff maybe do you feel like they are taking advantage of you do love them as yourself or do you wish they would leave you alone?

Do you understand the depths of loving your neighbor as yourself ??
Of course, that is what Jesus tells us to do. It is hard but doable. Jesus never did harm to his enemies, didnt try and kill them when he could have! They tried to kill him though, they wanted to throw him off a cliff!

Let God guide you in the matter, People were always asking Jesus to so stuff and sometimes he did feel taken advantage of. On one occasion he said to his own mother 'my time is not yet come' so he couldnt do whatever she wanted right that instant. When Peter was bugging him all the time he often just went to the mountain by himself to pray. Did you know Peter was really annoying to Jesus! Jesus healed ten lepers and only one came back to thank him.

God comes first in everything, loving thy neighbour as thyself doesnt mean you just love yourself, thyself means God. Jesus wasnt loving himself, he was loving God his Father, and through Him was able to love his neighbour.

How about yourself? Do you not pray instead of worry about stuff. Do you ask God to give the homeless man a home and family rather than give money that might be stolen from him again. Do you look after your body as a temple of the holy spirit.

More importantly do you ask God to help you actually do it. Rather than just talk about it and beat yourself up cos you cant do it on your own strength.

Jesus could have everyone charged for attempted murder and put in jail but he give them grace and time to repent instead. Look how he treated Judas, who was like his enemy. Jesus knew what he was up to. But he still treated him as the others and didnt publically shame him. Judas shamed Jesus though and dobbed him in, and everyone spat on him and beat him up!

Love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father in heaven: for he maketh the sun rise upon the evil and on the good, and sendeth the rain on the just and unjust.

Well the thing is when we love, we dont play favourites, will give you an example, I garden for a lot of old folks and some of them are lovely and some of them are just horrid! But I garden for them all the same. I had one lady swear at me one time and ofhers abuse our team but we still went and did their gardens. Its better to love them then grow all bitter and hate them! It can be hard at times cos some really put you through the wringer, but the results speak for themselves. Miracle of miracles, even the most hardened and complainers soften come spring and saw all the flowers.

Ok going back to Peter...as this is what the topic is about.

@daveM you brought up a good point about loving your neighbour did Peter actually love his neighbour? Did he have compassion on those in need?

Maybe lets go back to what Peter was like before he was converted. Have a look in the gospels.
Peter followed Jesus everywhere. He was one of the disciples that witnessed Jesus transfiguration, not all of them were priveliged to witness that. He was real close to Jesus..some might say too close. Even Jesus got annoyed with Peter always hanging round and asking him questions and putting his foot in his mouth! Jesus rebuked him at one point and called him Satan. Cos he was always thinking of himself.
Peter was the one who wanted to walk on water! JEsus had to save him from drowning.

Peter was honest though, he said to Jesus I am a sinful man. He didnt think he was worthy of being in jesus company...Jesus being so righteous and holy. When you with someone whos always doing things right, it sure shows your own inadequacies! Peter was a fisherman who would spend all night fishing, not catch a thing, but Jesus who trained as a carpenter not a fisherman would just throw the net over the otherside on his first go and catch all these fish!

Uh..

But Jesus said to Peter I will make you a fisher of men.
 
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Loyal
I garden for a lot of old folks and some of them are lovely and some of them are just horrid! But I garden for them all the same. I had one lady swear at me one time and ofhers abuse our team but we still went and did their gardens. Its better to love them then grow all bitter and hate them! It can be hard at times cos some really put you through the wringer, but the results speak for themselves. Miracle of miracles, even the most hardened and complainers soften come spring and saw all the flowers.

That's a beautiful small-scale reflection of Christ-like graciousness: tend everybody's garden with love and care regardless of how they treat you.
 
Active
That is in your mind and your opinion but ask God what He says.

Stop accusing Peter of sinning when he did no such thing.

There are also parts of the bible that do say we are to avoid eating with certain people and to not be unequally yoked.

With all due respect, and I say it kindly: you read the KJV, sister, but you need to believe what you read. To answer the question about whether or not Peter sinned in Galatians 2, which was after his conversion, the KJV is clear:

In Galatians 2:11 KJV Paul wrote "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed."
In verse 14 of the same chapter he wrote "But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?"

I've tried to explain it in a more detailed fashion in my post to you in another thread about three essential Bible doctrines. Peter, in this passage, is the perfect illustration of standing and state, aka as position and practice. His spiritual standing/position before God in this passage was one of pure, holy, sinless perfection, but his state in his natural body was one of imperfect fellowship due to the practice of sin, as written in the passage.

We know he got that sin right though, because of the two letters he wrote that appear in the New Testament (which you've mentioned. The letters that became our books of 1 and 2 Peter were written approx 5 years after this incident according to the timeline in my Bible.) As well, the Lord used him in ways that you've previously stated in this thread, and he was the one to whom the Lord entrusted the keys to the Kingdom (Mtt 16:18-19 KJV) which gave him the authority to preach to the Jews in Acts 2 (upper room) and to preach to the Gentiles in Acts 10 (Cornelius).
 
Active
Laura, i read KJV too and it doesnt ever say 'practice sin' it says 'commit sin,' so if you are charging peter with committing sin because Paul claimed he wasnt walking uprightly to the gospel, then John and Barnabas who were with him also werent. However you cant seem to understand the situation, it was not about man made doctrines or spritual standing I have asked .God about it and He showed me to look in the Book of Acts to find out what actually happened.

He got that sin right? What do you mean?

It was 5 years? Where are you inferring that from? This incident happend in Antioch which was when those letters such as galatians and corinthians etc got sent out, it says so right in scriptutre. If Peter has never gone to the gentiles, if he never had that vision, the gospel wouldnt have spread as far as it had. God then chose Paul to go to the gentiles because he was the 'chief sinner' amongst the sect of Pharisees that were persecuting christians at the time, and that included Peter! So God changed Paul and sent him out to spread the gospel to gentiles and got Peter to stay in Jerusalem.

Peter was not persecuting gentiles that I can see. He didnt eat with them for a time but Peter gave his reasons. Yes he was fearful of the unbelieving Jews everyone was after Stephen was stoned and died! JAmes was killed and Peter was put in prison for preaching the gospel.

This was not a sin to avoid getting into situations where he might get chucked in jail again, but we see Paul, now a believer was willing to risk everything. Remember Peter was married and had family, he was willing to give them up, but Paul was single and could go further than Peter.
 
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Active
It was 5 years? Where are you inferring that from? This incident happend in Antioch

Whoops, good catch. 1 and 2 Peter were written about 5 years after the book of Galatians, not after the incident happened.

Okee dokee. It appears you and I will never agree about doctrine, so I'll stop addressing you directly about such matters.

Have a merry Christmas.
 
Active
Yes Peter was to be blamed cos he was the first to eat with the gentiles!!!

Remember Paul and Peter are now brothers in Christ. They are dealing with sects of Pharisees and unbelieving Jews, false bretheren who dont want gentiles anywhere near them or the temple, and are teaching things contrary, compelling gentiles to be circumcised as well. Paul was making a point. Peter wasnt the one compelling gentiles to be circumcised, but he was avoiding the situation.

Paul was exhorting Peter to make a stand in front of the false brethren.
 
Active
Peter was not persecuting gentiles that I can see. He didnt eat with them for a time but Peter gave his reasons. Yes he was fearful of the unbelieving Jews everyone was after Stephen was stoned and died! JAmes was killed and Peter was put in prison for preaching the gospel.

This was not a sin to avoid getting into situations where he might get chucked in jail again, but we see Paul, now a believer was willing to risk everything. Remember Peter was married and had family, he was willing to give them up, but Paul was single and could go further than Peter.

Interesting. Do you have BCV (book, chapter, verse) to show that Peter was afraid he might get chucked into jail again while Paul was afraid to risk everything? Do you have BCV to show that Paul could go further than Peter?

Or am I misunderstanding what you're saying?
 
Active
Yes Peter was to be blamed cos he was the first to eat with the gentiles!!!

Remember Paul and Peter are now brothers in Christ. They are dealing with sects of Pharisees and unbelieving Jews, false bretheren who dont want gentiles anywhere near them or the temple, and are teaching things contrary, compelling gentiles to be circumcised as well. Paul was making a point. Peter wasnt the one compelling gentiles to be circumcised, but he was avoiding the situation.

Paul was exhorting Peter to make a stand in front of the false brethren.

What about verse 14 which begins with Paul declaring that they weren't walking according to the truth of the gospel? Disobedience to God's truth = sin, right?

"But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?"
 
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I didnt say Paul was afraid to risk everything. He wasnt, Peter was because he had been thrown into prison. Paul later got arrested too.

Ok have a read of Acts chapters 12 and 13.
 
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