Mike,          
What happened first Act 15 or Gal 2? You said something in a paper how in Gal 2 Peter shouldn’t have been with the Gentiles in the first place. I don’t follow your thought. Can you explain? Thanks, M____

Good morning M____,
Thank you for your question.
You ask:
“What happened first: Act 15 or Gal 2 ? You said something in a paper how in Gal 2 Peter shouldn’t have been with the Gentiles in the first place. I don’t follow your thought. Can you explain?”
The answer is that Gal 2 happened first. You say “in a paper,” so I am not sure which paper, but that really doesn’t matter because I have consistently pointed out that Paul was holding Peter to the standards of THE gospel. Not ‘a’ gospel, but THE one and only “gospel of Jesus Christ” which is also referred to in scripture as “the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, the gospel of the kingdom of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God, the gospel of the grace of God and the gospel of peace, ” So, as Paul made so clear to Peter in Gal 2, whether it is “the gospel of the circumcision or the gospel of the uncircumcision, it is all called “THE gospel.”
When I said ‘Peter should never have eaten with the Gentiles in the first place, what I was saying was IF there were any truth to this Concordant doctrine of two separate gospels with two separate requirements of their respective adherents, then Peter would have been completely within his rights to have informed Paul, right then and there that he, Peter was not of the ‘gospel of the uncircumcision,’ if indeed the phrase ‘gospel of the uncircumcision’ meant what the Concordant writers claim it means. But that is not what Peter did. Peter agreed with Paul that there was “no difference between us;” we are both “purified… by faith.”

Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Act 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Here is Peter, who the Concordant writers, including A. E. Knoch himself, refer to as the chief “circumcision apostle,” telling you and me and the whole world that the Gentiles are “purified by faith, no difference between us and them.” But, as the Adversary always does, the Concordant writers and all of orthodox Christianity, equivocate and contradict themselves, and say there really is a difference between us and them. All the while Truth remains the Truth. Here is Paul continuing his admonition to Peter and Barnabas and all the Jews who had separated themselves from the Gentile brothers:

Gal 2:15  We [ Paul, Peter, Barnabas, etc] who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

That seems to be beyond need for discussion. “We who are Jews by nature, know that a man is not justified by the works of the law.” But when God blinds eyes to His word, those eyes cannot see those words and so the whole world to this very day cannot see that “he is NOT a Jew which is one outwardly…” (Rom 2:28).
Let’s take a look at what really happened. Peter was in Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, fellowshipping with, and eating with all of the Gentile converts who were in the church at Antioch. While they were fellowshipping and eating with these Gentile converts, “certain [ men] came from James” and all of a sudden Peter and Barnabas, “fearing them that were of the circumcision,” withdrew themselves from the Gentiles, and hypocritically reverted to the law of Moses, which forbade an uncircumcised Gentile to eat of the sacrifices offered to God. To a Jew this meant do not eat with a Gentile. So here is what happened next:

Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
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.
Gal 2:13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation [ hypocrisy].
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?

The entire orthodox Christian world and the Concordant Publishing Concern teach that God has two “chosen people,” the Jews, whether they believe in Christ or not, and the Gentiles who believe in Christ. This is a lie, and here is the Truth:

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly…

That is right, the physical nation of Israel are NOT Jews. They “say they are Jews, but are NOT.”

Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

All who continue to act as Peter and Barnabas and all those Jews who acted as if the Gentiles of Antioch were not now part “of the commonwealth of Israel,” be they Christian or Jewish, are now “them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” You simply cannot spit on Christ’s doctrine that “we brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise… he is NOT a Jew which is one outwardly,” and at the same time claim to be a representative of the gospel and kingdom of God and His Christ.
But just like John Hagee and the entire orthodox Christian church today, Peter and Barnabas acted as if being circumcised outwardly and being an outward Jew, were tenets of the gospel. They most definitely are NOT! So Paul, at that very moment called out Peter’s hypocrisy in front of the whole church. Had Paul not done so, then the doctrine of two chosen people would have prevailed. But God will have no part of such hypocrisy:

Gal 2:13  And the other Jews dissembled [ played the hypocrite] 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?
Gal 2:15  We [ who are] Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Gal 2:17  But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, [ is] therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
Gal 2:18  For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Gal 2:19  For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [ come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Look at verse 18. Paul was “destroying” that law which said Jews and Gentiles could not eat together. He was doing so simply because the law itself had foretold a time of reformation, just like all the reforms given by Moses:

Deu 18:15  The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Deu 18:16  According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
Deu 18:17  And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
Deu 18:18  I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19  And it shall come to pass, [ that] whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require [ it] of him.
Deu 18:20  But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

“Horeb” is Sinai. “In Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not” was all right there at the original giving of the ten commandments on two tables of stone. It was at that same time that the law itself foretold of its own reforming, “a change also of the law,” through “a prophet… like unto thee.” Here are the verses which give the time when the people asked Moses to not let them hear or see God.

Exo 20:17  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [ is] thy neighbour’s.
Exo 20:18  And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw [ it], they removed, and stood afar off.
Exo 20:19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

Christ told his own twelve apostles the night of His apprehension that He had “many things” to tell them which they could not yet receive. One of those “many things” was that the Gentiles were to become part of the commonwealth of Israel.

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being i n time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [ between us];
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [ even] the law of commandments [ contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [ so] making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18  For through him .
Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [ stone];

Peter had already been to the home of Cornelius. It was Peter who first ate with those Gentiles there in the home of Cornelius, and yet he, at that time, just as Christians to this very day, still believed that being born an outward Jew somehow counted for something with God. It does NOT. “He is NOT a Jew which is one outwardly and circumcision is of the heart, not of the flesh.”

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

Peter finally learned this lesson at Syria and Antioch. Immediately after that confrontation in Antioch it was decided that those men who came from James would go with Peter and Paul up to Jerusalem to settle this question of physical circumcision, and find out if it were indeed necessary for salvation. Act 15 is the result of that decision, and it is clear that James and Peter still were not able to receive the Truth that physical circumcision, was totally irrelevant to salvation, even for the salvation of a physical Jew.

Act 15:22  Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; [ namely], Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

Act 15:23  And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren [ send] greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
Act 15:24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no [ such] commandment:
Act 15:25  It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Act 15:26  Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 15:27  We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29  That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Act 15:30  So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:

All this epistle from the church at Jerusalem said was that Gentile converts did not have to be circumcised. It is clear from what happened in the very next chapter of Acts that the Jews did not understand that epistle to exempt them from this outward ritual. Paul himself took Timothy out and circumcised him “because of the Jews in those parts.” Paul’s own understanding of the depth of Christ’s reformation was still growing, and Gal 2 had not yet been written.

Act 16:1  Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father [ was] a Greek:
Act 16:2  Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
Act 16:3  Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

This is another subject which is already covered in the article The Law of Moses Versus The Law of The Spirit. This whole story demonstrates for us that conversion is a lifelong process. We “die daily” to the “law of sin and death” and we are “resurrected to newness of life” and “live by the faith of the son of God.” It is all right here in Galatians two, the chapter which has provoked your question:

Gal 2:19  For I through the law [ the prophecy of “another prophet” at Horeb] am dead to the law [ Deut. 18:15-20], that I might live unto God.
Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ [ to the law of Moses, Rom 7:1-3]: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

I hope this answers your question and that you can see that conversion is not a ten- second sinner’s prayer, but a lifelong process which doesn’t even begin until we come to see that after we have been called, we still deny our Lord three times. Then, after we see how totally helpless we are of ourselves, at that point only can the holy spirit come into us to begin the process of conversion.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike