Reading for January 15th

Read Galatians 2.11-21
In verse 11-14: Paul opposes Peter at Antioch.
In verse 11: When the Antioch visit occurred is not known.
In verses 12-13: This hypocrisy: eating with gentiles indicated full acceptance.
Refusing to do so implied their "uncleanness" before God.
For Paul, gentile Christians were accepted by God.
Their status before God did not change with the coming and going of conservative Jews.
Th circumcision faction, literally "those of the circumcision," required gentile Christians to be circumcised (5.2-6).
In verse 14: "How can you meet gentiles half way (not keep food laws), then require them to go the whole way (be circumcised)?"
In verses 15-21: Paul's gospel: we are justified through Christ, not the law.
In verse 15: Gentile sinners: 1 Thess 4.5.
In verse 16: Reckoned as righteous (by God) well expresses justified; see Rom 3.21-26.
Faith in Jesus Christ: Christ is the object of our faith; we trust him as God's agent of redemption.
Faith of Jesus Christ: Christ's own faithfulness to God enables our salvation (Rom 3.22, 26).
In verse 17: Does Christ serve sin's purpose by exposing us as sinners?
In verse 18: What Paul tore down was Torah observance as the only basis for relating to God.
In verse 19: Paul found the demands of the law suffocating (Rom 7.9-10)
In 19b-20: Crucified with Christ: Paul reenacted Christ's death as a co-participant.
Like Christ, he experienced a death of the self (Rom 6, 10).
Now filled with the living Christ, his life exhibits faith defined by Christ-either trust placed in Christ or the pattern of faithfulness Christ himself displayed before God.
Christ's death exemplifies love for other (1.4; 2 Cor 5.14).
In verse 21: This briefly states Paul's position.
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