Galatians 2:11 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

But, &c. The argument here comes to the height: Paul reproves Peter himself; so far was he from receiving his doctrine from man, or from being inferior to the chief of the apostles; when Peter was come to Antioch After Barnabas and I were returned thither; I withstood him to the face Or opposed him personally in the presence of the church there, then the chief of all the Gentile churches; because he was to be blamed For the fear of man, Galatians 2:12; for dissimulation, Galatians 2:13; and for not walking uprightly, Galatians 2:14. To show what kind of interpreters of Scripture some of the most learned fathers were, Dr. Macknight quotes Jerome here as translating the phrase, κατα προσωτον, which we render to the face, secundum faciem, in appearance; supposing Paul's meaning to be, “that he and Peter were not serious in this dispute; but, by a holy kind of dissimulation, endeavoured on the one hand, to give satisfaction to the Gentiles, and on the other not to offend the Jews. By such interpretations as these, the fathers pretended to justify the deceits which they used for persuading the heathen to embrace the gospel!” From the instance of Peter's imprudence and sin, here recorded, the most advanced, whether in knowledge or holiness, may learn to take heed lest they fall. For before certain persons Who were zealous for the observation of the ceremonies of the law; came from James Who was then at Jerusalem; he did eat with the converted Gentiles In Antioch, on all occasions, and conversed freely with them; but when they were come he withdrew From that freedom of converse; and separated himself From them, as if he had thought them unclean: and this he did, not from any change in his sentiments, but purely as fearing them of the circumcision Namely, the converted Jews, whom he was unwilling to displease, because he thought their censures of much greater importance than they really were. The Jews, it must be observed, reckoned it unlawful to eat with the proselytes of the gate; that is, such proselytes to their religion as had not submitted to the rite of circumcision, nor engaged to observe the whole ceremonial law, (see Acts 10:28; Acts 11:3,) some meats permitted to them being unclean to the Jews; and the other believing Jews Who were at Antioch, and had before used the like freedom; dissembled with him In thus scrupulously avoiding all free converse with their Gentile brethren; insomuch that Barnabas also Who with me had preached salvation to the Gentiles without the works of the law, Acts 13:39; was carried away Namely, by the force of authority and example in opposition to judgment and conviction, and even against his will, as the word συναπηχθη, here used, appears to imply; with their dissimulation Or hypocrisy.