本章保罗提到了彼得的失败，如果不是为福音真理的缘故，想必保罗不愿提起这件事。有一次彼得访问安提阿教会，他原本与外邦人基督徒一起吃饭。后来有一些从耶路撒冷来的犹太人基督徒也来到安提阿，他们是「奉割礼的人」。彼得一见到他们来，就不愿意再与外邦人一起吃饭。彼得是初代教会排名第一的使徒，他都带头「假装」了，其余的犹太基督徒当然也都跟着一起「假装」。

保罗见状起身指责彼得，因为他所做的「与福音的真理不合」。彼得的行为可说是否定了耶稣为罪人死的功效。犹太人很清楚诗篇提到「凡活着的人没有一个是义的」（诗篇 143:2），并且「凡血肉之躯没有一个能因律法的行为称义」（2:16），因此实在没有必要在「因信称义」的福音上再加上「割礼」这件事。单单相信上帝的儿子耶稣为罪人死这件事，就足以使人得救称义，这才是最纯正的福音。

因此，保罗说彼得不与外邦基督徒一起吃饭是一种「假装」，这种假装的行为好像是在说：基督为他们死还不够，还要加上犹太人的割礼才够！为此，保罗严词指责彼得。

彼得的表现其实是「故态复萌」，他在这件事上再次「否认耶稣」，如同当年他在耶稣受难的过程中三次否认耶稣一样。彼得的弱点是他害怕别人怎么想，以至于他当他看见「割礼派」的犹太人到来时，他心想：「我担心这些人用异样的眼光看我，我最好是跟外邦人分开吃饭。」就这样，在同一位主之下，却有两张圣餐桌。他们认定同一位主耶稣基督，却不能同桌吃饭。

我们先别急着怪彼得，因为许多时候我们也做了跟彼得一模一样的事，我们曾明知怎么做才是对的，但当下却因害怕别人会怎么说或怎么想而退缩。我们都需要祈求从天而来的勇气，学习保罗勇敢为真理发声。

简体圣经 | https://www.bible.com/bible/140/GAL.2.RCUVSS

繁體聖經 | https://www.bible.com/bible/139/GAL.2.RCUV

In this chapter, Paul mentions Peter's failure, which he would not have brought up if it were not for the sake of the truth of the gospel. One time, when Peter visited the church in Antioch, he was eating with non-Jewish Christian believers. Later, some Jewish Christian believers came from Jerusalem, who were "the circumcision party." When Peter saw them, he did not want to eat with the non-Jewish believers anymore. Peter, who was the first-ranked apostle of the early church, led the way in "hypocrisy," and the other Jewish Christian believers followed suit.

Paul stood up and accused Peter of his behaviour that “was not in step with the truth of the gospel.” Peter's actions could be said to have denied the effectiveness of Jesus' death for sinners. The Jewish people clearly knew that Psalm says " For in Your sight no one living is righteous." (Psalm 143:2) and "by works of the law no one will be justified." (2:16) Therefore, it was unnecessary to add circumcision to the gospel of "justification by faith." Believing solely in the fact that God's son Jesus died for sinners is enough to save people and make them righteous. This is the gospel.

Therefore, Paul said that Peter's refusal to eat with non-Jewish Christian believers was a form of "pretending," which seemed to be saying, "Jesus' death for them was not enough, we need to add Jewish circumcision too!" For this reason, Paul strongly criticized Peter.

Peter's behaviour was actually a "relapse," and he denied Jesus again, just as he did when he denied Jesus three times during His suffering. Peter's weakness was that he was afraid of what others might think, so when he saw the circumcision party of Jewish believers arrive, he thought, " I am afraid that these people will look at me with a strange eye, so it's better for me to eat separately from the Gentiles." In this way, there were two communion tables under the same Lord. They acknowledged the same Lord Jesus Christ but could not sit at the same table.

Let's not be quick to blame Peter. Many times we have done the same thing as Peter, knowing what is right but backing down out of fear of what others might say or think. We all need to pray for courage from above and learn from Paul to speak up bravely for the truth.

Reading the Bible | https://www.bible.com/bible/59/GAL.2.ESV