We see the conflict that happens between Paul and Peter over what to do with these Gentiles who are becoming Christians. Should they first become Jews? Do they need to follow the dietary laws? Become circumcised? Everyone thought this had been handled, but it came up again to the point that Paul had to publicly rebuke Peter. He reminds him, that he lives by grace, and so should others. Do we expect a perfection from others that we do not expect from ourselves?

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Good morning! It’s good to be with you this Wednesday morning. Sorry for no Rooted yesterday—I recorded it early but was more exhausted from our mission trip than I expected. I came into the office for a bit, but then I crashed and had to take a nap. I was just worn out! But now, we’re back on our normal schedule, and good Lord willing, I don’t have any big travel plans for a while. I’ll take a senior trip with Thomas after his graduation in May, but aside from that, I’m staying put in Madison for the foreseeable future.

Today, we’re continuing in Galatians, picking up with chapter 2, verses 11-14. Here, we see a significant moment of conflict between Paul and Peter regarding faith and works—one that echoes a tension seen throughout Acts and Galatians. The question at the heart of it all is this: Do Gentiles need to become Jewish before they can become Christians? Or is Christianity something entirely new?

Let’s read Galatians 2:11-14.

Here’s what’s happening: Gentiles were becoming Christians, but they weren’t following the traditional Jewish dietary laws. At first, Peter was fine with this. Remember in Acts when he had the vision on the tanner’s roof? God told him, “Do not call unclean anything that I have made clean.” Peter embraced that revelation—until some Jewish Christians, likely influenced by James (who many scholars believe is James, the brother of Jesus), pressured him.

So, Peter pulls back from eating with Gentiles, distancing himself out of fear. Paul calls this out as hypocrisy, saying, “Peter, you’re not even living like a Jew anymore—so why are you expecting Gentiles to do so?”

This struggle highlights a tension we still see today between grace and works, faith and action. Paul, passionate about evangelism, emphasizes that salvation comes through faith alone. James, on the other hand, focuses on discipleship—helping believers grow in faithfulness. These aren’t opposing views; they’re two sides of the same coin.

In the Wesleyan tradition, we talk about justification and sanctification.

• Justification is that moment of salvation—when Jesus changes your life. Many of us can point to a time when we were “saved,” when we encountered God in a life-changing way.
• Sanctification is what happens after that. It’s the ongoing process of becoming more faithful, more holy, more like Jesus.

These aren’t separate things—it’s all part of the same movement of grace. We aren’t saved by our works, but our works show that we are saved. Our sanctification is an outgrowth of our justification.

This is where Peter went wrong. By withdrawing from the Gentiles, he was placing unnecessary burdens on them—burdens he himself didn’t even carry. That’s why Paul rebukes him. Jesus warned against this very thing when he said the Pharisees would “place heavy burdens on people’s backs but would not lift a finger to help them.”

As Christians, we can’t expect perfection from others that we don’t expect from ourselves. We especially can’t hold non-believers to a moral standard they never agreed to. Paul is reminding Peter—and us—that our job is to love people, walk with them, and introduce them to Jesus.

We’re called to love people who are different from us. To extend grace to those who don’t think like us, vote like us, or believe exactly as we do. Paul challenges Peter—and challenges us—not to exclude people based on traditions or expectations that aren’t part of the gospel of grace.

I think we may go to James after finishing Galatians because it pairs so well with this discussion. Paul reminds us we’re saved by grace alone, and James challenges us to live that faith out in real, tangible ways.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue in Galatians 2:15 and talk more about being saved by grace through faith—because that’s really what this whole letter is about. Thanks for being with us today! Have a great one.