TheListener,
The story is spread between Galatians and Acts so getting the timeline right is a bit difficult as it is not exactly in chronological order. Some details are added after the fact.
Men from James went to Antioch and caused trouble. They taught circumcision as a requirement for salvation and expected Gentile believers to get circumcised and obey the Law. Peter was also influenced by them.
Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
Paul corrected Peter who was there as well for going along with them so Peter instead of correcting these men from James hightailed it to Jerusalem with them for support.
Ga 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?
Now much later in Jerusalem and before the meeting before the entire congregation Paul took Peter, James and John aside and had a little one on one talk with them like this:
Gal 2:6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: 7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Imagine, Paul now saying of James, Cephas, and John that they “seemed to be pillars” and “seemed to be somewhat” being unimpressed with their viewpoint. So Paul after this discussion thinking they were now on his side had the big meeting where James threw him a curve by writing the letter that derailed the discussion before it could really resolve the matter for them all as shown in my last post. Now this problem would fester and would not be resolved for at least 14 more years and this is visible in Paul’s many letters that included this struggle with such Jews. Hebrews had to be written which finally resolved it and if not written by Paul then at least authorized by Paul as this was his fight. No one else was helping other than the Antioch congregaton as such Jews were still keeping the Law for salvation. James finally gave in and wrote his letter to put an end to such Law keeping but one can hardly tell it was an apology and correcton unless they knew the background behind it. Not everything was sweet and rosy in the faith back then and battles raged for truth even among the apostles.
Joseph
