In Galatians 2:11 Paul speaks of a visit of Peter to Antioch, apparently
some time after the events recorded in 2:1-10. If it were before the
Conference, Peter’s conduct at Antioch would be largely relieved of the
charge of cowardice. But on the whole, we must follow the order of time
as given by Paul. We do not, however, know whether this visit of Peter
was before the breach between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark (Acts
15:36-41) or after the return of Paul from the second tour (Acts 18:22
f.). If the latter is true, Barnabas had also come back to Antioch (Gal.
2:13). Patrick[31] thinks that this visit was not long after the
Conference, probably before the breach with Barnabas. At any rate, Peter
at Antioch practices social equality with the Gentiles, just as Paul and
Barnabas and the rest of the Jewish Christians there did (Gal. 2:13),
and just as Peter did in the house of Cornelius, though he apologized
for the act then (Acts 10:28), and at Jerusalem when called to account
for it (11:1-18). Evidently the question of social equality was not
raised in the Conference at Jerusalem.
“Certain came from James,” says Paul (Gal. 2:12). Patrick[32] admits
that they had some connection with James and may have borne a commission
from James, though not to Peter. It is possible, of course, that rumors
of Peter’s liberty in the matter of social intercourse may have reached
Jerusalem (cf. Acts 11:1 ff.), where the pharisaic element in the church
was very sensitive on this point. It is difficult, however, to believe
that James would have felt called upon to send a reprimand to Peter on
the subject, even granting that James opposed this conduct of Peter.
The Judaizers at Antioch seem to have claimed the sanction of James and
the rest at Jerusalem in their opposition to Paul and Barnabas (Acts
15:1, 24 f.), and it is entirely possible that on this occasion the
visitors from Jerusalem claimed a connection with James that was not
true. Hort[33] thinks it probable that James merely meant “to send
cautions to Peter,” with no thought of a rebuke, and that the messengers
proceeded to frighten Peter with threats of a report to James about his
conduct at Antioch.
It is undoubtedly true that the horizon of Jerusalem was not that of
Antioch and that Paul would have less sympathy for what Peter did under
fear of consequences at Jerusalem than for James in Jerusalem, who might
not fully comprehend developments at Antioch. But the Epistle of James
and his speech at the Conference make me slow to believe that he had
gone over to the position of the Judaizers, as Peter did at Antioch.
Paul boldly charged Peter, and even Barnabas, not with a change of
conviction but with hypocrisy (Gal. 2:13 f.). Fortunately, it was only a
temporary lapse, and both stepped back to the side of Paul in his
championship of a gospel of equality and freedom for all.
Paul makes no formal charge against James, and under all the
circumstances I prefer to think that James has been misrepresented at
Antioch by the visitors from Jerusalem, who dared to use his powerful
name to whip Peter into line. At any rate, James, not Peter, seems to be
the master spirit at Jerusalem, as Paul is at Antioch.