Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 11 – Verse extract 12
Verſe. 11. And vvhen Peter vvas come to Antiochia, I vvithſtoode him to his face: for he vvas to be blamed.
Paule goeth on ſtill in his confutation, ſaying that he not onelyonly hath for his defence the teſtimonie of Peter & the other Apoſtles which were at Ieruſalem: but alſo that he withſtoode Peter in the preſence of the whole Church of Antioche. He ſheweth here a matter not done in a corner, but in the face of the whole church. For (as before I hauehave ſaid) he hath here no trifeling matter in hand, but the chiefeſt article of all Chriſtian doctrine.The maieſtie of this article of iuſtificatiō. The value and maieſtie where of who ſo rightly eſtemeth, to him all other things ſhall ſeeme but vile and nought worth. For what is Peter? what is Paule? what is an Angell from heauen? what are all other creatures to the article of Iuſtification? which if we know, then are we in the cleare light: but if we be ignoraunt therof, thē are we in moſt miſerable darknes. Wherfore if ye ſee this article impugned or defaced, feare not to reſiſt either Peter or an Angell from heauen, following the example of Paule, who ſeing the maieſtie of this article to be in daunger for the dignitie of Peter, did nothing regard his dignitie & eſtimation, yt he might keepe ye ſame pure & vncorrupt. For it is wrytten:Mar. 10.39. Math. 16.25. He that loueth father or mother, or his ovvne life more then me, is not vvorthy of me.
It behoueth vsus to be obſtinate in Gods matter.Wherefore we are not aſhamed for the defence of the truth, to be counted and called of the hypocrites proud and obſtinate, & ſuch as wil be onelyonly wiſe, will heare none, will geue place to none. Very neceſſary it is here to be inflexible & obſtinate. For the cauſe why we offend man, that is to ſay, tread downe the maieſtie of the perſon or of the world, is ſuch, that the ſinnes which the world iudgeth to be moſt hainous, are counted ſingular vertues before God. In that we louelove our parentes, honoure the Magiſtrate, ſhew reuerence to Peter and other miniſters of the word, we doe well. But here we hauehave in hand the cauſe neither of Peter nor parēts, nor Magiſtrate, nor of the world, nor of any other creatures, but of god him ſelfe. Here if I geue no place to my parents, to the Magiſtrate, or an Angell from heauen, I doe well. For what is the creature in reſpect of the creator? Yea, what are all creatures cō pared vntounto him? Euen as one droppe of water in reſpect of the whole ſea. Why then ſhould I ſo highly eſteme Peter which is but a droppe, and ſet God aſide which is the whole ſea? Let the droppe therefore geue place to the ſea, and let Peter geue place vntounto God. This I ſay, to the ende that ye ſhould diligently weye and conſider the matter wherof Paule entreateth: For he entreateth of God, who can neuer be magnified enough.
And here of purpoſe he addeth this clauſe, to his face, againſt the venemous vipers and apoſtles of Satan, which ſclaunder thoſe that are abſent, and in their preſence dare not once open their mouth: as the falſe apoſtles did, whom alſo here he toucheth by the way:A Chriſtian vvill openly reproue vices in his brother which durſt not ſpeake euill of him in his preſence, but in his abſence ſclaundered him moſt ſpitefully. So did not I (ſayeth he) ſpeake euill of Peter, but frankly and openly I withſtoode him, not of any colourable pretence, ambition, or other carnall affection, but becauſe he was to be blamed.
Here let other men debate whether an Apoſtle may ſinne or no.The Prophets and Apoſtles hauehave ſinned, and had their infirmities, & yet God hath deliuered vntounto vsus by their miniſterie, vvhatſoeuer he vvould hauehave vsus to folovv vvithout corruption. This ſay I, that we ought not to make Peters fault leſſe then it was in deede. The Prophets themſelues hauehave ſometimes erred and ben deceiued.*2. Sam. 7.3.4.5 Actes 1.6. Peter ſinned. Math. 28. Actes. 10.11. Nathan of his owne ſpirite ſayd vntounto Dauid that he ſhould build the houſe of the Lord. But this Prophecie was by and by after corrected by a reuelation from God, that it ſhould not be Dauid, becauſe he was a man of warre and had ſhed much bloud, but his ſonne Salomon yt ſhould build vppe the houſe of ye Lord. So did the Apoſtles erre alſo. For they imagined that the kingdom of Chriſt ſhould be carnall and worldly, as we may ſee in the firſt of the Actes. And Peter him ſelfe, although he heard this commaundement of Chriſt: Goe into the vvhole vvorld. &c. Yet he had not gone vntounto Cornelius, if he had not ben admoniſhed by a viſion. But in this matter he did not onelyonly erre, but alſo committed a great ſinne, and if Paule had not reſiſted him, all the Gentiles which did beleue, had ben conſtrained to receiue circumciſion, and to kepe the lawe. The beleuing Iewes alſo had ben confirmed in their opinion: to witte, that the obſeruation of theſe things was neceſſary to ſaluation, and by this meanes they had receiued againe the lawe in ſtede of the Goſpell, Moiſes in ſtede of Chriſt:No Sainctes vvithout ſin. and of all this great enormitie and horrible ſinne Peter by his diſſimulation had ben the onelyonly occaſion. Therfore we may not attribute to the Sainctes ſuch perfection, as though they could not ſinne.
Luke witneſſeth yt there was ſuch great diſſention betwene Paule and Barnabas, Diſſention betvvene Paule and Barnabas. Actes. 15.1.2.3.(which were put a part together for the miniſterie of ye goſpell among the Gentiles, and had traueled through many regions, and preached vntounto them the goſpell) yt the one departed from the other. Here we muſt nedes ſay yt there was a fault either in Paule or in Barnabas. And doubtles it could not be but that the diſcord was exceeding great which ſeperated theſe two companions being ioyned together in ſuch a holy felowſhip, as the text witneſſeth.The fauls of the Sainctes bring great comfort vntounto vsus. Such exāples are written for our conſolation. For it is a great cōfort vntounto vsus when we heare that euen ye ſaincts which hauehave the ſpirit of god, do ſinne. Which cōfort they would take from vsus which ſay that the ſainctes doe not ſinne.
Iudges. 1.6. 2 Sam 11.24. Iob. 3.12. Iob. 4 &c. Ierem. 10.14. Ionas. 4 3.Sampſon, Dauid and many other excellentmen, full of the holy Ghoſt, fell into greate ſinnes. Iob and Ieremy curſe the day of their natiuitie. Elias and Ionas are wery of their life, and deſire death. Such errours and offences of the ſainctes, the ſcripture ſetteth forth to the comfort of thoſe that are afflicted and oppreſſed with deſperation, and to the terrour of the proude. No man hath ſo greuouſly fallen at any time, but he may riſe againe. And on the other ſide, no man taketh ſo faſt footing but he may fall. If Peter fell, I may likewiſe fall. If he roſe againe, I may alſo riſe againe. And ſuch examples as theſe are, ye weake harted and tender conſciences ought to make much of, that they may the better vnderſtand what they pray for when they ſay: forgeue vsus our treſpaſes: and, I beleue the forgeuenes of ſinnes. We hauehave the ſelfe ſame ſpirite of grace and prayer which the Apoſtles and all the ſaincts had, neither had they any prerogatiue aboue vsus. We hauehave ye ſame gifts which they had, the ſame Chriſt, baptiſme, word, forgeuenes of ſinnes, all which they had no leſſe neede of then we hauehave, and by the ſame are ſanctified and ſaued as we be.
Verſe. 12. For before that certaine came from Iames, he did eate vvith the Gentiles.
Peter liueth vvith the Gē tiles like a Gentile.The Gentiles which were conuerted to the faith, did eate meates forbidden by the law, and Peter being conuerſant with the Gentiles which were conuerted, did eate with them, and drunke wine alſo which was forbidden, knowing that herein he did well, and therefore boldly tranſgreſſed the law with the Gentiles. Paule confeſſeth that he alſo did the like when he ſaith that he became as a Iewe to the Iewes, and to them that were without law,1 Cor. ….20.21. as though he were without law: That is to ſay, with the Gentiles he did eate and drinke like a Gentile and kept no law at all: with the Iewes, according to the lawe he abſtained from all things forbidden in the law. For he laboured to ſerue & pleaſe all men that he might gaine all. Wherefore Peter in eating and drinking with the Gentiles ſinned not, but did well, and knew that it was lawfull for him ſo to doe: For he ſhewed by this tranſgreſſion, that the law was not neceſſary to righteouſnes, and alſo deliuered the Gentiles from the obſeruation of the lawe. For if it were lawful for Peter in one thing to breake the law, it was lawfull for him to breake it in al things. And Paule doth not here reproue Peter for his tranſgreſſion, but for his diſſimulation, as followeth.