The Gospel Clarified

We need to get the gospel right, otherwise, the Christian life will always be off balance. Our story picks up with a major conflict between Peter and Paul, two giants in the faith. It is hard to imagine a more intense and dramatic event. The implications are huge for gospel unity. In our last text, Paul traveled to Jerusalem to secure agreement with Peter on the nature of the gospel. Was the gospel enough to bring freedom from Jewish laws so that now Jews and Gentiles are one in Jesus? Answer: yes! This was sealed as they offered Paul the right hand of fellowship. But now, when Peter travels to Antioch, Paul opposes Peter to his face. Paul is not challenging Peter for his teachings on the gospel, but for his conduct in the gospel. Paul charges Peter for preaching one thing but practicing another. In this passage we see Paul challenges a compromised gospel and clarify the true gospel.