Renewing Your Mind – "Paul Opposes Peter"

Podcast: Renewing Your Mind (Ligonier Ministries)
Date: January 3, 2026
Host: Nathan W. Bingham
Teacher: Dr. Derek Thomas
Series: No Other Gospel
Scripture Focus: Galatians 2:11–21

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode centers on Paul’s confrontation with Peter (Cephas) in Antioch as recounted in Galatians 2:11–21. The conflict highlights a core doctrinal issue: whether faith in Jesus alone is sufficient for justification, or if obedience to the Jewish law (especially kosher food practices) must be added. Dr. Derek Thomas explains why Paul’s public rebuke of Peter is crucial for safeguarding the purity of the gospel, affirming that salvation is by grace through faith alone—without "a damnable plus."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historical Background: The Incident at Antioch

  • Antioch as Mission Center:

• After persecution in Jerusalem, Antioch emerged as a Gentile-dominated Christian base, contrasted with the Jewish Christian church in Jerusalem (05:00–07:00).
• Paul reported to Antioch after his missionary journeys.

  • The Issue at Hand:

• Peter, while in Antioch, ate freely with Gentile Christians, disregarding Jewish kosher laws until "men from James" (Jewish Christians from Jerusalem) arrived (07:34).
• Upon their arrival, Peter separated himself from Gentile believers to uphold Jewish customs, fearing criticism from the Jerusalem contingent.
• Paul saw this not as a peripheral matter of Christian liberty but an undermining of the gospel itself — specifically the doctrine of justification by faith alone (09:50).

2. Theological Analysis: Justification by Faith Alone

  • What’s at Stake?

• Requiring Gentiles to adopt Jewish food laws adds to the gospel, making it "faith in Jesus plus obedience to the law" (00:10; 09:10).
• Paul’s confrontation was about "the purity of the gospel," not mere dietary preference.

  • Classic Pauline Doctrine:

• "There must be no damnable plus"—no requirement added to faith for justification (10:36).
• "Our justification can never be about our obedience" (00:17 & 22:56).

3. Textual Analysis: Galatians 2:19–21 – Identity in Christ

  • Union With Christ:

• "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…" (13:13; quoting Galatians 2:20).
• Our old, Adamic identity is dead; our new identity is determined by our union with Christ.
• "Paul can’t write, can’t think, he can’t breathe, he can’t preach without mentioning the fact that he was once in Adam but now… in Christ. He’s a new man in Christ. That’s his identity." (16:25)

  • Identity and Contemporary Relevance:

• In a world with "64 different categories of identity," Paul’s declaration offers solid ground for Christian self-understanding (15:54).
• "It’s impossible to know what your identity is if it’s based on whims and fancies and not on the solid truth of God…" (16:10).

  • Death to the Law:

• "For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God" (19:04; quoting Galatians 2:19).
• Obedience to law cannot justify; the law’s ultimate role is to reveal our sinfulness and drive us to Christ.

  • Sanctification vs. Justification:

• We obey God’s law not to be justified but as a thankful, sanctified response to God’s grace (23:07):

  "You are justified apart from works, but… we are sanctified by obeying God’s law out of gratitude for grace that has been received."

4. Memorable Illustrations & Quotes

• On the tension in Antioch:
  "This is like a pistols at dawn moment between Paul and Peter." (02:00)

• On identity in Christ:
  "When you look in the mirror, you see Jesus, because you are in union and communion with Jesus. That’s who you are. That’s your identity." (17:46)

• On the function of the law:
  "The law is a taskmaster. The law is utterly demanding ... The slightest infringement of the law brings penalty." (21:44)

• On the role of obedience:
  "Now that I have been justified ... now I live for God. I live to obey him, not in order to be justified, but because I know that I am already justified." (23:20)

5. Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|---------------| | Introduction of main theme | 00:00–01:55 | | Historical context: Galatians, Antioch | 05:00–07:30 | | Breakdown of Peter/Paul conflict | 07:30–12:30 | | Theological principles (Justification, Law) | 12:30–17:30 | | Union with Christ & Identity | 17:30–20:00 | | Explanation of Law’s purpose – Contrast | 20:00–22:30 | | Obedience as gratitude, not justification | 22:30–24:00 |

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Derek Thomas on gospel purity:

  "There must be no damnable plus. And the damnable plus in this case is ceremonial obedience to the kosher food laws." (10:36)

• On Christian identity:

  "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." (13:20)

• On justification and law:

  "The answer to the question, 'How can I be right with God?' is not through my obedience to the law." (20:10)
  "Paul isn’t saying here everything that one can possibly say about the law. He’s speaking about the law in the context of a discussion about justification." (19:18)

• On sanctification:

  "You are justified apart from works, but we are sanctified by obeying God’s law out of gratitude for grace that has been received." (23:24)

Conclusion

Dr. Thomas’s message underscores the necessity of defending the pure gospel of justification by faith alone, as Paul did against Peter. Adding requirements such as obedience to Jewish food laws undermines both the doctrine of justification and Christian unity. Instead, believers are to find their identity solely in Christ, living out their sanctification as a grateful response to grace—not as a means of earning it.