Footnotes

1. Galatians 2:11 The Council of Jerusalem had acknowledged the freedom of Gentile Christians from the Jewish Law, but the question of table fellowship between Jewish Christians and Gentile believers was not yet settled. When Peter came to Antioch, he at first ate with non-Jews, since faith in Christ brings all people together. But when Jewish Christians arrived from Jerusalem, he gave up doing so. Paul rebuked Peter’s inconsistency in an important religious matter. Peter’s behavior was clearly wrong, and even grievously wrong if the table fellowship in question involved the meal at the Lord’s Supper (see 1 Cor 11:17-25). The reason why Jews would not eat with Gentiles was that they were considered to be unclean. If Peter was refusing to eat with Gentile Christians, he was implicitly saying that they were still in sin, which would mean that their Baptism had no effect, which meant that their cross did not redeem them.
2. Galatians 2:12 Some people came from James: i.e., Jewish Christians who still believed in the Law and in circumcision (Acts 15:1, 5; 21:20f) and either came from James or claimed to be from him. Circumcised: i.e., Jewish Christians.
3. Galatians 2:13 Jews: i.e., Jewish Christians.