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When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned.
Galatians 2:11 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned.
  • KJV But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
  • NKJV Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;
  • NASB But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
  • NLT But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Paul openly opposed Peter at Antioch because Peter stood condemned. The gospel's truth matters more than any leader's reputation.

Overview

Even Peter, a pillar apostle, could err in practice, and Paul confronted him directly. This incident shows that no one is above correction when the gospel is at stake. Paul's willingness to resist Peter publicly underscores how seriously he guarded the truth of justification by faith.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 25

  • 1 Tim 5:20But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.
  • Gal 2:14When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
  • Acts 15:1Then some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
  • 2 Cor 5:16So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
  • Acts 15:30–35So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter.
  • Matt 16:23But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
  • Jas 3:2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.
  • Jude 1:3Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints.
  • Gal 2:5We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.
  • Gal 2:9And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.
  • 1 Jn 1:8–10If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
  • Matt 16:17–18Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.
  • Gal 2:7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised.
  • 2 Cor 12:11I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
  • 2 Cor 11:21–28To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.
  • 2 Cor 11:5I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”
  • Exod 32:21–22“What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”
  • Jonah 4:3–4And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
  • Acts 23:1–5Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”
  • Jonah 4:9Then God asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry about the plant?” “I do,” he replied. “I am angry enough to die!”
  • Num 20:12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
  • Acts 11:19Meanwhile those scattered by the persecution that began with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message only to Jews.
  • Jer 1:17Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them, or I will terrify you before them.
  • Acts 15:37–39Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark.
  • Jonah 1:3Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Galatians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Galatians 2:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GalatiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.

How Galatians 2:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.