he Gentiles. St. Paul was called in an
extraordinary manner to be the apostle of the Gentiles; St. Peter,
besides his general commission over the whole flock, (John 21. 15,
etc.,) had a peculiar charge of the people of the circumscision, that
is, of the Jews.

2:8. (For he who wrought in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision
wrought in me also among the Gentiles.)

2:9. And when they had known the grace that was given to me, James and
Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the
right hands of fellowship: that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they
unto the circumcision:

2:10. Only that we should be mindful of the poor: which same thing also
I was careful to do.

2:11. But when Cephas was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face,
because he was to be blamed.

I withstood, etc... The fault that is here noted in the conduct of St.
Peter, was only a certain imprudence, in withdrawing himself from the
table of the Gentiles, for fear of giving offence to the Jewish
converts; but this, in such circumstances, when his so doing might be of
ill consequence to the Gentiles, who might be induced thereby to think
themselves obliged to conform to the Jewish way of living, to the
prejudice of their Christian liberty. Neither was St. Paul's
reprehending him any argument against his supremacy; for in such cases
an inferior may, and sometimes ought, with respect, to admonish his
superior.

2:12. For before that some came from James, he did eat with the
Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself,
fearing them who were of the circumcision.

2:13. And to his dissimulation the rest of the Jews consented: so that
Barnabas also was led by them into that dissimulation.

2:14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly unto the truth of
the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all: If thou, being a Jew,
livest after the manner of the Gentiles and not as the Jews do, how dost
thou compel the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

2:15. We by nature are Jews: and not of the Gentiles, sinners.

2:16. But knowing that man is not justified by the works of the law, but
by the faith of Jesus Christ, we also believe in Christ Jesus, that we
may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law:
because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

2:17. But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also
are found sinners, is Christ th