Closer Look: The Message to Peter

(5–8 minutes, easy set-up)
Learners will discuss scholarly speculation over Paul’s address to Peter in Galatians 2.

Learning Goal: Learners will describe the transformed identity that results from a life lived in Christ.

Reread Galatians 2:15–16. Then ask: Which part of this message is for Peter alone? Which part of this message was for the church in Galatia? Encourage responses, then let learners struggle a bit with trying to decide at what point the message moved from Peter to the church. Then explain that biblical scholars also struggle with identifying that place as well. Share the following information:

Some scholars believe that Paul ended his personal indictment of Peter’s actions at the end of verse 14, and so they place ending quotation marks at that point.
Within the NIV translation, the quotation marks are placed at the end of the chapter, indicating that the entire address was aimed at Peter.
Most scholars believe that Paul gradually moved away from his address to Peter and focused on the converted Jews who were struggling with leaving the requirements of the law behind them.

Ask: How did Paul view the actions of Peter and the converted Jews similarly? (Answer: Both had received God’s grace, but they were trying to personally control how that grace was received.) How did he view them differently? (His frustration with Peter’s actions was greater because Peter had experienced that grace from Jesus Himself; Paul had higher expectations of Peter.)