“For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.”
Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentile believers, because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. — Peter's hypocrisy ('hupokrisis') consists in withdrawing ('aphōrizō') from fellowship with Gentiles, tacitly endorsing the circumcision party's view that Gentile inclusion requires Torah observance; fear ('phobēō'), not conviction, drives his reversal.
Church Fathers on Galatians 2:12
“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision.” Many, on a superficial reading of this part of the Epistle, suppose that Paul accused Peter of hypocrisy. But this is not so, indeed it is not, far from it; we shall discover great wisdom, both of Paul and Peter,…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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