11. Peter--"Cephas" in the oldest manuscripts Paul's withstanding
Peter is the strongest proof that the former gives of the independence
of his apostleship in relation to the other apostles, and upsets the
Romish doctrine of Peter's supremacy. The apostles were not always
inspired; but were so always in writing the Scriptures. If then the
inspired men who wrote them were not invariably at other times
infallible, much less were the uninspired men who kept them. The
Christian fathers may be trusted generally as witnesses to facts, but
not implicitly followed in matters of opinion.
come to Antioch--then the citadel of the Gentile Church: where first
the Gospel was preached to idolatrous Gentiles, and where the name
"Christians" was first given
(Ac 11:20, 26),
and where Peter is said to have been subsequently bishop. The question
at Antioch was not whether the Gentiles were admissible to the
Christian covenant without becoming circumcised--that was the question
settled at the Jerusalemcouncil just before--but whether the Gentile
Christians were to be admitted to social intercourse with the Jewish
Christians without conforming to the Jewish institution. The
Judaizers, soon after the council had passed the resolutions
recognizing the equal rights of the Gentile Christians, repaired to
Antioch, the scene of the gathering in of the Gentiles
(Ac 11:20-26),
to witness, what to Jews would look so extraordinary, the receiving of
men to communion of the Church without circumcision. Regarding the
proceeding with prejudice, they explained away the force of the
Jerusalem decision; and probably also desired to watch whether the
Jewish Christians among the Gentiles violated the law, which
that decision did not verbally sanction them in doing, though
giving the Gentiles latitude
(Ac 15:19).
to be blamed--rather, "(self)-condemned"; his act at one time
condemning his contrary acting at another time.
JFB.
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