The Incident at Antioch was an Apostolic Age dispute between the apostles Paul and Peter which occurred in the city of Antioch around the middle of the first century. The primary source for the incident is Paul's Epistle to the Galatians 2:11–14.
Peter who was a Jew, practiced eating at the table of gentiles, in doing so it was implied that Peter was liberated from Jewish dietary laws and could live like a gentile as he pleased, although he was a Jew. When Peter stopped eating at the table of gentiles it was perceived, by the gentiles that this was because they were inadequate and if they wanted to be included in the table of the covenant Christian church they would have to abide by Jewish laws and in turn become Jews themselves. Paul saw that peters actions were wrong and knew what the consequences would be, peter had contradicted the gospel and Paul felt that he must confront peter about this in front of everyone to show that Peter was both hypocritical and inconsistent in his actions. From Pauls perspective peters actions were not accommodating for the sake of the gospel but rather were a compromise of the truth of the gospel. …show more content…
The gospel pronounced that salvation for both Jews and gentiles was by way of the cross of Christ and union with Christ. Peter’s separation from the table fellowship with gentile Christians implied that salvation for Gentile Christians required strict adherence and incorporations into the Jewish nation. The gentiles believed that peters withdrawal from their table meant that they were lacking something and that they were unworthy outcasts. If they wanted to enjoy fellowship with Peter and the mother church in Jerusalem, they would have to become Jews. Their experience of salvation would be incomplete until they became Jews and observed the Jewish