Gálatas 2:21

Paul concluded by affirming that he did not set aside the grace of God, as Peter had done by his behavior. Peter had nullified God’s grace by implying that it was not enough. He did this by putting himself back under the Law, saying in effect that obedience must accompany grace to make it sufficient. If that is true, Paul ended, Christ died needlessly. It is then really obedience that saves, not Christ. [Note: For another exposition of 2:15-21, see J. Dwight Pentecost, Pattern for Maturity, pp. 105-15.]

The final verses of this section (Galatians 2:18-21) form a bridge from Paul’s personal experience to his doctrinal explanation. In chapters 3 and 4 he continued his defense of faith alone as the only method of salvation.