privately--that he and the apostles at Jerusalem might decide previously on the principles to be adopted and set forward before the public council ([Ac 15:1-29]). It was necessary that the Jerusalem apostles should know beforehand that the Gospel Paul preached to the Gentiles was the same as theirs, and had received divine confirmation in the results it wrought on the Gentile converts. He and Barnabas related to the multitude, not the nature of the doctrine they preached (as Paul did privately to the apostles), but only the miracles vouchsafed in proof of God's sanctioning their preaching to the Gentiles ([Ac 15:12]).
to them ... of reputation--James, Cephas, and John, and probably some of the "elders"; [Ga 2:6], "those who seemed to be somewhat."
lest, &c.--"lest I should be running, or have run, in vain"; that is, that they might see that I am not running, and have not run, in vain. Paul does not himself fear lest he be running, or had run, in vain; but lest he should, if he gave them no explanation, seem so to them. His race was the swift-running proclamation of the Gospel to the Gentiles (compare "run," Margin, for "Word ... have free course," [2Th 3:1]). His running would have been in vain, had circumcision been necessary, since he did not require it of his converts.
3. But--So far were they from regarding me as running in vain, that "not even Titus who was with me, who was a Greek (and therefore uncircumcised), was compelled to be circumcised." So the Greek should be translated. The "false brethren," [Ga 2:4] ("certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed," [Ac 15:5]), demanded his circumcision. The apostles, however, constrained by the firmness of Paul and Barnabas ([Ga 2:5]), did not compel or insist on his being circumcised. Thus they virtually sanctioned Paul's course among the Gentiles and admitted his independence as an apostle: the point he desires to set forth to the Galatians. Timothy, on the other hand, as being a proselyte of the gate, and son of a Jewess ([Ac 16:1]), he circumcised ([Ac 16:3]). Christianity did not interfere with Jewish usages, regarded merely as social ordinances, though no longer having their religious significance, in the case of Jews and proselytes, while the Jewish polity and temple still stood; after the overthrow of the latter, those usages naturally ceased. To have insisted on Jewish usages for Gentile converts, would have been to make them essential parts of Christianity. To have rudely violated them at first in the case of Jews, would have been inconsistent with that charity which (in matters indifferent) is made all things to all men, that by all means it may win some ([1Co 9:22]; compare [Ro 14:1-7, 13]-23). Paul brought Titus about with him as a living example of the power of the Gospel upon the uncircumcised heathen.
4. And that--that is, What I did concerning Titus (namely, by not permitting him to be circumcised) was not from contempt of circumcision, but "on account of the false brethren" ([Ac 15:1], ) who, had I yielded to the demand for his being circumcised, would have perverted the case into a proof that I deemed circumcision necessary.
unawares--"in an underhand manner brought in."
privily--stealthily.
to spy out--as foes in the guise of friends, wishing to destroy and rob us of
our liberty--from the yoke of the ceremonial law. If they had found that we circumcised Titus through fear of the apostles, they would have made that a ground for insisting on imposing the legal yoke on the Gentiles.
bring us into bondage--The Greek future implies the certainty and continuance of the bondage as the result.
5. Greek, "To whom not even for an hour did we yield by subjection." Alford renders the Greek article, "with THE subjection required of us." The sense rather is, We would willingly have yielded for love [Bengel] (if no principle was at issue), but not in the way of subjection, where "the truth of the Gospel" ([Ga 2:14]; [Col 1:5]) was at stake (namely, the fundamental truth of justification by faith only, without the works of the law, contrasted with another Gospel, [Ga 1:6]). Truth precise, unaccommodating, abandons nothing that belongs to itself, admits nothing that is inconsistent with it [Bengel].
might continue with you--Gentiles. We defended for your sakes your true faith and liberties, which you are now renouncing.
6. Greek, "From those who," &c. He meant to complete the sentence with "I derived no special advantage"; but he alters it into "they ... added nothing to me."
accepteth--so as to show any partiality; "respecteth no man's person" ([Ep 6:9]).
seemed to be somewhat--that is, not that they seemed to be what they were not, but "were reputed as persons of some consequence"; not insinuating a doubt but that they were justly so reputed.
in conference added--or "imparted"; the same Greek as in [Ga 1:16], "I conferred not with flesh and blood." As I did not by conference impart to them aught at my conversion, so they now did not impart aught additional to me, above what I already knew. This proves to the Galatians his independence as an apostle.
7. contrariwise--on the contrary. So far from adding any new light to ME, THEY gave in THEIR adhesion to the new path on which Barnabas and I, by independent revelation, had entered. So far from censuring, they gave a hearty approval to my independent course, namely, the innovation of preaching the Gospel without circumcision to the Gentiles.
when they saw--from the effects which I showed them, were "wrought" ([Ga 2:8]; [Ac 15:12]).
was committed unto me--Greek, "I was entrusted with."
gospel of the uncircumcision--that is, of the Gentiles, who were to be converted without circumcision being required.
circumcision ... unto Peter--Peter had originally opened the door to the Gentiles (Ac 10:1-48; 15:7). But in the ultimate apportionment of the spheres of labor, the Jews were assigned to him (compare [1Pe 1:1]). So Paul on the other hand wrote to the Hebrews (compare also [Col 4:11]), though his main work was among the Gentiles. The non-mention of Peter in the list of names, presciently through the Spirit, given in the sixteenth chapter of Romans, shows that Peter's residence at Rome, much more primacy, was then unknown. The same is palpable from the sphere here assigned to him.
8. he--God ([1Co 12:6]).
wrought effectually--that is, made the preached word efficacious to conversion, not only by sensible miracles, but by the secret mighty power of the Holy Ghost.
in Peter--Ellicott and others, translate, "For Peter." Grotius translates as English Version.
to--with a view to.
was mighty--Translate as before, the Greek being the same, "wrought effectually."
in me--"for (or 'in') me also."
9. James--placed first in the oldest manuscripts, even before Peter, as being bishop of Jerusalem, and so presiding at the council ([Ac 15:1-29]). He was called "the Just," from his strict adherence to the law, and so was especially popular among the Jewish party though he did not fall into their extremes; whereas Peter was somewhat estranged from them through his intercourse with the Gentile Christians. To each apostle was assigned the sphere best suited to his temperament: to James, who was tenacious of the law, the Jerusalem Jews; to Peter, who had opened the door to the Gentiles but who was Judaically disposed, the Jews of the dispersion; to Paul, who, by the miraculous and overwhelming suddenness of his conversion, had the whole current of his early Jewish prejudices turned into an utterly opposite direction, the Gentiles. Not separately and individually, but collectively the apostles together represented Christ, the One Head, in the apostleship. The twelve foundation-stones of various colors are joined together to the one great foundation-stone on which they rest ([1Co 3:11]; [Re 21:14], [19, 20]). John had got an intimation in Jesus' lifetime of the admission of the Gentiles ([Joh 12:20-24]).
seemed--that is, were reputed to be (see on [Ga 2:2] and [Ga 2:6]) pillars, that is, weighty supporters of the Church (compare [Pr 9:1]; [Re 3:12]).
perceived the grace ... given unto me--([2Pe 3:15]).
gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship--recognizing me as a colleague in the apostleship, and that the Gospel I preached by special revelation to the Gentiles was the same as theirs. Compare the phrase, [La 5:6]; [Eze 17:18].
heathen--the Gentiles.
10. remember the poor--of the Jewish Christians in Judea, then distressed. Paul and Barnabas had already done so ([Ac 11:23-30]).
the same--the very thing.
I ... was forward--or "zealous" ([Ac 24:17]; [Ro 15:25]; [1Co 16:1]; [2Co 8:1-9:15]). Paul was zealous for good works, while denying justification by them.
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], ), 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 Jerusalem council 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.
12. certain--men: perhaps James' view (in which he was not infallible, any more than Peter) was that the Jewish converts were still to observe Jewish ordinances, from which he had decided with the council the Gentiles should be free ([Ac 15:19]). Neander, however, may be right in thinking these self-styled delegates from James were not really from him. [Ac 15:24] favors this. "Certain from James," may mean merely that they came from the Church at Jerusalem under James' bishopric. Still James' leanings were to legalism, and this gave him his influence with the Jewish party ([Ac 21:18-26]).
eat with ... Gentiles--as in Ac 10:10-20, 48, according to the command of the vision ([Ac 11:3-17]). Yet after all, this same Peter, through fear of man ([Pr 29:25]), was faithless to his own so distinctly avowed principles ([Ac 15:7-11]). We recognize the same old nature in him as led him, after faithfully witnessing for Christ, yet for a brief space, to deny Him. "Ever the first to recognize, and the first to draw back from great truths" [Alford]. An undesigned coincidence between the Gospels and the Epistle in the consistency of character as portrayed in both. It is beautiful to see how earthly misunderstandings of Christians are lost in Christ. For in [2Pe 3:15], Peter praises the very Epistles of Paul which he knew contained his own condemnation. Though apart from one another and differing in characteristics, the two apostles were one in Christ.
withdrew--Greek, "began to withdraw," &c. This implies a gradual drawing back; "separated," entire severance.
13. the other--Greek, "the rest."
Jews--Jewish Christians.
dissembled likewise--Greek, "joined in hypocrisy," namely, in living as though the law were necessary to justification, through fear of man, though they knew from God their Christian liberty of eating with Gentiles, and had availed themselves of it already ([Ac 11:2-17]). The case was distinct from that in 1Co 8:[1-10:33]; [Ro 14:1-23]. It was not a question of liberty, and of bearing with others' infirmities, but one affecting the essence of the Gospel, whether the Gentiles are to be virtually "compelled to live as do the Jews," in order to be justified ([Ga 2:14]).
Barnabas also--"Even Barnabas": one least likely to be led into such an error, being with Paul in first preaching to the idolatrous Gentiles: showing the power of bad example and numbers. In Antioch, the capital of Gentile Christianity and the central point of Christian missions, the controversy first arose, and in the same spot it now broke out afresh; and here Paul had first to encounter the party that afterwards persecuted him in every scene of his labors ([Ac 15:30-35]).