Week 4
Chapter 2
Paul Accepted by the Other Apostles
1 Then after fourteen years, I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas taking along Titus as well. 2 Now I went up as a result of a revelation. I laid before them the Good News that I proclaim among the Gentiles, but privately to those who are regarded to be influential, lest somehow I may be running or had run in vain. 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was forced to be circumcised. (4 But it was because of false-brothers, who slipped in to spy on our freedom which we have in the Anointed Jesus, so that they might enslave us. 5 But we did not give way to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the Good News may remain with you.) 6 Now from those who are regarded to be something, (whatever they were made no difference to me, God does not have favorites), for the ones who are regarded to be influential added nothing to me, 7 but on the contrary, they saw that we had been entrusted with the Good News for the purpose of the uncircumcised just as Peter had been for the purpose of the circumcised. 8 (For the one who worked in Peter in the office of emissary to the circumcised, also worked in me to the Gentiles). 9 Recognizing the grace given to me, James, Cephas, and John, the ones who are regarded to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we may go to the Gentiles, and they may go to the circumcised. 10 They only asked that we remember the poor: the very thing that I was also eager to do. My Translation
1 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
6 As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. 7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along. NIV11
Comment
1 Then after fourteen years, I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas taking along Titus as well. My Translation
1 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. NIV11
Paul uses his last Ἔπειτα (then) to set up his last visit to Jerusalem before he writes this letter to the Galatian congregations. This time, it is fourteen years later from the time he went up to get aquatinted with Peter. He goes with Barnabas (Βαρναβᾶς in Greek), who was associated with the apostles in Jerusalem. Barnabas’ real name was Joseph and he was Levite from Cyprus. It is the apostles who call him Barnabas which means “son of encouragement”. (Acts 4:36-37). Barnabas is also the one who brought Paul to meet the Apostles in Acts 9:26-30. Paul didn’t mention that Barnabas was part of that trip, but according to Luke, it was Barnabas who introduced Paul to the apostles.
Paul decides to take Titus (Τίτος in Greek) as well. This is not mentioned in the Acts account in Acts 11:30 during the “famine campaign” during the festival of Unleavened Bread. We don’t know why, unless it has to do with Paul’s revelation in verse 2. In fact, Paul and Barnabas’ visit is completely overshadowed in Acts 12 by Peter being thrown into prison and Herod’s death. As a result, Paul and Barnabas are not so much as an after thought in Acts 12:25.
On the other side of this, Paul makes no mention of his second visit to Jerusalem being part of the famine relief effort here in Galatians. Perhaps both Paul and Luke are simple compressing time, people, and events.
2 Now I went up as a result of a revelation. I laid before them the Good News that I proclaim among the Gentiles, but privately to those who are regarded to be influential, lest somehow I may be running or had run in vain. My Translation
2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. NIV11
The first thing we have to ask is “τί ἀποκάλυψις? (What revelation?)” There are a few things to consider about Paul’s use of κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν (according to a revelation/revealing). 1. The “revealing” could have been by Agabus, a prophet from Jerusalem who prophesied that the famine would spread across the Roman Empire (Acts 11:27-30). That’s what sent Paul to Jerusalem for his second visit according to the Acts account. 2. If we look at the context of Paul’s letter, then we can conclude that Paul received a revelation about what was going on with some of the folks in the Jerusalem church and that some were against Paul and what he preached. We will touch more on this in verses 4 and 5. 3. The purpose of this “revelation” was to show that Paul only went to Jerusalem by something revealed to him by God and not because he compelled to go to Jerusalem by the leaders in Jerusalem. The famine campaign comes to mind again.
Paul’s revelation probably represents either a personal revelation that the Holy Spirit revealed to him, or a revelation that was revealed in an open setting. The latter would possibly be the Holy Spirit’s activity in a local congregation where a prophetic word went forth for Paul to go to Jerusalem. It is possible that Barnabas and Titus were involved in that revelation. Looking at the context of this letter, perhaps the “revelation” was for Paul to “test” the leaders in Jerusalem by taking Titus, an uncircumcised Gentile Christian, with him and Barnabas.
I’ll add this, It is also possible that the “unveiling” came about due to Paul taking Titus to Jerusalem. Perhaps Titus being presented to the leaders in Jerusalem sowed the seeds that produced the agitators in Galicia. Therefore, the “revelation” was the revealing of some of those in Jerusalem’s true nature around the Jewish law. Therefore, the whole “unveiling” would not have happened until some time later. Perhaps at Antioch with the “Peter conflict”.
Paul lays out what he preaches privately (κατ᾿ ἰδίαν/according to ones own) τοῖς δοκοῦσιν (to the ones who are regarded to be influential) or (to those who were thought). It is a short version of τῶν δοκούντων εἶναί τι (the ones who were thought to be something) in 2:6. It is an idiomatic expression or a figure of speech for “ones who are highly regarded”. This expression was used in the ancient world both “positively” and “negatively”. Here, these are the leaders in the Church in Jerusalem which Paul says are James, Peter, and John in 2:9. If Paul uses these statements in order to be sarcastic is not known. We can only suppose. But, there is no doubt that he could have used other “positive” ways to refer to the leaders in Jerusalem. Therefore, Paul is probably being a little sarcastic toward the Galatians by referring to the Jerusalem leaders in this way. After all, this is how the agitators saw the leaders in Jerusalem.
Paul was not concerned about if he was preaching the “correct” Gospel. He was concerned about what others preached and if it conflicted with what he preached. If Paul preached a law-free gospel while the apostles in Jerusalem preached a gospel that included the law, then they would be contradictory to each other. In other words, he didn’t want to happen what had just happened in Galatia! He preaches the gospel to the Galatians and converts them and afterwords, others come along and tell the Galatians that they really aren’t converted yet until they start keeping the Law of Moses. If that is happening, then Paul is preaching or running in vain and it will not amount to anything.
3 But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was forced to be circumcised. My Translation
3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek NIV11
Paul does a small digression here. Paul probably adds this in for the sake of the Galatians who know Titus. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for Paul to speak of someone that the Galatians didn’t know. This would provide further evidence to the Galatians that the leaders in Jerusalem didn’t contradict Paul’s gospel. It infers that Titus went to Jerusalem as an uncircumcised Greek Christian and the leaders of the Jerusalem church didn’t force Titus to be circumcised. Paul uses the verb ἀναγκάζω, translated here as “forced” and "compelled" in the NIV11. It derives from its cognate noun ἀνάγκη which means “necessity or constraint as inherent in the nature of things”. In other words, leaders in Jerusalem did not think it was a necessity for Titus to be circumcised. Paul probably took Titus along to see what the leaders in Jerusalem would do about him.
(4 But it was because of the false-brothers, who slipped in to spy on our freedom which we have in the Anointed Jesus, so that they might enslave us. 5 But we did not give way to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the Good News may remain with you.) My Translation
4 This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. NIV11
Paul now does a major digression. The main question is this: Did the false-brothers (translated as false-believers in the NIV11, slip into the private conference in Jerusalem or did they slip in at Antioch which is where Paul was when he wrote this letter in which he goes into detail on in verses 11-14? It is probably what happened in Antioch because it is unlikely that these false-brothers would have been able to interfere with Paul’s meeting with James, Peter, and John. This is clearly a digression that Paul places in his letter, possibly due to frustration.
Paul speaks of their “freedom which we have in Christ Jesus”. It is that same freedom of the law in which he speaks of in his famous passage in 2 Corinthians 3:17:
17 ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐλευθερία.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Paul calls them “the false-brothers”. Since he uses the article, it is possible that these are the very same “false-brothers” who went and contradicted the gospel that he preached in Galatia. That means that the Galatians knew them. They wanted to “enslave us” by demanding that Paul and every other Christian start performing the Jewish law. There will be more on this later as Paul gets into his defense of the Gospel.
In verse 5, Paul states εἴξαμεν τῇ ὑποταγῇ (we didn’t yield in submission) to those false-brothers οὐδὲ πρὸς ὥραν (not even for an hour/moment). And why should they? They were not teaching the correct Gospel. In fact, Paul then states a conditional clause: “so that the truth of the Good News may remain with you.” In other words, we did not submit to the false-brothers, because if we would have, the true Gospel will no longer remain with you. Paul could not compromise the Gospel. As soon as he did, he would be preaching a “different” Gospel from the one he received from Jesus.
6 Now from those who are regarded to be something, (whatever they were made no difference to me, God does not have favorites), for the ones who are regarded to be influential added nothing to me, 7 but on the contrary, they saw that we had been entrusted with the Good News for the purpose of the uncircumcised just as Peter had been for the purpose of the circumcised. 8 (For the one who worked in Peter in the office of emissary to the circumcised, also worked in me to the Gentiles). My Translation
6 As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. 7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. NIV11
Paul moves out of his digression and back into his topic. He now refers to the leaders in Jerusalem by the full expression τῶν δοκούντων εἶναί τι (the ones who were thought to be something). Of course the question is “was Paul being sarcastic in his treatment of the leaders in Jerusalem. Yes and no. Yes, he was probably being a little sarcastic (as he is from time to time), but not necessarily to the leaders. His sarcasm is toward the ones who would compare him to the leaders in Jerusalem. Paul is very quick to add his thoughts on these leaders, who are thought to be something by others, that God has no favorites, and neither does he. The Greek expression ὁποῖοί ποτε ἦσαν οὐδέν μοι διαφέρει (whatever they were, made no difference to me) can be translated as “what sort of people they once were, made no difference to me”. What are we to make of this expression? Paul is probably referring to how they were once with Jesus when he was here on earth. It was probably that status that propelled these men into leadership by the ones “who thought they were something”. Regardless of the past, Paul’s idiomatic expression πρόσωπον [ὁ] θεὸς ἀνθρώπου οὐ λαμβάνει (God doesn’t accept the face of a human/man) makes it clear that God does accept what is on the outside of a person, but what is on the inside.
Paul’s use of “God doesn’t accept the face of a human” is from the Old Testament. Specifically from a couple of different passages; Leviticus 19:15 LXX and Deuteronomy 10:17 LXX.
Leviticus 19:15 Οὐ ποιήσετε ἄδικον ἐν κρίσει· οὐ λήμψῃ πρόσωπον πτωχοῦ οὐδὲ θαυμάσεις πρόσωπον δυνάστου, ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ κρινεῖς τὸν πλησίον σου.
Leviticus 19:15 You will not make unjust judgements in judging. You will not accept the face of the poor, nor marvel at the face of the powerful. You will judge your neighbor in righteousness.
Deuteronomy 10:17 ὁ γὰρ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν, οὗτος θεὸς τῶν θεῶν καὶ κύριος τῶν κυρίων, ὁ θεὸς ὁ μέγας καὶ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ ὁ φοβερός, ὅστις οὐ θαυμάζει πρόσωπον οὐδ᾿ οὐ μὴ λάβῃ δῶρον
Deuteronomy 10:17 For the Lord is your God. He is God of gods and Lord of lords, God, the great and powerful and fearsome, who does not marvel at the face or never accepts a gift (bribe).
Paul’s digression is used to communicate a very simple message to to his congregations in Galatia; “If God shows no favoritism, why would you? If God shows no favoritism, why do the agitators show favoritism?”
Paul makes very clear that the leaders were fine with what he preached and didn’t ask him to preach anything different. In fact, the leaders recognized the divine calling in Paul to evangelize the Gentiles (uncircumcised), just as Peter had a divine call to evangelize the Jews (circumcised).
An interesting change happens in verses 7 and 8. Paul has been using Κηφᾶς for Peter this whole time, but changes to Πέτρος in these two verses. Of course the question is “why”? It has baffled scholars! Also, this expression τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς ἀκροβυστίας καθὼς Πέτρος τῆς περιτομῆς (the Gospel to/of the uncircumcised just as Peter of/to the circumcised). As one can imagine, all sorts of explanations have come about, such as:
- This was a pull from the “formal” settlement of the matter (which had been written?). That would mean that these words were not Paul’s words, but someone else's which Paul quotes.
- Κηφᾶς was Peter’s official name while Πέτρος was his personal name.
- Some have suggested that verses 7 and 8 were a very early interpolation into the text, perhaps by the person who the letter was dictated to (Titus?).
My guess is that Paul used Κηφᾶς personally, while everyone else in the Greek Christian world used Πέτρος. Perhaps Paul was just making sure that his readers knew of whom Paul was speaking about. But, some weight should be added for this being a formal statement and not Paul’s words as these expressions are used nowhere else in Pauline letters.
In verse 8, which is a slight digression from the thread of the text, Paul uses the word ἀποστολή translated as “the office of emissary” here. In other translations, it is translated as “apostleship”. BDAG defines is as “God’s elite emissaries for the Christian message office of a special emissary, apostleship, office of an apostle, assignment”. In the text, it seems to be more of a “mission” as opposed to “an office”. Regardless, God (the one who worked/effected) in Peter, also did it for Paul. Everyone from that private meeting acknowledged that.
9 Recognizing the grace given to me, James, Cephas, and John, the ones who are regarded to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we may go to the Gentiles, and they may go to the circumcised. My Translation
9 James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. NIV11
Paul reiterates that the leaders saw his calling and that God’s grace rested on him. Paul strengthens his uses of “the ones who are regarded to be something” by adding στῦλοι εἶναι (to be pillars), that is “spiritual leaders”. Paul now names the leaders who he had a private meeting with. They were Ἰάκωβος καὶ Κηφᾶς καὶ Ἰωάννης (James, Cephas, and John the son of Zebedee). This is the only place in Pauline letters that John is mentioned.
As I’ve stated many times, the word order in Greek is significant. Here, we have James first. This could be Paul acknowledging that James was the leader of the Jerusalem Church. Or it could be that Paul is acknowledging that James is the Lord’s brother. Or, Paul could be reflecting on James’ role of replacing Peter as the leader in Jerusalem as Peter did more evangelizing outside of Jerusalem. This would certainly make sense. Or Paul is singling James out. There will be more on this next week.
Regardless, these three men agreed with Paul and extended their right hand of fellowship to them (Paul and Barnabas). This was a sign of acceptance. Paul and Barnabas were to reach the Gentiles, while the ones in Jerusalem were to reach the Jews.
10 They only asked that we remember the poor: the very thing that I was also eager to do. My Translation
10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along. NIV11
The “poor” here would have been the poor in the Jerusalem congregation. There are mentions of “the collection for Jerusalem” throughout Paul’s letters (1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15; Romans 15:25-28), but Paul had not started that campaign yet. Paul’s use of the verb σπουδάζω in its Aorist form shows that Paul was already doing such work. The famine relieve fund, the main reason Paul was in Jerusalem, would have been at the forefront of Paul’s thoughts.
Paul wouldn’t have seen a request to help the poor in Jerusalem as “adding to” the Gospel that he preached. From what we see in his letters, he was unashamed of asking for contributions for the church in Jerusalem. In fact, putting others interests above one’s own was a main Pauline theme. What better way to act this out in organizing a collection for the Jerusalem congregation!
Conclusion
Paul makes clear that what he preached was not influenced by the leaders in Jerusalem as his opponents had suggested. In fact, he and the Jerusalem leaders were in full agreement on the Good News that was preached by all of them. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Paul puts forth what he and the other Apostles preached in a general way. It is a passage that I’ve read in Greek many, many times.
15:1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. NIV11
Note that none of it included the Jewish Law.
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