Commentaires bibliques

Ga 2:1-21.

HIS CO-ORDINATE AUTHORITY AS APOSTLE OF THE CIRCUMCISION RECOGNIZED BY THE APOSTLES. PROVED BY HIS REBUKING PETER FOR TEMPORIZING AT ANTIOCH: HIS REASONING AS TO THE INCONSISTENCY OF JUDAIZING WITH JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.

1. Translate, "After fourteen years"; namely, from Paul's conversion inclusive [ALFORD]. In the fourteenth year from his conversion [BIRKS]. The same visit to Jerusalem as in

Ac 15:1-4

(A.D. 50), when the council of the apostles and Church decided that Gentile Christians need not be circumcised. His omitting allusion to that decree is; (1) Because his design here is to show the Galatians his own independent apostolic authority, whence he was not likely to support himself by their decision. Thus we see that general councils are not above apostles. (2) Because he argues the point upon principle, not authoritative decisions. (3) The decree did not go the length of the position maintained here: the council did not impose Mosaic ordinances; the apostle maintains that the Mosaic institution itself is at an end. (4) The Galatians were Judaizing, not because the Jewish law was imposed by authority of the Church as necessary to Christianity, but because they thought it necessary to be observed by those who aspired to higher perfection

(Ga 3:3; 4:21).

The decree would not at all disprove their view, and therefore would have been useless to quote. Paul meets them by a far more direct confutation, "Christ is of no effect unto you whosoever are justified by the law"

(Ga 5:4),

[PALEY].

Titus . . . also--specified on account of what follows as to him, in

Ga 2:3.

Paul and Barnabas, and others, were deputed by the Church of Antioch

(Ac 15:2)

to consult the apostles and elders at Jerusalem on the question of circumcision of Gentile Christians.

2. by revelation--not from being absolutely dependent on the apostles at Jerusalem, but by independent divine "revelation." Quite consistent with his at the same time, being a deputy from the Church of Antioch, as

Ac 15:2

states. He by this revelation was led to suggest the sending of the deputation. Compare the case of Peter being led by vision, and at the same time by Cornelius' messengers, to go to Cæsarea,

Ac 10:1-22.

I . . . communicated unto them--namely, "to the apostles and elders"

(Ac 15:2):

to the apostles in particular

(Ga 2:9).

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, 24)

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"

(Eph 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."