1. The third use of evpeita , as in 1:18, 21, is used to imply that Paul is omitting no visit or contact with Jerusalem, the church there, or its leaders.
2. Before the Jerusalem Council of Ac 15, Paul had contact with the apostles only 2x:

Peter and James in Jerusalem 2:1-10

Peter in Antioch 2:11-21 cp Ac 15:1-2 (during which contact he certainly did not alter his gospel in favor of Peters!)

3. Had he been suspected of leaving out any such visit or contact, his opponents would have seized on the opportunity to claim he was misleading his readers.
4. There is some controversy whether this visit is that of Ac 11:30, or the Council visit of Ac 15.
5. Some more radical opponents even claim those two visits are different accounts of the same visit, a claim that is preposterous at best.
6. We believe in the historical accuracy of the Bible, and therefore Acts will not allow any chronology except that which affirms this visit as the famine relief visit. Cp 2:2
7. He is also bound by his oath: he is not lying or deceiving in any fact of this record.
8. After the first visit of Ac 9:26 and the subsequent flight to Tarsus, about 11 years elapsed before he returned to Jerusalem, and then it was in connection with the prophecy of Ac 11:28, not because he needed guidance from them.
9. The famine was prophesied by Agabus during the reign of Claudius (41-54), and the famine itself occurred in 44-48 AD.

Josephus provides a famine account for Judea and his information narrows the period to 44-48 AD.

The height of the famine occurred when Helena visited Jerusalem during the feast of unleavened bread in 47-48 AD, a figure that readily agrees with the chronology of Acts.

A famine in Egypt was already underway in 45 AD, and grain had risen to double its normal price.

From other sources, we know that the reign of Claudius was marked by a series of bad harvests and famines in various parts of the Empire.

10. For about 7 years Paul had been teaching in the area of Cilicia and Syria, then for one full year he had been teaching in Antioch with Barnabas. Ac 11:26
11. This is the force of the Greek construction dia with the Genitive of "fourteen years"; "through 14 years" does not have to mean 14 yrs x 12 mos, but during 14 calendar years Paul did not enter Jerusalem.
12. He dates all significant actions from the starting point of his life, i.e. his spiritual life, which was c. 35AD.
13. "Through fourteen years" (lit Greek) he had gone to Arabia, Jerusalem, Cilicia/Syria and returned to Jerusalem.
14. If we make the starting point of the 14 years the first Jerusalem visit, we are confronted with insurmountable chronological obstacles, which render Galatians incompatible with the Acts record (the first missionary journey occurred before the Jerusalem Council, not after), and the Bible is false!
15. Hence the importance of recognizing the precision of the Greek language, and studying secular sources to determine dates (Isagogics).
16. Some events listed in the Bible can be accurately pinpointed historically reign of Claudius, the famine, death of Herod, etc.
17. It would have taken some time, perhaps a year to a year and a half, to collect such a large sum of money as to support the saints in Jerusalem.
18. So Paul visited Jerusalem for the second time at some time in late 47 AD, with his conversion having occurred in early 35 AD.
19. Paul does not name the starting point of this return, but from Acts we know it was from the church in Antioch. Ac 11:30
20. Barnabas:

was a full Jew and early convert Ac 4:36

knew the apostles and Paul Ac 9:27

became an apostle of the Jerusalem church to Antioch Ac 11:22

accompanied Paul on his 1^st missionary journey Ac 13:1-3

went to Jerusalem with Paul for the Jerusalem Council Ac 15:2

separated from Paul after a disagreement concerning John Mark Ac 15:39

21. The singular participle "I was taking along" indicates it was Paul that took the initiative in bringing along Titus to Jerusalem for the famine relief visit.
22. It has been suggested that Titus was a test case, that Paul took him to see if the Jerusalem church would accept him fully into the fellowship of the saints.
23. More likely, Paul had already found him to be an able helper and assistant, and took him along for practical experience and instruction, as well as to meet the leadership of the church there, knowing he was already accepted.
24. Titus was:

a full Greek 2:3

converted under Pauls ministry Ti 1:4

sent by Paul to Corinth from Ephesus to deal with the problems there 2Co 7:6f

placed in charge of the contribution to the Jerusalem saints by Paul 2Co 8:6

with Paul between his 2 Roman imprisonments Ti 1:5

with Paul shortly before his martyrdom 2Ti 4:10

25. The absence of Titus name in Acts is a problem with no certain solution.
26. It has been suggested that Titus was a brother of Luke, and therefore his name is omitted, as is Lukes, from the record of Acts.
27. For whatever reason his is absent from Acts, he was a reliable and trusted associate of Paul, and had one book of Scripture addressed to him by Paul.

Vs 2 It was because of a revelation that I went up;( A A I 1s avnabai,nw "I went up" + c.c. de, "but; now" +prep w/Ac F S kata, avpoka,luyij "according to a revelation") and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles,( c.c. kai, "and" + A M I 1s avnati,qhmi "I placed before; I presented (not submit)" + D M P auvto,j "to them" + Ac N S w/d.a. o` euvagge,lion "the gospel" + Ac N S rel pro o[j "which" + P A I 1s khru,ssw " I proclaim (even now am proclaiming)" + prep w/ D N P evn to, e;qnoj "among the Gentiles") but I did so in private to those who were of reputation,(prep w/ Ac F S kata, i;dioj "according to myself (idiom for privately)" + sub conj de, "but" + P A P D M P w/d.a. o` doke,w "to those seeming to be something," cp vs 6) for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. ( sub conj mh, "lest" + indef adv pw,j "somehow; in some way"+ prep w/Ac N S eivj keno,j "unto emptiness; in vain"+ P A S 1s tre,cw "I might be running" + c.c. h; "or" + A A I 1s tre,cw "I had run")

1. The reason Paul went to Jerusalem was not for clarification of his gospel, but because the Lord had revealed something to him that made it necessary for him to go there.
2. The prophecy of Agabus (Ac 11:28) motivated the Christians of Antioch in much the same way as the needs of the early church had motivated the new Christians in Jerusalem. Ac 4:32f
3. It was Barnabas and Paul who were put in charge of the relief fund, and delivered it to Jerusalem (Ac 11:30), and that was the reason Paul had gone.
4. The only other NT occurrence of avnatiqhmi , also used in the Aorist Middle, is Ac 25:14, where Festus laid before the younger Agrippa.
5. Paul would not have modified his gospel had the Jerusalem leaders not approved of it he had a higher authority than theirs for maintaining it unchanged.
6. But the approval by those leaders made his task less difficult and (as here) could serve his apologetic purpose.
7. He had been proclaiming his gospel for 11 years, why seek approval or permission now?
8. The burden and crux of this gospel is Christ crucified and risen, presented to Gentiles as well as to Jews as the object of their faith. Cp v16
9. The identities of those to whom Paul presented his gospel is stated in v9, Peter, John, and James.
10. He does not mean to imply that these three were incorrectly esteemed, but a touch of sarcasm is evident (v6) because the Judiazers would have mentioned them as authorities and used them to (falsely) bolster their contrary position. Ac 15:24-27
11. If Paul meant that he submitted his gospel to the Jerusalem leaders for their authorization, he would be going far to undermine his preceding argument, that he was independent of Jerusalem.
12. The English translations that best communicate the meaning of the verb avnatiqhmi use phrases such as communicated, or laid before (KJV NIV).
13. Submit has the nuance of presenting for approval, of which Paul had no need (v6), and they did not feel inclined to offer (v 10).
14. The Present tense of khrussw "I proclaim" indicates it was that gospel he was currently proclaiming, at the time of the writing of this letter.
15. In light of v7, we may conclude that he gave an account of his gospel ministry to date, whereby the Jerusalem leaders could see that it was basically the same gospel as they themselves proclaimed among the Jews.
16. But for the Jews, having been raised under the Mosaic Law, there was no need of a Law-free life being emphasized, they were used to living under those requirements, and were already circumcised.
17. For the Gentiles, there was no need to introduce such a misleading demand, to demand rituals they had never before performed, as if necessary for salvation.
18. Certainly, by living according to the constraints set forth in the Mosaic Law, any person would lead a healthier, more righteous life (thereby avoiding the D.D. that is associated with paganism), but it was not a requirement recognized by Paul or the Jerusalem leadership.
19. Paul first communicated his gospel in private, rather than before the general assembly of the church for two reasons: cp Ac 15

to avoid controversy that would have erupted from the factions

to avoid side issues that would have distracted from his message

20. Is it possible Paul had become acquainted with Peter and James 11 years ago and not mentioned the gospel?
21. Doubtless the subject was broached, Paul had to prove to them he was a legitimate teacher of the Truth of God.
22. His main purpose then had been to become acquainted with eyewitnesses of Jesus life and ministry, whereas now it was to communicate his gospel to the leadership.
23. There is no Greek word even related to fear present in the Greek text; it is an interpretative translation, since the translators assumed Paul to be in doubt of the validity of the message.
24. Paul certainly would not have been afraid to present his gospel to the leaders of the Jerusalem church: it was the very gospel they proclaimed.
25. Paul was fond of athletic metaphors, and here he uses one designed to portray the ardent nature of his ministry. Cp 1Co 9:24-27
26. At first glance the meaning seems to be that, without approval by the leaders, his apostolic service would have been, and would continue to be, fruitless.
27. However, the substance of his gospel was not to be changed out of deference to any earthly authority, not even that of the Apostles called before him.
28. What Paul was concerned about was not the validity of his message, but the practicability if it were at odds with the Jerusalem elders.
29. Paul had to consider the possibility that the Apostles had succumbed to the message of the Judaizers, as even Peter had. 2:11 cp Ac 15:1-2
30. A cleft between his Gentile mission and the mother-church would have been disastrous: Christ would be divided, and all the energy Paul had devoted, and hoped to devote, to the evangelization of the Gentile world would be frustrated.
31. To the contrary, it was the Galatians who were not running correctly. 5:7

Vs 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, (hyp conj avlla, "but" + adv ouvde, "not even" + N M S prop n Ti,toj "Titus" + N M S d.a. o` "the one; he" + prep w D M 1s pro su.n evgw, "with me" ) though he was a Greek, ( N M S {Ellhn "a Greek" + P A P N M S eivmi, "being" ) was compelled to be circumcised. ( A P I 3s avnagka,zw "was compelled; was coerced" + A P If perite,mnw "to be circumcised" )

1. Here begins a digression from the main point Pauls laying before the Jerusalem elders his gospel.
2. In response to the Judaizers claims that the Jerusalem elders favored circumcision for all believers, Paul states an outstanding example to the contrary: Titus, who was not Jewish by birth or even a proselyte to Judaism.
3. Paul probably attached no significance to the fact that the apostles had not attempted to have Titus circumcised while he was in Jerusalem two years earlier, but now he can use that fact to reinforce his argument further.
4. Paul had Timothy circumcised years later, not as a necessity, but because he was half Jewish, and Paul did not want any potential Jewish converts to stumble over his non-compliance with the commandment given to Abraham. Ac 16:3
5. Timothy, known as a Jew in the Galatian regions, would not have been able to enter the synagogues to teach unless he were circumcised. Cp Gen 17:14 "an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant"
6. The definite article translated "he" goes with the participle "being", for emphasis that it was the Titus Paul mentioned earlier that was thoroughly Greek, and not circumcised.
7. The Greek word ]Ellhn is used only of a Greek of non-Jewish origin, while the word ]Ellhnisthj is used of a Greek speaking Jew. Cp Ac 6:1;Col 3:1
8. Although the issue of Gentile circumcision had not been raised at the time Paul and Titus went to Jerusalem, if the other Apostles had been concerned with that issue, surely Titus would have been asked to comply with the ritual. Gen 17:14
9. If Gentile believers were not compelled to be circumcised in Jerusalem, how could they be required to be circumcised in their home countries?
10. Far from requiring the circumcision of Gentiles, the issue was not even raised by the Jerusalem elders, further undercutting the argument of the Judaizers.
11. Peter had also been upbraided for associating with uncircumcised Gentiles, but he understood that a new set of rules was in force, and circumcision was no longer a requirement. Ac 11
12. Like most religious reversionists, the Judaizers were unable and unwilling to let go of their hvpt, and if they could not compel the Apostles to demand Gentile circumcision, they would go to the Gentiles themselves . Cp Mt 23:15

Vs 4 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, (sub conj de, "but" + prep w/Ac M P w/ d.a. dia, o` yeuda,delfoj "because of the false brethren" + Ac M P adj parei,saktoj "brought in under false pretenses") who had sneaked in ( rel pro N M P o[stij "who" + A A I 3p pareise,rcomai "had sneaked in") to spy out our liberty ( A A If kataskope,w "to spy upon" + Ac F S h` evleuqeri,a "the liberty; the freedom" + 1p pro Gen evgw, "of us; our") which we have in Christ Jesus, (rel pro Ac F S o[j "which" + P A I 1p e;cw "we have" + prep w/ L M S evn| Cristo,j VIhsou/j) in order to bring us into bondage. (sub conj i[na "in order that; for the purpose of"+ pro Ac 1p evgw, "us" + F A I 3p katadoulo,w "they will enslave" )

Vs 5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, (rel pro D M S o[j "to them" + adv ouvde, "not" + prep w/Ac F S pro,j w[ra "for an hour" + A A I 1p ei;kw "we yielded; gave in to" + D F S w/d.a. h` u`potagh, "in subjection" ) so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. (sub conj i[na "so that (purpose)" + N F S w/d.a.h` avlh,qeia "the truth" + G N S to, euvagge,lion "of the gospel" + A A S 3s diame,nw "would remain" + prep w/2p pro Ac pro,j su. "with you")

1. Pauls grammar has given way in his emotional distress.
2. He does not have a subject in this sentence, nor is there one apparent in the previous verse.
3. So, we have to ask, "what was because of the false brethren?"
4. Titus was not compelled to be circumcised by the apostles, but the subject did come up.
5. As seen previously, Peter had been challenged for his fellowship with uncircumcised Gentiles, because certain elements within the church refused to let go of the old system, the Mosaic Law.
6. When Titus, an uncircumcised Greek, was brought into Jerusalem, it was obvious he was a believer, and an able helper for Paul.
7. He was not a baby believer, but had a certain degree of maturity; otherwise, Paul would not have used him for such important tasks as to straighten out the Corinthians. 2Co 8:23
8. So the issue was brought up, not by the leadership (who, it was claimed by the Judaizers, demanded circumcision and ritual observance), but by reversionistic members of the church who rejected the authority of their PT, James, and the Apostolic core.
9. The term "false brethren" does not mean they were unbelievers, they are called false because of their character. Ac 15:1,5
10. The only other usage of the word yeudadelfoj is in 2Co 11:26, where it is a reference to those who opposed Pauls work and presented a threat to him.
11. It is also, in 2Co, distinguished from Jews and unbelieving Gentiles.
12. They were reversionistic believers who desired to maintain an alliance with Judaism and the Pharisees, as in Ac 15.
13. They were not even authorized to attend the meeting, but sneaked in as spies for the Pharisee-leadership.
14. When Paul and Barnabas first arrived in Jerusalem for the Jerusalem
    Council of Ac 15, they were reporting to the leadership how God had worked through them on behalf of the Gentiles.
15. But the Judaizers interrupted and began to promote their leaven ritual observance and legalism.
16. They were sent in to gather intelligence, report back to their masters on this new sect, and sabotage the freedom these Christians had from the demands of the legalists.
17. An expanded translation would be "but the pressure to have Titus circumcised was because of the clandestinely brought in brethren, who were of such character that they sneaked in for the purpose of spying out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, their purpose was to bring us into slavery".
18. What had originally been given to man to show his inability to merit salvation had become a system of promoting self-righteousness, and violating mans relationship with God. 5:4
19. They are "false brethren" because they neither adhered to the Mosaic Law (they recognized Jesus as Messiah), nor were they proponents of the New Covenant (they wanted to remain under the Law).
20. Had Paul and his collegues given way on this issue, even temporarily, the truth or integrity of the gospel would have been compromised.
21. Paul fought hard to maintain the integrity of Bible Doctrine and the gospel by application, any Pastor-teacher (indeed, any believer) should do the same.
22. No friendship, no relationship, no circumstance of life is more important than maintaining the integrity and honor of the Word of God.
23. In Christ Jesus believers have liberty from the law as the way of salvation, and liberty from its external ceremonies and regulations.
24. Because Christ has borne that curse (3:13), we also have liberty from the curse for disobedience of the law.
25. We are under an entirely different kind of law, "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" which "has set you free from the law of sin and of death."Ro 8:2
26. The Judaizers, and legalists of today, viewed Christian freedom as license.
27. However, when we became children of God, we lost our freedom to sin, having become "slaves of righteousness" Ro 8:18
28. There are consequences for our disobedience, but not the loss of our salvation.
29. In the ideal, we as children of God are commanded never to sin (1Jo 2:1), but as a loving, gracious Father, God allows for our weaknesses. cp Ro 8:3
30. So Christian freedom is the freedom to serve our Father, not the freedom to sin as the legalists claim.
31. Paul would not concede in the slightest to the demands of the Judaizers, for the sake of the Gentile converts.
32. The Judaizers were seeking to require Gentiles to become Jews in order to become Christians, as if only Jews and their proselytes could be saved.
33. He knew the real goals of his enemies, and resisted them for the benefit of those they sought to bring into subjection and slavery.
34. The word for "remain" (diamenw) refers to a permanent state, so that the Gentile converts (including us) would have the unadulterated gospel available for all time.

Vs 6 But from those who were of high reputation (hyper conj de. "but" + prep w/ G avpo, "from" + P A P Ab M P w/d.a. o` doke,w "those who are seeming; those of high reputation" + P A If eivmi, "to be" + Ac N S indef pro ti.j "someone" w/ inf of eivmi = to be someone of importance) (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) (N M P adj o`poi/oj "what sort" + indef adv pote, "formerly; at one time" + I A I 3p eivmi, "they were" + Ac N S pro ouvdei,j "nothing" + D M S pro evgw, "to me" + P A I 3s diafe,rw "is of value" "what sort they used to be is nothing of value to me" + Ac N S pro,swpon "face" + G M S a;nqrwpoj "of a man" N M S qeo.j "God" + neg ptcl ouv "not" + P A I 3s lamba,nw "receives" Hebrew idiom God does not receive the face of a man i.e. is not partial cp Deu 1:17 )-- well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. (sub conj ga.r "for; well then" + D M S evgw, "to me" + P A P N M P w/d.a. o` doke,w "those who are seeming; those of high reputation" Ac N S pro ouvdei,j "nothing" + A M I prosanati,qhmi 2x 1:16, 2:6 "gave me advice" "those of high reputation gave to me nothing in the way of advice")

1. Paul now returns to his narrative of his second Jerusalem visit.
2. Vss 4-5 are parenthetical, as the mention of Titus had sparked a memory of the first encounter Paul had with the false brethren, and the result thereof.
3. He had set his gospel before the men of high reputation, but (as he says now) from those men of repute he received no supplement to his gospel, nothing that could have given him greater authority to proclaim it than he already possessed.
4. The Judaizers claimed to represent the Jerusalem apostles and the true gospel as proclaimed by them. cp Ac 15:24
5. Since these Gentile converts had never met or heard the other apostles, the Judaizers could claim to speak for them and say whatever they wished, but first they had to undermine Pauls validity.
6. Paul is not depreciating their position by calling them "those of high reputation", he is using the Judaizers words against them.
7. If he had not considered them of high standing, he would not have presented his gospel to them in the first place. v 1
8. He is reminding his readers that, if there had been a problem with the gospel he still continued to proclaim, the leaders of the church in Jerusalem would have corrected him then.
9. In fact, they had nothing to add or clarify with respect to Pauls understanding of the gospel of grace.
10. Indeed, no man, regardless of his position or intellect, could have added to the theological concepts Paul had received from the Lord.
11. Paul had been proclaiming the gospel without the least amount of approval or correction from them, and when he did finally submit his gospel to them, it was simply for recognition.
12. Even that recognition was not for his own sake, but for the sake of Church unity: the Jerusalem elders needed to know Paul was correctly proclaiming the gospel, and vice-versa.
13. Paul does not object to the Jerusalem leaders personal status and prestige, he objects to the appeal made in some quarters to their status in order to diminish his own.
14. He was not being boastful, he was stating a truth a truth he knew was strictly by the grace of God. v 9
15. He reaffirms this truth in 2Co 11:5, presumably because he was again being attacked as untrustworthy.
16. This fact refutes the Roman Catholic position that Peter had a superior apostleship and was the first Pope.
17. The Judaizers tried to convince the Gentiles that Paul was acting independently of the real apostles, and was therefore lacking in credibility and validity.
18. That an appeal was indeed being made to their superior authority to the detriment of Pauls is seen in the following parenthesis.
19. Paul is pointing out an established principle of doctrine, that God is not a respecter of persons. Dt 10:17
20. Although Peter, James, and John had been with the Lord during His incarnation, that of itself gave them no preference before God, or adjusted believers.
21. To Paul, the privilege of knowing Jesus physically meant little compared with the transforming miracle of spiritual knowledge of Messiah.
22. Peter recognized this principle (Ac 10:34) and James wrote that showing partiality is a sin. Js 2:8-9
23. It was the Judaizers who showed preference and sought honor. cp Mt 23:6
24. So the mere fact that they had known the historical Jesus personally was no reason for anyone to regard them as more than they were Judas had known Jesus personally, also.
25. Just as their authority had been derived directly from the risen Lord, so had his, and he was therefore their equal.
26. Paul has been asserting his independence throughout the letter; not because he wants to claim an independent position for himself, but because he wants to prove the supernatural origin of his gospel and Apostolic calling.
27. God does not favor companions or relatives of Jesus over someone like Paul who had received his commission later.
28. His gospel did not differ from theirs in substance, only in presentation.
29. To the Jews, who were waiting for their Messiah, the proclamation was "He has come". Ac 2:36
30. Gentiles, who knew nothing of a Messiah, needed to hear that the Son of God had come, paid the penalty for sins, and had been raised from the dead as proof of His Deity. 1 Co 15:3
31. The Jerusalem elders neither challenged his commission or his presentation of the law-free gospel.
32. Their reaction is stated in vss 7 9.

Vs 7 But on the contrary, ( strong advers avlla, "but" + adv touvnanti,on (contracted form of to. ! evnanti,on ) "that which is in opposition to something; on the contrary") seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, (A A P N M P ei=don "seeing" + superord conj o[ti "that" (introduces content) + Pf P I 1s pisteu,w "I had been entrusted" + Ac N S w/d.a. to. euvagge,lion "the gospel" + G F S (object. gen translated "to") h` avkrobusti,a "to the uncircumcision" (reference to the Gentile world, as opposed to Jews) ) just as Peter had been to the circumcised (sub con kaqw,j "just as; exactly as" + N M S Pe,troj "Peter" + G F S w/d.a. h` peritomh "to the circumcision")

Vs 8 (for He who effectually worked (sub con ga,r "for" + A A P N M S w/d.a. o` evnerge,w "He who worked" (effectually is implied since the subject is God)) for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised (L M S Pe,troj "in Peter" (H. S.) + prep w/ Ac F S eivj avpostolh, "unto/toward an apostleship" + G F S w/d.a. h` peritomh, "to the circumcision" ) effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), (A A I 3s evnerge,w "worked" + c.c. adjunct. kai, "also" + L M S 1^st evgw, "in me" + prep w/Ac N P eivj to. e;qnoj "unto the nations")

1. These verses do not support the theory that there were two gospels given to men in the Church Age, one for Jews and one for Gentiles. cp 3:28
2. "On the contrary" sets in opposition the claim that the Jerusalem elders had instructed Paul in his gospel against the reality: they had not added anything to his understanding or message.
3. The elders and Apostles in Jerusalem recognized (both because of their spiritual maturity and the evidence) that the Holy Spirit had counted Paul worthy of proclaiming the good news to a Gentile (or Jewish) audience.
4. At that point the contention of his opponents was refuted completely.
5. Paul uses collective nouns to refer to the two groups:

uncircumcision (avkrobustia) is a reference to those peoples who did not live under the ordinances of the Mosaic Law (some other cultures, such as the Egyptians (according to Herodatus) practiced circumcision but were Gentiles)

circumcision (peritomh) refers to the Jews specifically, as well as proselytes to Judaism those who were under the Mosaic Law

6. Circumcision was never meant to bring salvation (Ro 4:10-11), but was an overt sign of an inward change: the removal of dead flesh (the STA) from the soul. Jer 4:4
7. Both Peter and Paul brought the gospel to Jew and Gentile. (Ac 10:28, 35; 13:43), but Peters primary audience was the Jews, Pauls was the Gentiles.
8. These two verses are the only uses of "Peter" in any Pauline letter, and other than Jesus in Jn 1:42, he is the only source who uses "Cephas".

"Cephas" is the Aramaic form of his name, "Peter" is the Greek translation of that Aramaic word

since the New Testament was written in Greek and for Gentiles (cp Jn 2:6 the Jewish custom"), his name was normally translated into Greek.

when Paul refers to him, it is as a Jewish brother, and a fellow Apostle 1Co 9:5

but here he deliberately uses his Gentilized name: the Greek Peter

he is pointing out that the Apostle to the Jews was known by a Gentile name a small problem for one who supposedly wanted to turn Gentiles into Jews

it was for similar reasons Paul stopped referring to himself as Saul

9. God used a law-abiding Jew who had not been trained in the Law, to proclaim the new message to the Jews. Ac 4:13 cp Lk 5:36-37
10. He also used a converted religious Jew to tell of the glories of the one true God for all the nations of the earth, including Israel. Ac 17:23, cp Jn 4:22
11. Later, at the Jerusalem Council, the issue of what was the true gospel would be settled once and for all. Ac 15:8-11
12. Some versions have translated the Genitive of "uncircumcision" as a descriptive genitive, or the gospel of the uncircumcision" (KJV), while some have translated it as a dative for the uncircumcision (NKJ).
13. But that violates Gal 1:6-9, the decision of the Jerusalem Council, and the Greek grammar.
14. A noun in the genitive case that receives the action of the verbal idea is said to be an objective genitive, indicating the direction of the action.
15. Thus, the Gentiles received their evangelizing of/from Paul, the Jews received theirs of/from Peter.
16. So, the NAS gospel to the uncircumcised carries the full meaning better than the literal of the uncircumcised of the other translations.
17. All the Apostles were commissioned to take the gospel to the nations, as in Mat 28:19, and (it follows from logic) someone took it to those areas of the world Paul is not mentioned having visited India, South Africa, etc.
18. There is also no mention of the other Apostles (Ac 11:13) after the Day of Pentecost where were they?
19. The elders and Apostles also recognized that God had gifted both Peter and Paul, and they had been given equal authority.
20. Just as Peters apostolic ministry had been sealed by the work of the Spirit in the salvation of his hearers (Ac 9:42), so Pauls seal was the harvest of positive volition among the Gentiles (Ac 14:27).
21. The same One who energized Peter worked in Pauls life also.
22. Again, Paul is saying that he is on equal footing with Peter, and all the other front line Apostles, and has greater authority than any other apostles, including those who falsely claimed to be apostles from the mother church. Ac 15:24 : "some of our number, to whom we gave no instruction".
23. That One is none other than the Holy Spirit, who indwells and fills all believers so they can carry out their respective tasks. Jn 14:26
24. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot fulfill the tasks God has prepared for us (Ep 2:10), but with Him we can learn and apply all He desires for us. 1Jn 2:27
25. Paul drops the reference to ritual circumcision, stating that his mission is to all "nations" (evqnoj) regardless of their past encounters with circumcision, or any other Jewish thinking, law, or tradition.

Vs 9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, (c.c. kai, "and" + A A P N M P ginw,skw "having known; having recognized" + Ac F S w/d.a. h` ca,rij "the grace" + A P P Ac F S w/d.a. h` di,dwmi "that had been given" + D M S evgw, "to me") James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, (N M S pr nm VIa,kwboj "Jacob" (Aramaic for James) + c.c. kai, "and" + N M S pr nm Khfa/j "Cephas" + c.c. kai, "and" + N M S pr nm VIwa,nnhj "John" + P A P N M P w/d.a. o` doke,w "those having a reputation" + P A If eivmi "to be" + N M P stu/loj "pillars") gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, (A A I 3p di,dwmi "gave" + D pro 1s evgw, "to me" + c.c. kai, "and" + D M S pr nm Barnaba/j "Barnabas" + Ac F P dexio,j "right hand" + G F S koinwni,a "of fellowship") so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ( sub con i[na "in order that" + N pro 1p evgw, "we" + prep w/ Ac N P w/d.a. eivj to, e;qnoj "unto the nations/Gentiles" + c.c. de, "and" + pro N M 3p auvto,j "they" + prep w/Ac F S w/da eivj h` peritomh, "unto the circumcision" )

Vs 10 They only asked us to remember the poor( adv mo,noj "only" + G M P w/da o` ptwco,j "the poor" + hyp con i[na "so that; in order that" + P A S 1p mnhmoneu,w "we might remember") the very thing I also was eager to do. ( Ac N S rel pro o[j "which thing" + a.c. kai, "also" + A A I 1s spouda,zw "I made effort" + Ac N S auvto,j ou-toj "this very thing" + A A If poie,w "to do")

1. Two Aorist Participles give the sequence of events at this second visit to Jerusalem.
2. Paul presented the gospel he had proclaimed and would continue to proclaim to the three leaders present in Jerusalem.
3. After having heard him and about the great successes he was having among the Gentiles, they naturally accepted and agreed that he was a legitimate Apostle, a front line Apostle on the same level as they were.
4. The grace to which he refers is his spiritual gift of Apostle. Rm 1:5, 12:3
5. Having become aware of that fact, and realizing what the Source of that grace was, they then offered the right hand of fellowship to Paul.
6. Application: do not give your support to someone without first investigating their beliefs and doctrines. Pro 2:11-12, 14:20
7. Paul uses the same word here as in vss 2 and 6 (dokew) to indicate the Jerusalem elders for whom the Judaizers claimed to speak.
8. He is not depreciating their reputation, but neither is he committing himself to acceptance of it.
9. Paul knew that his ministry as well as theirs was approved only by God, not by what they were considered to be by other men. 1 Co 4:4
10. The participle for "knowing" goes back to "seeing" in vs 7, with vs 8 as a parenthetical comment establishing his Source of Apostleship, which was the same Source as for Peter.
11. The men of reputation are named here for the first time.
12. Peter and John were the Apostolic authorities, James was the Pastor-Teacher of the Jerusalem saints.
13. Peter, who was alive for a brief time after Pauls execution, had the Apostolic authority to take over Pauls canon after him. 1 Pet 5:1
14. On Pauls first visit to Jerusalem, he had not sought any spiritual information or approval, and now he is only setting his gospel before these three pillars to ensure that they are all in unison as to their message.
15. Although they communicated the same Truth, it was under different circumstances their headquarters were in Jerusalem, Pauls was from Antioch in Syria.
16. We do not know if this was the first time John and Paul met, but it was the first time Paul had sought him out specifically.
17. John appears in the earlier chapters of Acts as an associate of Peter (Ac 3:1ff, 8:14ff), and according to his epistles became the Apostle to the Christians of Asia Minor after the destruction of Jerusalem. 1 Jn 2:1; 3 Jn 14; Rev 1:4
18. In the Gospels, from the twelve men who were to be the rulers of Israel in the New Age (Mt 19:28; Lk 22:29), three were given special access to the purpose of Christs ministry on earth : Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee. cp Mk 5:37, 9:2
19. Paul uses the figurative term "pillars" in the sense of these men providing support and defense for the infant church.
20. In Rev 3:12, Jesus promises that those who overcome in the Philadelphia era of the Church Age will be made "a pillar in the sanctuary of my God".
21. As the ministry to the Jews, entrusted to Peter in vss 7-8, is allotted to all three "pillars", so the ministry to the Gentiles, entrusted to Paul in vss 7-8, is extended to Paul and Barnabas together in v 9.
22. Paul mentions Barnabas for the first time since vs 1, and now mentions him only summarily, as a partner and recognized evangelist along with him.
23. Although he and Paul shared certain distinctive features of missionary policy, such as maintaining themselves and declining to accept money from their converts (1Co 9:6), Barnabas recognized that Paul was the higher authority.
24. Barnabas never claimed to have seen the risen Lord, and never called himself an apostle; indeed, he was not an apostle in any sense until the Jerusalem church sent him to Antioch to assist the church there.
25. It was primarily Paul that was under attack as a false teacher, so his emphasis is on the fact that these three church leaders had extended their right hand in fellowship with him hardly what the Judaizers claimed had happened.
26. Unlike a simple handshake, clasping hands in ancient times was a more solemn gesture, and meant they were bound together and in complete agreement concerning the message they taught.
27. Paul is throwing back at the Judaizers their claim that Paul was out of line with the real Apostles, by pointing out that he was not just in doctrinal harmony with them, but also total personal harmony. cp 2Pe 3:15-16
28. Peter, James, and John agreed with Paul and Barnabas that they would focus primarily on the evangelization of Jews and proselytes, while Paul would primarily focus on the heathen Gentile world that had never heard of the Jewish God. cp Ac 17:18
29. However, Jesus commanded the 11 apostles with Him at the Ascension to "go and make disciples of all the nations" (Mt 28:19), and this they did after their ministry in Israel was complete.
30. It cannot be implied that Paul, provided his right to proclaim a law-free gospel was safe-guarded, would have agreed to allow a law-based gospel to be taught by the Jerusalem gospel. 1:8-9
31. So, the argument from this section is that Paul did not receive his recognition from the elders as if he had been defective without it, rather that they recognized he had already received it, from the same Source as did they.
32. The Present tense of "remember" in vs 10 has the idea of "continue to remember".
33. Verse 10 cannot be taken out of the original context.
34. It was not an addition to the agreement, it was a part of the agreement itself.
35. Notice "they" and "asked" are not in the original text the literal translation is "only the poor that we might remember" and the broken syntax links this phrase with vs 9.
36. The "poor" is a specific group of individuals, that all these men had a vested interest in assisting.
37. It is a reference to the poor of the Jerusalem church, the very reason Paul and Barnabas had come to Jerusalem to bring the relief fund to assist.
38. The Pillars were asking Paul not to neglect the Jewish Christians while he evangelized the Gentile world.
39. The Hebrew Christians were under very severe persecution, including monetary persecution, because they had broken with Judaism. Heb 10:34
40. Paul regularly arranged financial assistance for the Jerusalem church, as seen in his instructions to the Corinthians. 2Co 8
41. Paul was telling his readers that the very thing the Pillars had asked him to do, he had already been doing they did not even add to his ministry in that area nor was he a mere messenger for the Jerusalem Pillars.
42. The Aorist of spoudazw points to the past, the fact that Paul had come in response to a revelation that the poor Christians of Jerusalem were going to suffer a famine. Ac 11:28
43. None of the Judaizers claims held up under the slightest scrutiny: the Pillars of the Church had not contributed to his message or instructed him in the application of Bible Doctrine.
44. In 2Th 3:7-12, Paul gives instructions about the non-legitimate poor, those who refuse to work, even though they are able.
45. Prayerfully consider the circumstances before giving money, or withholding it from a potential recipient.
46. 1Ti 6:17-19 gives us Pauls (and therefore Gods) attitude concerning people who are financially prospered in the Royal Family.
47. 1Jo 3:17 denies the actuality of a believer maintaining the FHS if they withhold this worlds goods from a brother in need.
48. Also, James wrote that the believer who withholds clothing or daily food from a brother or sister (in Christ) that mans faith is dead i.e. temporal death, or separated from the FHS. Js 2:15-17
49. Paul had been, and would continue to assist those who were financially suffering because of their faith.
50. Jesus pronounced a blessing on anyone who voluntarily sacrifices his physical wealth in favor of the riches of Bible Doctrine, in Mt 5:3
51. Personal, financial support of the legitimate poor is at the very heart of Biblical Christianity. Js 1:27