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Galatians 2:15 – Arrogant Servant?

Posted on September 18, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:15

We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

Truth to Learn

An arrogant Christian is an oxymoron. We who are saved by the blood of Christ should never be proud of ourselves.

Behind the Words

The words “by nature” are translated from the Greek word phusis. This word is derived from the noun phuo, which means “to bring forth” or “to give birth.” In this verse this word refers to the Jews who were natural born Jews, that is, those who had been Jews since birth.

Meaning Explained

Although this is a short verse it elicits a couple of questions that have been the topics of debate for centuries. The first, and less obvious, is, “Who is Paul addressing with the remainder of this chapter?” Some say that he is now again addressing the Galatian Christians, while others argue that Paul is still addressing Peter, Barnabas, and the other Jews in their company. To answer this question let’s look at the context. In this verse and the remainder of the chapter Paul does not specifically indicate that he has changed audiences however beginning with the first verse of the next chapter he does, for he says: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that …” So it appears that the remainder of the current chapter is a recounting of what Paul said to Peter, Barnabas, and the others.

The second question that has arisen about this verse is, “What does Paul mean by “not sinners of the Gentiles’?” It appears that he is saying that all Gentiles are sinners and that all Jews are righteous. But, if you read Paul’s letter to the Romans you find that Paul understands that there is neither a Jew nor a Gentile who is not a sinner.

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin. As it is written: “there is none righteous, no, not one;”(Romans 3:9, 10)

What Paul is referring to in the current verse is that the Jews were given special revelation with the bringing of the Law, and God chose them to be caretakers of this Law. Therefore, the Jews had complete instruction of what God’s expects from mankind whereas the Gentiles did not have this instruction. As a result, the Gentiles were not restrained from sinning as the Jews were because they didn’t have God’s revelation to man. And, for this reason, the Jews tended to think of themselves as righteous by the keeping of the Law and they thought of Gentiles as unrighteous and sinful, unfit for fellowship or even conversation.

Paul is going to use this notion to reiterate for the others that it is not through the keeping of the Law that we are righteous but through faith in Jesus Christ. And these others know this truth, but they have allowed themselves to be drawn away from the simple truths of the gospel into hypocrisy.

Application

Have you allowed yourself to become arrogant in your faith, somehow better than others who are sinful and unsaved?

We all need to return to the basics of our faith from time to time to remember that we are saved by God’s grace. As such, our calling in life is to be humble, submitted servants of our Lord (our owner) who is also our Savior, Jesus Christ.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Galatians 2:14 – Walking Straight Footed

Posted on September 14, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:14

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

Truth to Learn

Focus on serving God and giving Him the glory and your Christian walk will be straightforward.

Behind the Words

The word translated “straightforward” is the Greek word, “orthopodousin” which is composed of “orthos” meaning “straight or upright” and a form of “pous” meaning “foot.” Hence, it literally means “straight footed,” but it carries the meaning of walking the straight path and doing so in the proper or upright manner or “to behave in the proper manner.”

Meaning Explained

The apostle Paul is often bold and very direct, and there never seems to be even a hint of malice in his actions or words. Here we see him directly confronting the apostle Peter about his hypocrisy. Paul saw it for what it was and called Peter on it right there in front of Barnabas and the other Jews.

Peter and the others weren’t being straightforward about the truth of the gospel. Paul obviously views the term gospel as representing more than just the good news about salvation through faith in the shed blood of Christ. To him it includes all the truth about how we should conduct ourselves on this earth as children of our Heavenly Father.

Peter was a Jew by birth and upbringing, just as Paul was. He knew the Law and learned to obey it as a small child. Now that God has revealed the truth to Peter, however, he knows that the requirements of the Law do not apply to Christians. That’s why he is willing to sit and eat with Gentile Christians and, apparently, even partake of the same food as them. And Paul, putting the challenge to him the way he did, affirms that Christians don’t have to keep the Law.

In effect, what Paul said to Peter is, “If you don’t have to obey the Law anymore, why do you insist that Gentile Christians obey the Law.” You see, both Paul and Peter knew that Christ set us free from the bondage of the Law. Here’s how Paul said it to the Romans.

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. (Romans 3:20-22)

We are not bound by the law of commandments but by a higher law, the law of love for others. We should focus on pleasing God by doing everything we can to bring praise to Him instead of ourselves. If that is our constant focus then we will always be walking “straight footed.”

Application

Are you still trying to please God by obeying the Law of commandments and ordinances or church rules that are inconsistent with New Testament faith in Christ? Or are you trying to please God and bring praise to Him?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 2:13 – Contagious Hypocrisy

Posted on September 13, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:13

And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

Truth to Learn

Your actions have an affect on others in the body of Christ.

Behind the Words

The word, “hypocrite” is translated from, “hupokrinomai” which is made up of “hupo” meaning “under”, indicating secrecy, and a form of “krino” meaning “to judge.” Originally it meant to respond or reply but it later came to mean to inquire, distinguish, and get under the meaning of dreams (to interpret them.) Eventually it acquired the meaning to represent, act, or impersonate someone as an actor would. Hence it came to be applied to an actor playing a part or to someone pretending to be what they are not. That is the meaning that it has today, someone who intentionally appears to be different than what they really are.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul explained how the apostle Peter behaved hypocritically with respect to the requirements of the Law. Even though God had miraculously revealed to Peter that the Gentiles are not unclean and even though Peter had been part of the church council at Jerusalem where it was decided that the Gentile Christians were not bound by the requirements of the Law, he still felt the need to obey the Law himself, at least while in the presence of other Jews.

Peter knew there was no longer any requirement to separate from Gentiles and freely associated with them as long as there were no Jews around. But as soon as some of his Jewish friends came from Jerusalem, he no longer associated with these Gentiles. He was more concerned with what the Jewish brothers thought of him than what his Gentile brothers in Christ thought of him. And it is implied that these Jewish brothers who came from Jerusalem were Christians as well. So, instead of Peter being a good example to them, showing that fellowshipping with non-Jewish Christian brethren was allowed, even appropriate, he separated himself from these Gentile believers. He was being a hypocrite.

Because of Peter’s hypocrisy, he caused the other Jewish Christians to also behave hypocritically with respect to the Gentile believers. Peter’s influence was not just on the weaker brothers either. Even Barnabas, who has Paul’s companion on the first missionary journey to the Gentiles, was adversely influenced by Peter’s actions. How tragic!

Application

Many Christians today are more concerned with what others think than what God thinks. Not only are our unsaved neighbors and co-workers observing our behavior, but others in the Church as well. We should be transparent, that is, we should act the way we believe. We need to be witnesses of God’s grace to everyone around us and we must do so in a way that will glorify God not bring shame to Him. One day we will all stand before God to give account of our actions. Not for our sins, these were all taken care of at the cross, but for our service to Him. If our actions are directed by what others think of us they will be burned up like wood, hay, and stubble. But if our actions are based on what God wants us to do they will survive the testing fire like gold, silver, and precious stones.

What materials are you building with?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 2:12 – Hypocrisy in Action

Posted on September 12, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:12

for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

Truth to Learn

Hypocrisy is one of the ugliest forms of self-centeredness in a Christian. It reveals the true selfish sinfulness of the heart.

Behind the Words

The word “withdrew” is from hupostellō, which means “to retract” or “to withdraw.” Used, as it is here, with the personal pronoun “himself,” it shows that Peter made a deliberate action of withdrawing himself.

The word “separated” is from the Greek word aphoridzō, which means “to make a very distinct and clear separation between two things.” The root of this word is the very word from which the Pharisees got their name.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we learned that the apostle Paul stood-up against the apostle Peter when Peter came to Antioch. In the current verse we learn why he did this. Peter had come to Antioch, whether on church business or not we aren’t told. When he came there he freely permitted himself to sit down and eat with the Gentiles. This is probably a reference to members of the church at Antioch who were Gentiles before they were converted to Christianity.

We need to understand, however, that it was not lawful for a Jew to have fellowship with Gentiles. If you read through Acts chapter 10, however, you will see that God spoke directly to Peter to convince him that it was alright for a Jew to commune with Gentiles. Peter listened obediently to God and became an evangelistic witness to a Roman centurion named Cornelius, his family, and friends. When Peter returned to Jerusalem he was challenged by some of the Jewish Christians there because he went in and ate with Gentiles. Peter then proceeded to explain his vision and the saving work of the Holy Spirit through him to the Gentiles. Here’s how the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem responded to his explanation:

When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)

So, it is not unusual that Peter was eating with Gentiles in Antioch when he was there, knowing that he was no longer bound by the Law of Moses. The problem is that when some Jewish Christians came from the Church in Jerusalem, Peter then acted with them as if he were still bound by the Law and very intentionally separated himself from the Gentiles just as a Pharisee would do. Not only was this very impolite, even rude, to the Gentile Christians in Antioch, but Peter was displaying his ugly hypocrisy to the entire church there.

Application

If we are going to be effective witnesses for Christ we can’t be hypocritical about our faith. Many an unsaved person has been turned-off to the truths of Christ because they have seen people professing to be Christians not living like Christians should. Whether we realize it or not, others are watching how we live and we are a silent witness for Christ to them.

Is your witness turning others to Christ or away from Him?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 2:11 – Standing Firm

Posted on September 11, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:11

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;

Truth to Learn

Standing firm in support of the truth of God is important no matter who you have to stand against.

Behind the Words

Paul tells us in this verse that he withstood him (Peter). The Greek word translated “withstood” is “antesten” which means “to stand against.” Literally what Paul says is that he “stood against him to his face.” That is, Paul “faced him down.” In other words, there was a significant disagreement between Paul and Peter and Paul did not back down but took a firm stand against Peter.

The expression “he was to be blamed” is translated from the Greek words kategnōsmenos ēn. The word kategnōsmenos is made up of kata, meaning “against” and a form of ginōskō, meaning “to know.” It, therefore, refers to something being known against someone. By implication it is something bad that is known, so this word can be interpreted as “he is wrong.” The word ēn in this verse is the imperfect tense of the verb of being. Hence it means “he was.” The implication of this tense is that the condition existed for a period of time, not just on one occasion. Hence, Paul is saying that Peter “was being wrong.”

Meaning Explained

Now that Paul has demonstrated to the Christians in the churches of Galatia that he is, indeed, the apostle to the Gentiles and that he received his message directly from God, he will show them that the type of issues they are facing are not unique. The problem, you will recall, is the fact that some teachers in the churches in Galatia were teaching that a Christian must keep the requirements of the Mosaic Law, in addition to faith in Christ, in order to be saved. Paul’s teaching is that there are no requirements for salvation, either in the Law or in any church teaching or tradition, beyond simple faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Paul has recounted his salvation experience, the receiving of his commission and message from Christ, and the circumstances of the apostolic leaders of the Jerusalem church confirming his commission and message. Now he will show that even some of those who were pillars of the church in Jerusalem (specifically, the apostle Peter) sometimes had difficulties shaking themselves loose from the bindings of the Law.

As we will see in the following verses, Peter was behaving in a manner that either was, or at least appeared, hypocritical. Peter was more concerned with what other Jews thought of his actions than what God thought of his actions. As a result, though he said that adherence to the law was not required, he acted as though it was required. It was because of this behavior that Paul stood against him face to face, because Peter was wrong! Once again it is apparent that Peter was not anointed the first Pope, otherwise Paul would not have gotten away with his position against him because Peter was clearly wrong.

Application

There are many Christians today who say that it is wrong to argue in church. In most cases this is true, but when the disagreement is in regard to a doctrinal issue it is important to stand firm on what the Bible teaches as truth.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Galatians 2:10 – Only Remember

Posted on September 7, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:10

They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.

Truth to Learn

We have much in terms of material things. It is both our responsibility and our privilege to share such things with those who are less fortunate than we are.

Behind the Words

The word translated “only” is monon which means “singly, or alone.” We use this word today in many applications such as saying that someone’s speech is “monotonous” (as if spoken with a single tone, without variation.) In the current verse it tells that there was but a single admonition given by the apostolic leaders to Paul and Barnabus.

“We should remember” is translated from mnēmoneō, meaning “to remember.” It is the word from which we get our English word mnemonic, referring to a memory aid. It is used here in the present tense, active voice, subjunctive mood, implying something that should be done continually.

Meaning Explained

Once Paul had convinced the apostolic elders of the Jerusalem church that he truly was the apostle to the Gentiles and was warmly welcomed to their fellowship, they made but one request of him. As the current verse says, they desired only that Paul and his fellow laborers should continually remember the poor. It is most likely that they were referring to the poor among the Christians in Jerusalem for they had suffered greatly both because of their faith and because of the famines that periodically inflicted that area.

Not only was Paul not averse to doing as suggested, but it was something that he was quite ready to do. In fact we find that it was part of what Paul regularly encouraged others to do. When he wrote his letter to the Christians in Rome he mentions his trip to Jerusalem to minister to the poor there. He also mentions the willingness of the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to contribute to the needs of the poor in Jerusalem.

But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. (Romans 15:25-27)

This attitude toward the poor, however, seems to be lost on most of today’s Christians. We have become so wrapped up in our own materialistic desires that we fail to recognize how rich we have become in the things of this world. We, in this country, have so much compared to the rest of the world and to the vast majority of all people who have lived throughout all of time. And yet, we find ourselves being occupied much of our days with a desire for more while the poor around us dream of having but a fraction of what we have.

Application

Let us all throw ourselves humbly before our God and earnestly seek His guidance on how we can minister to the poor around us today – especially, those in the church!

Let us do it in the name of Christ!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Galatians 2:9 – Sent by God

Posted on September 6, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:9

and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Truth to Learn

We all have different ministries which God has called us to but we all share in His ministry as His servants.

Behind the Words

“Seemed” is translated from the Greek word dokeō, which means “to think,” “to imagine,” or “to consider.” By implication it means “to be perceived as” or “to have the reputation of.” Hence, Paul is saying that Peter, James, and John were recognized as being pillars.

The Greek word stulos refers to a pillar or column which is of primary importance in supporting the overhead portion of a building. Here it is translated as “pillars” signifying that Peter, James, and John were the foremost apostles in the church and they were the ones on whom the church relied.

The word translated “perceived” is the Greek word, “gnontes” which means “to come to know” that is, “to gain new knowledge.” It is expressed as a participle and it is the first part of this sentence, giving it emphasis. Hence, it could be expressed as, “And knowing the grace that had been given to me …’

Meaning Explained

Now that Paul has had a chance to communicate directly with the apostolic leaders of the church in Jerusalem it has become clear to them that Paul is genuine in his claims. Before this meeting, the elders of the Jerusalem church had heard about Paul’s conversion and the fact that his former persecuting zeal was now changed into an evangelistic zeal particularly toward the Gentiles. Yet, they apparently weren’t fully convinced of his apostolic calling.

He surely must have shared his apostolic calling with them at this time just as he would later to the Jews in Jerusalem who wanted to kill him. He received this apostolic commission from the Lord himself. Shortly after his conversion, Paul had returned to Jerusalem and was in a trance in the temple and he heard the Lord speak directly to him:

Then He said to me, “Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.” (Acts 22:21)

Now that Paul has witnessed to them, showing the marvelous things that God had done by his hand, they “knew” that he was genuinely saved and that he was the apostle to the Gentiles.

The apostolic leaders then gave them the right hand of fellowship showing that Paul and Barnabas were accepted as associates with the apostles in the great work of spreading the gospel throughout the world. And, as a result, Paul’s calling to the Gentiles was recognized as being as legitimate to him as their own calling to the Jews.

Application

Do you know what ministry God has called you to? Have you experienced the energizing of the Spirit of God to do what you were called to do? If so, do it with the same zeal that Paul exhibited in his ministry. If not, get on your knees, submit yourself once again to the Lordship of Christ, and ask Him to reveal how He wants you to serve Him.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 2:8 – Spirit at Work

Posted on September 5, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:8

(for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles),

Truth to Learn

The Holy Spirit of God is effective and at work today.

Behind the Words

The word translated as “worked effectively” in the current verse is the Greek verb “energaysas” from which we get our English word energy. The Greek word means, “to be at work, to be effective, or to be operative.” It refers to the source of working power.

The word “apostleship” is a form of the Greek word “apostolos,” which is made up of “apo,” meaning “from or away from” and “stello,” meaning “to be sent.” Hence, “apostolos” means “one who is sent away from” (with a message).

Meaning Explained

Paul is now asserting that in the same way that Peter is an apostle of the Jews, he (Paul) is the apostle of the Gentiles. He asserts that it is so by the power, that is, the effective working, of the Holy Spirit. His purpose in making this point is that the false teachers in the churches of Galatia were claiming they had an angelic or apostolic source for their message, but Paul is demonstrating that he did not get his message from an angel or an apostle, rather he IS an apostle and he got his message directly from the risen Christ.

The question that we have to ask ourselves here is, what is Paul referring to when he says “worked effectively in”? Clearly, the one who did this effective work is the Holy Spirit. And, some commentators would have us believe that Paul is referring to the working of miracles by the Holy Spirit, particularly miracles of healing. Both Paul and Peter performed miracles of healing through the power of the Spirit as part of their ministry, including bringing people back to life. I submit to you, however, that “worked effectively in” has nothing to do with miraculous healings. Instead, it has everything to do with the miracle of salvation, brought about by the preaching of the gospel message. In Peter’s case, it was preaching the gospel to the Jews and in Paul’s case it was to the Gentiles.

In his explanation of this interaction with Peter, Paul never once mentions healing miracles. He does, however, mention the gospel. In verse two Paul talks about the gospel that he preached among the Gentiles and in verse seven he says that the key piece of the evidence of his apostleship was the gospel for the Gentiles which had been committed to him. Hence, Paul says that it is the gospel message, or more importantly, its effect, which is the evidence of his apostleship, not the working of miracles.

Application

Let’s take our focus off the working of miraculous healings today as evidence of a person’s ministry. Instead, let us look to the working of the Spirit of God in drawing sinners to Jesus Christ through faith. If you are looking for the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit today, then proclaim the gospel message. When you witness to someone and that person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are seeing the Holy Spirit perform the miracle of salvation through faith.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 2:7 – Listening Leaders

Posted on September 4, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:7

But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter

Truth to Learn

The leaders of the church can learn God given truths even from recent converts as long as they are willing to listen.

Behind the Words

The words translated “But on the contrary” are alla tounantion. The word alla, according to The Complete Word Study Dictionary, is “a particle implying in speech some diversity to what preceded. It serves, therefore, to mark opposition, antithesis, or transition.” The word tounantion is made up of the neuter definite article to (meaning “the”) and enantion, meaning “opposite.” Hence the words alla tounantion literally mean “but, just the opposite.”

The expression “gospel for the uncircumcised” is literally, “gospel of the uncircumcised.” This seems to indicate a different type of gospel message than that which has been given to the Jews. It is not a different type of gospel, however, just delivered to a different group of people. Though Paul’s ministry was primarily to the Gentiles, in his missionary travels he nearly always started with the Jews of a particular area, then expanded his ministry to the Gentiles declaring the same gospel message to all people.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that the apostolic leaders of the church in Jerusalem were not able to add anything to his storehouse of knowledge regarding the topic at hand, the supposed requirement for all Christians to obey the Law of Moses and be circumcised in order to be saved.

Paul starts off this verse with a startling statement. He says, “But just the opposite.” Not only did Peter, James, and John not add anything to Paul’s knowledge, but just the opposite, that is, the apostolic leaders learned something from Paul. He had a personal audience with these leaders of the Jerusalem church in order to explain to them the false teaching that the legalizers had been spreading in Antioch. And these leaders recognized the power of God in Paul’s ministry and message, accepting him then and there as the apostle to the Gentiles.

The proof of this is in the following statement, “when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter.” The apostolic leaders of the church in Jerusalem recognized the legitimacy of Paul’s apostleship to the Gentile world. An interesting thing to note here is that if Peter had been assigned by Christ to be the “head of the church on earth” as the Catholic popes would have the world believe, then Peter would have claimed superiority over Paul at this point. Instead, however, he recognized Paul as being on an equal level with himself and the other apostles. We will discuss more about this later in this epistle.

Application

Paul, as one proclaiming the simple truth of the gospel of Christ is not willing to change his beliefs no matter who he comes up against. And we who hold to the same simple truth of the gospel need not be dissuaded either. No matter who tries to teach us otherwise, our beliefs are based upon the Word of God, and nothing else.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 2:6 – Resistance is Not Futile

Posted on August 31, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:6

But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.

Truth to Learn

Just because someone has a position of authority or advanced education does not mean they are always right.

Behind the Words

The words “those who seemed to be something” are translated from a form of dokeō, which means “to think, imagine, or appear.” Hence, Paul is referring to those who, on the surface, appear to be authorities.

Meaning Explained

This is a very confusing verse to many so let’s take it one piece at a time. Paul starts this verse off with, “But from those who seemed to be something.” This is a reference to the leaders of the apostles at Jerusalem. Paul is not implying that they were trying to be something that they weren’t. He is simply showing the Galatian Christians that even the most eminent apostles in Jerusalem had no greater authority over their message than Paul did over his.

Remember that the false teachers in Antioch had claimed either apostolic authority or angelic authority for their false teaching. Paul claims that the authority of his teaching came directly from God himself. And as Paul is describing the private meeting that he had with the apostolic leaders in Jerusalem he is pointing out that they had no “privilege of rank” over Paul.

The next part of this verse, “whatever they were, it makes no difference to me: God shows personal favoritism to no man,” indicates that Paul was not impressed nor intimidated by their position. This is because he knows from the Scripture that God is not a respecter of persons, therefore neither is Paul. This is not saying that Paul didn’t respect their position within the church just that he was not intimidated or necessarily obliged to take what they said as authoritative.

Finally, and this is the crux of this verse, Paul says, “for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.” Again, let me say that with the phrase, “those who seemed to be something,” Paul is not being insolent or sarcastic regarding the apostolic leaders. He is saying that those who appeared to be the leaders, those who seemed to be the authoritative ones, were not able to give anything to Paul (in terms of insight or new information) that he didn’t already have.

He is defending the fact that his message came directly from Christ himself and the apostolic leaders did not dispute his message or attempt to dissuade him from the doctrine he was teaching. He will make this point clearer in the following verses.

Application

The thing we need to take with us from this verse is the fact that no matter how hallowed or revered a person seems to be, if his message is contrary to the Word of God, then we have no reason to believe him or her. And if we are teaching the truth from the Word then we need not bow to any argument or persuasion from anyone no matter how authoritative they are or how many degrees they have earned.

We stand on the Word of God and on the Word of God alone!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –