Galatians 2:6 Commentary and Bible Study

Paul refers to the leaders as ‘them which were of reputation’ and ‘those who seemed to be somewhat’, and ‘who seemed to be pillars’. This is curious language. Why should he cast doubt on their status? Certainly he would take nothing away from them that God had given them, but there were some who honoured them too highly, who made them to be more truly apostles than Paul. The Judaizers unduly exalted the Jerusalem apostles and for their sake Paul must introduce a note of realism. He refuses to present himself as a subordinate and inferior messenger of the gospel coming up to Jerusalem to submit his message to the real apostles for their approval or disapproval. Because he is also an apostle, no such test is required.These words must be considered against the background of the Judaizers’ false exaltation of the Jerusalem apostles above Paul. They made this comparison not to exalt the other apostles but to put down Paul and to undermine his authority. So, although Paul has great personal regard for the Jerusalem apostles, and no jealousy or bitterness towards them, for the sake of the gospel he must not allow the Galatians to accept this false comparison. Paul’s grammatical break is, as Hendriksen explains, a result of his strong emotion. He cares deeply about the truth and about the Galatians grasp of the truth. He knows what deceitful forces are at work and he cannot be anything other than passionate in his defence of the truth. He completes the sentence at the end of verse 4 in a slightly different form. He is quite correct to strip of them that reputation which they had been falsely given. He knows that when the apostles read his letter, they will understand his need to say these things.