SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:2
Pero fui por revelacin, y les comuniqu el Evangelio que predico entre los gentiles; mas particularmente a los que parecían ser algo, por no correr en vano, o haber corrido.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 2:2
Verse 2. I went up by revelation] This either means, that he went up at that time by an express revelation from God that it was his duty to do so, made either to the Church of Antioch to send these persons to Jerusalem, or to these persons to go according to the directions of that Church; or the apostle here wishes to say, that, having received the Gospel by revelation from God, to preach Christ among the Gentiles, he went up according to that revelation, and told what God had done by him among the Gentiles: or it may refer to the revelation made to certain prophets who came to Antioch, and particularly Agabus, who signified by the Spirit that there would be a dearth; in consequence of which the disciples purposed to send relief to their poor brethren at Jerusalem. See Acts xi. 27-30. But privately to them which were of reputation] toiv dokousi? To the chief men; those who were highest in reputation among the apostles.
dokountev, according to Hesychius, is oi endoxoi, the honourable. With these the apostle intimates that he had some private conferences.
Lest by any means] And he held these private conferences with those more eminent men, to give them information how, in consequence of his Divine call, he had preached the Gospel to the Gentiles, and the great good which God had wrought by his ministry; but they, not knowing the nature and end of his call, might be led to suppose he had acted wrong, and thus laboured in vain; and that, if he still continued to act thus, he should labour in vain. It was necessary, therefore, that he should give the apostolic council the fullest information that he had acted according to the Divine mind in every respect, and had been blessed in his deed.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. And I went up by revelation , etc..] He was not sent for by the apostles at Jerusalem, nor did he go of himself, nor only by the vote of the church at Antioch, but by a divine revelation; not a revelation made to the church, or by the prophets there, but by God himself to him; he had a secret impulse from the Spirit of God, and a private intimation given him, that it was the will of God he should go up at this time; which is no ways inconsistent with his being sent by the church, but served as a confirmation to him, that what they determined was right, and according to the mind of God: and communicated unto them that Gospel, which I preach among the Gentiles ; that self-same Gospel, which he had preached, and still continued to preach to the Gentiles; relating to free and full remission of sin by the blood of Christ, justification by his righteousness without the works of the law, and freedom from all the rituals and bondage of the Mosaic dispensation: for as the Gospel he preached was all of a piece, uniform and consistent, so he did not preach one sort of doctrine to the Gentiles, and another to the Jews; but the very self-same truths which were the subject of his ministry in the Gentile world, which were a crucified Christ, and salvation alone by him, these he communicated, laid before, and exposed unto the consideration of the elders and apostles at Jerusalem; not with a view either to give or receive instructions, but to compare their sentiments and principles together; that so it might appear that there, was an entire harmony and agreement between them; and this he did not publicly, to the whole church, at least at first, and especially the article of Christian liberty, which respects the freedom of the believing Jews, from the yoke of the law; for as yet they were not able to bear this doctrine; they could pretty readily agree that the Gentiles were not obliged to it, but could not think themselves free from it; wherefore the apostle, in great prudence, did not avouch this in the public audience: but privately to them which were of reputation ; or who seemed to be, i.e. somewhat, very considerable persons; not in their own opinion, or appearance only, but in reality, they seemed to be, and were pillars in the house of God; particularly he means James, Cephas, and John, then in great esteem with the saints, and deservedly honoured and respected by them, they being faithful labourers in the word and doctrine; so the Jewish doctors call men of great esteem, ybwj , who seem to be, or are accounted of, a word to which the phrase here used answers: these were spiritual men, capable of judging of all spiritual things; men of full age, whose senses were exercised to discern between truth and error; and were very proper persons for the apostle to lay the scheme of his ministry before, and the various truths he insisted on in it: these he met privately, or separately, and singly, as it may be rendered; he either conversed with the apostles alone, and all together, in some private house; or separately, one by one, in their own houses, and there freely and familiarly discoursed with them about the several doctrines of the Gospel; and particularly this, of freedom from the law: his end in it was, as he says, lest by any means I should run, or had run in vain : which is said, not with regard to himself, as if he had entertained any doubt of the doctrines he had preached, and needed any confirmation in them from them; for he was fully assured of the truth of them, and assured others of the same; or that he questioned the agreement of the apostles with him; or that his faith at all depended on their authority; but with regard to others, and his usefulness among them. The false teachers had insinuated that his doctrine was different from that of the apostles in Jerusalem, and so endeavoured to pervert the Gospel he preached, and overthrow the faith of those that heard him; and could this have been made to appear, it would in all likelihood have rendered, in a great measure, his past labours in vain, and have prevented his future usefulness: some read these words as an interrogation, do I in any manner run, or have I run in vain? no; from the account he laid before the church, the elders, and apostles, both in private and in public, ( Acts 15:4,12) it clearly appeared what success attended his ministry, how many seals he had of it, what numbers of souls were converted under it, and how many churches were planted by his means; for by running here is not meant the Christian course he ran, in common with other believers, which lies in the exercise of grace, and the discharge of duty; but the course of his ministry, which he performed with great activity, application, diligence, and constancy, until he had finished it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - Observe the apostle's faithfulness in giving a full account of the doctrine he had preached among the Gentiles, and was still resolved to preach, that of Christianity, free from all mixture of Judaism. Thi doctrine would be ungrateful to many, yet he was not afraid to own it His care was, lest the success of his past labours should be lessened or his future usefulness be hindered. While we simply depend upon God for success to our labours, we should use every proper caution to remove mistakes, and against opposers. There are things which ma lawfully be complied with, yet, when they cannot be done withou betraying the truth, they ought to be refused. We must not give plac to any conduct, whereby the truth of the gospel would be reflecte upon. Though Paul conversed with the other apostles, yet he did no receive any addition to his knowledge, or authority, from them Perceiving the grace given to him, they gave unto him and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, whereby they acknowledged that he wa designed to the honour and office of an apostle as well as themselves They agreed that these two should go to the heathen, while the continued to preach to the Jews; judging it agreeable to the mind of Christ, so to divide their work. Here we learn that the gospel is no ours, but God's; and that men are but the keepers of it; for this we are to praise God. The apostle showed his charitable disposition, an how ready he was to own the Jewish converts as brethren, though man would scarcely allow the like favour to the converted Gentiles; but mere difference of opinion was no reason to him why he should not hel them. Herein is a pattern of Christian charity, which we should exten to all the disciples of Christ.
Greek Textus Receptus
ανεβην 305 5627 δε 1161 κατα 2596 αποκαλυψιν 602 και 2532 ανεθεμην 394 5639 αυτοις 846 το 3588 ευαγγελιον 2098 ο 3739 κηρυσσω 2784 5719 εν 1722 τοις 3588 εθνεσιν 1484 κατ 2596 ιδιαν 2398 δε 1161 τοις 3588 δοκουσιν 1380 5723 μηπως 3381 εις 1519 κενον 2756 τρεχω 5143 5725 η 2228 εδραμον 5143 5627
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. By revelation (kata apokaluyin). It was specially and divinely revealed to me that I should go. In what way, he does not state.
Communicated (aneqemhn). Only here and Acts xxv. 14.'Ana up, tiqenai to set. To set up a thing for the consideration of others: to lay it before them.
Unto them (autoiv). The Christians of Jerusalem generally.
Privately (kat idian). The general communication to the Jerusalem Christians was accompanied by a private consultation with the leaders. Not that a different subject was discussed in private, but that the discussion was deeper and more detailed than would have befitted the whole body of Christians.
To them which were of reputation (toiv dokousin). Lit. to those who seem; are reputed. Men of recognized position, James, Cephas, John. Not his adversaries who were adherents of these three. It is not to be supposed that he would submit his gospel to such. The expression is therefore not used ironically. Paul recognizes the honorable position of the three and their rightful claim to respect. The repetition of the phrase (lv. 6, 9) may point to a favorite expression of his opponents in commending these leaders to Paul as models for his preaching; hardly (as Lightfoot) to the contrast between the estimation in which they were held and the actual services which they rendered to him. He chooses this expression because the matter at stake was his recognition by the earlier apostles, and any ironical designation would be out of place. 44 Lest by any means I should run or had run in vain. Better, should be running. Comp. Philip. ii. 16. This is sometimes explained as implying a misgiving on Paul's part as to the soundness of his own teaching, which he desired to have set at rest by the decision of the principal apostles. On this explanation mh pwv will be rendered lest in some way or other. But such a misgiving is contrary to Paul's habitual attitude of settled conviction respecting that gospel which he had received by revelation, and in the preaching of which he had been confirmed by experience. In consulting the Christians at Jerusalem Paul had principally in view the formal indorsement of his work by the church and its leaders. Their formal declaration that he had not been running in vain would materially aid him in his mission. Mh pwv is therefore to be taken as marking an indirect question, whether - not possibly; and the sense of the whole passage is as follows: "I laid before them that gospel which I preach to the Gentiles, that they might examine and settle for themselves the question whether I am not possibly running or had run in vain." The investigation was to be for their satisfaction, not for Paul's. 45 Run (trecein) is a favorite metaphor with Paul. See Rom. ix. 16; 1 Corinthians ix. 24, 26; Gal. v. 7; Philip. ii. 16; iii. 13, 14.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:2 {By revelation} (kata apokaluyin). In #Ac 15:2 the church sent them. But surely there is no inconsistency here. {I laid before them} (aneqemen autois). Second aorist middle indicative of old word anatiqemi, to put up, to place before, with the dative case. But who were the "them" (autois)? Evidently not the private conference for he distinguishes this address from that, "but privately" (kat' idian). Just place #Ac 15:4f. beside the first clause and it is clear: "I laid before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles," precisely as Luke has recorded. qen came the private conference after the uproar caused by the Judaizers (#Ac 15:5). {Before them who were of repute} (tois dokousin). He names three of them (Cephas, James, and John). James the Lord's brother, for the other James is now dead (#Ac 12:1f.). But there were others also, a select group of real leaders. The decision reached by this group would shape the decision of the public conference in the adjourned meeting. So far as we know Paul had not met John before, though he had met Peter and James at the other visit. Lightfoot has much to say about the Big Four (St. Paul and the Three) who here discuss the problems of mission work among Jews and Gentiles. It was of the utmost importance that they should see eye to eye. The Judaizers were assuming that the twelve apostles and James the Lord's brother would side with them against Paul and Barnabas. Peter had already been before the Jerusalem Church for his work in Caesarea (#Ac 11:1-18). James was considered a very loyal Jew. {Lest by any means I should be running or had run in vain} (me pws eis kenon trecw e edramon). Negative purpose with the present subjunctive (trecw) and qen by a sudden change the aorist indicative (edramon), as a sort of afterthought or retrospect (Moulton, _Prolegomena_, p. 201; Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 988). There are plenty of classical parallels. See also #1Th 3:5 for both together again.
