I must look this up in various commentaries, but an interesting mode of expression Paul uses here - am just using NIV as Dad is asleep in bedroom where my new ESV is...
As Paul is (as so often) forced to defend the fact that he is a true apostle, his gospel accurate, he tells the Galatians of his trip to Jerusalem to lay his gospel before the church there to ensure they agreed with it...Not that he was in any doubt that it was accurate, but the constant swarms of Judaizers telling him those in Jerusalem disagreed had perturbed him, and he wanted to settle the issue once and for all.
So this is how he articulates this experience:
"...I did this privately to THOSE WHO SEEMED TO BE LEADERS" Huh? I'm sure he knew who the leaders were...
Later: "AS FOR THOSE WHO SEEMED TO BE IMPORTANT - WHATEVER THEY WERE MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME; GOD DOES NOT JUDGE BY EXTERNAL APPEARANCE-those men added nothing to my message..."Remember, he is referring to Peter, James and John!!!
""James, Peter and John, THOSE REPUTED TO BE PILLARS, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship...."
Odd, yes?
I think I understand his main motivation in stating things as he does - that an apostle's only job, validation, credibility etc. is to stand by the ONE truth, but still, the turn of phrase is so unexpected...What do you think?
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2 comments:
Maybe Paul is saying that the people did not really give Peter, James and John the honor and/or respect they deserved. They only looked at their outward appearances and thus did not really treat them as they should have as leaders so therefore his use of the word "seemed" may be high lighting their lack of acknowledgment. And when he says, "whatever they were makes no difference to me," perhaps he is stating that he sees them as leaders no matter how they look or who they may be. His opinion is not swayed by superficial things though the opinions of the Galatians can so easily be.
Who knows...just a wild guess!!!:)
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