And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship; that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision.
All Commentaries on Galatians 2:9 Go To Galatians 2
John Chrysostom
AD 407
And when they perceived the grace that was given unto me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship.
He says not when they heard, but when they perceived, that is, were assured by the facts themselves, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship. Observe how he gradually proves that his doctrine was ratified both by Christ and by the Apostles. For grace would neither have been implanted, nor been operative in him, had not his preaching been approved by Christ. Where it was for the purpose of comparison with himself, he mentioned Peter alone; here, when he calls them as witnesses, he names the three together, Cephas, James, John, and with an encomium, who were reputed to be pillars. Here again the expression who were reputed does not impugn the reality of the fact, but adopts the estimate of others, and implies that these great and distinguished men, whose fame was universal, bore witness that his preaching was ratified by Christ, that they were practically informed and convinced by experience concerning it. Therefore they gave the right hands of fellowship to me, and not to me only, but also to Barnabas, that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the Circumcision. Here indeed is exceeding prudence as well as an incontrovertible proof of their concord. For it shows that his and their doctrine was interchangeable, and that both approved the same thing, that they should so preach to the Jews, and he to the Gentiles.
