Translation
Now from those who seemed influential (if they ever were does not matter to me, God does not show favoritism to men), but to me they added nothing, but rather, seeing that the gospel to the uncircumcised had been entrusted to me as the gospel to the circumcised had been entrusted to Peter (for the one working in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised worked in me in the apostleship the gentiles) and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, knew the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me, and to Barnabus, in order that we might go to the gentiles, they to the circumcised. They only wanted us to remember the poor, which is the same thing I am eager to do!
Reflections
These verses took a few minutes longer to translate today, not because they were particularly difficult (the idoms are the same as in preceding verses), but because I was trying to do them while watching football. It is possible that I fumbled a word or two along the way, but I am only partly remorseful for this lack of discipline. It is a good example of Paul’s rambling sentence structure. This sentence goes on and on, with lots of parenthetical notes and asides.
On a serious note, Paul’s refusal to recognize perceived human status really comes alive in these verses. In Paul’s world, there really is no different levels of esteem among people, in terms of the people whose opinions should count. That being said, He feels like it is worthwhile telling the galatians that he isn’t on an island here. His isn’t a rogue movement. The really important reason though, isn’t thatthe other leaders agreed with him, but that they recognized God’s work in his apostleship! There is continuity not just among the leaders, but the real important continuity is that all of this was by God’s doing.
One final note. It is very interesting to me that the important connection, the one thing that remains nonnegotiable, is compassionate care for the poor. The apostles insist on it, Paul is eager to follow through with it. The major question from this text for the church today might well be “Would we pass the test of remembering the poor?”
