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Paul substantiates his claim of divine revelation by citing the early support he received from the church leadership in Jerusalem. The chronology here is in dispute. Commentators are about equally divided as to whether this meeting is the same as that recorded in Ac 15, or occurred prior to Ac 15 but subsequent to Ac 11, the “famine visit” (Ridderbos, 78-80; Lightfoot, 123-28; Betz, 81-83; Burton, 64-68). If Gal 2 is to be associated with the “famine visit,” the problem cited in the epistle could not have risen from the Galatian preaching in Ac 13-14, which would have been later. If, on the other hand, it is associated with the incident in Ac 15, the meeting would be after Paul’s preaching mission in South Galatia.
That Paul went by revelation (v.2) is not incompatible with the incident recorded in Ac 15. Revelation could mean by direct divine inspiration or indirectly through the suggestions of the church. In any event, “Paul did not go as a humble petitioner” (Betz, 86), but sought to avoid what Bruce calls a “cleavage between the gentile mission and the mother church [which] would be disastrous” to the work of the gospel (Bruce, 111).
When the traditionalists insisted on the circumcision of the Gentiles, Paul and Barnabas came to Jerusalem to secure recognition of the Gospel that Paul had preached. They brought with them Titus, a Gentile. The essence of Paul’s conviction was that provision for the salvation of the Gentiles was complete and could not be ensured further by subjection to circumcision. Since a theological issue of real import was involved, Paul refused to allow himself to be adversely influenced by the status of those in Jerusalem. Paul’s words are not to be construed as casting aspersions on the leaders in Jerusalem. They do emphasize, however, that Paul did not see himself as having gone to Jerusalem to accept their decision, whatever it might have been. In his opinion, to make an advance commitment to the authority of Jerusalem would be failing to be obedient to God’s call.
There were, it seems, three parties at the Jerusalem Council: (Ac 15): Paul and Barnabas, who wanted to recognize Gentile believers without circumcision; the “pillars,” including James the brother of the Lord; and the “false brethren,” who wanted to have the Gentile Christians circumcised. The latter disapproved of the decision not to require circumcision, as supported by James in a letter given to Paul for transmission to the Galatian churches. The “false brethren” continued to cause more disturbance by denouncing Paul and his ministry.