The name Syria is placed before Cilicia, though the ministry at Tarsus preceded that at Antioch: for the latter was by far the more important and prolonged ministry. A further reason for placing
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23. ἤμην δὲ ἀγνοούμενος τῷ προσώπῳ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Ιουδαίας
ad > a , ‘ , > a ε , ε a ταις ἐν Χριστῷ" 23. μόνον δὲ ἀκούοντες ἧσαν ὅτι ὁ διώκων ἡμᾶς ποτε
νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει.
ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸν Θεόν.
Syria first was the subordinate position of Cilicia: for Roman Cilicia was, like Judza, only a district of the great pro- vince of Syria, separately administered by an imperial procurator at Tarsus.
In Acts xv. 41 Syria and Cilicia are coupled together as forming a single region (τὴν Συρίαν καὶ Κιλικίαν), no article being inserted before Κιλικίαν; not so here, for the first ministry at Tar- sus was distinct from that at Antioch.
Ver. 22. ἤμην δὲ ayv. The correct translation is not I was unknown (as our versions render it), but I was becoming unknown. At the beginning of this period he was a familiar figure in Jeru- ‘salem, but in the course of ten years’ absence he gradually became a stranger to the Christians of Judza.—éxkAnotats. This passage speaks of the Churches of Judzea in the plural, as does also 1 Thess. ii. 14. In the Acts the Church through- out Judea, Galilee and Samaria is de- scribed as a single Church according to the text of the best MSS. (ix. 31): the funds contributed for the relief of the poor Christians in Judza are handed over to the Elders at Jerusalem (xi. 29, xii. 25); brethren from Judea are cen- sured as members of their own body by the assembled Church at Jerusalem (xv. 1, 24). It would seem from this that an effective unity of administration and control existed in Jerusalem side by side with local organisation of the several Churches of Judea.
Ver. 23. The faith seems to be here identified with the living body of be- lievers, for this verse describes Saul as making havoc of the faith, while ver. 13 applies that term to the Church.
Ver. 24. They glorified God in Saul, ascribing the change entirely to the grace of God working on his heart.
CHAPTER II.—Vv. 1-10. NARRATIVE OF THE AUTHOR’S VISIT WITH BARNABAS TO THE CHURCH OF JERUSALEM, HIS FRUITLESS NEGOTIATIONS WITH PARTY LEADERS, AND THE BROTHERLY WELCOME AND RECOGNITION HE RECEIVED FROM James PETER AND JoHN.—The author has shown by a rapid glance over the first thirteen years of his Christian life how independent he had been of human teaching at his conversion and sub- sequently. He now proceeds to record
24. καὶ ἐδόξαζον
11. τ. Ἔπειτα διὰ δεκατεσσάρων ἐτῶν πάλιν
the true history of the negotiations which he had undertaken at Jerusalem in con- junction with Barnabas in the fourteenth year of his ministry. (On the identity of this conference with the Apostolic Council, whose proceedings are recorded in Acts xv., see Introd., pp. 141-144). The Galatians were well aware of the position of Paul and Barnabas in the Church of Antioch: it was not therefore necessary to state in express terms that they were deputed to represent that Church. Enough that their first act was to lay before the Church of Jerusalem an account of the Gospel they were preaching to the Gentiles, and that their divine commission to the Gentiles was fully recognised by the leaders of the Church at Jerusalem. They knew already the general outline of events: for the resolution adopted at Jerusalem, and subsequently approved at Antioch, had been duly communicated to them by Paul himself. His object in this Epistle is to remove misconstruction as to his own position. His reference of this question to the Church of Jerusalem had been misrepresented as an act of sub- mission and acknowledgment of his own inferiority, whereas he had really procured the condemnation of the false brethren who denied his authority, had silenced his opponents, and met with brotherly fellowship and full recognition at the hands of James Peter and John.