Galatians 2:1-10
The account which Paul gives us of the circumstances of his apostleship completes that which we know from the book of Acts. When the Lord had entrusted to Peter the proclamation of the gospel to the Jews, Paul was chosen to preach the same gospel to the Gentiles (v. 8). His meeting with the other apostles could not weaken a call received from the Lord. However, he took so much to heart their recommendation to remember the poor that this became indirectly the cause of his imprisonment at Jerusalem (Acts 24:17). What do we learn from these exchanges of the apostles? That we must value the service of others, and be careful not to go beyond the scope of our own, but to fulfil it without faltering and without having regards to man’s person (v. 6).
The book of Acts confirms how much trouble the first Christians of Jewish origin had in freeing themselves of ordinances: circumcision and observance of the law. A conference was held at Jerusalem to settle these questions (Acts 15:1-41). But Satan does not readily renounce a weapon which he has already used with some success. In their turn, the Galatians, although not themselves Jews, had fallen into this trap, and Paul applies himself to showing them the terrible danger involved.