ACC ~ Galatians 2 v2b

THOSE WHO WERE OF REPUTE. MARIUS VICTORINUS: That is, those through whom the commandments and gospel of God were being handed down, such as apostles and the rest. “To these men,” he says, “I privately explained my gospel, which I preach among the Gentiles, so that if there was anything that they were handing on otherwise, they could correct it or could emend anything that I myself was handing on otherwise. This therefore was the cause of my going up to Jerusalem, and for this reason it was revealed to me that I should go up, so that it might be more readily known that my gospel to the Gentiles and their gospel to the Jews were the same.” Now the purpose of his expounding it privately was that shame might be taken from among them, and they might communicate to one another the mysteries that they knew. Since they all shared one opinion and one gospel, what was it that he labored to persuade them of? That they should not add anything new or join anything to it. That is the cause of the present sin of the Galatians in following Judaism and the practice of circumcision, the sabbath and other things. EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 1.2.2.

WHY HE MET THEM PRIVATELY. JEROME: What he says [about meeting privately] could be understood as meaning that the grace of evangelical liberty and the obsolescence of the law that was now abolished was discussed in confidence with the apostles on account of the many Jewish believers who were not yet able to hear that Christ was the fulfillment and end of the law. And these men, when Paul was absent, had boasted in Jerusalem that he was running and had run in vain when he supposed that the old law was not to be followed. EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 1.2.1-2.

PAUL’S MOTIVE. CHRYSOSTOM: It is indeed true that one who is eager to set right a common doctrine undertakes this not privately but in public. But it was not so with Paul, for he did not wish to learn or correct anything but rather to overthrow the pretext of those who were intent on deception. For since everyone in Jerusalem was scandalized if someone transgressed the law … he did not attempt to come forward openly and reveal his own preaching. HOMILY ON GALATIANS 2.2.

THE CALL TO CONFER WITHIN THE APOSTOLATE. JOHN CASSIAN: Who could be so presumptuous and blind as to dare to trust his own judgment and discretion, when the vessel of election bears witness that he needs the partnership of his coapostles? CONFERENCES 2.15.

Gal