The Meaning of Galatians 2:8 Explained

Galatians 2:8

KJV: (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

YLT: for He who did work with Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, did work also in me in regard to the nations,

Darby: (for he that wrought in Peter for the apostleship of the circumcision wrought also in me towards the Gentiles,)

ASV: (for he that wrought for Peter unto the apostleship of the circumcision wrought for me also unto the Gentiles);

KJV Reverse Interlinear

(For  he that wrought effectually  in Peter  to  the apostleship  of the circumcision,  the same  was mighty  in me  toward  the Gentiles:  ) 

What does Galatians 2:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Galatians 2:1-10 - Stand Firm For Truth
The great controversy in Paul's career was over the initial rite of Judaism. It would have been comparatively calm, if he had been willing to admit that Christianity was a sect of Judaism, and that men must become Jews before becoming Christians. His contention was that the ceremonial aspect of the Law did not apply to converts from heathendom. Gentile sinners had the right to go directly to Jesus Christ for salvation, without traveling around the circuitous route of Judaism. When men insisted on the outward rite, he resisted it with all the fiery vehemence of his nature, Galatians 2:3; Galatians 2:12. But when his opponents were willing to admit that circumcision was not essential, he administered it to one of Jewish blood, as a concession to the weak and uninstructed, Acts 16:3.
What blessed intercourse the four men here named must have enjoyed together! James would tell of the earlier biography of Jesus, in the home of Nazareth; Peter would dwell upon his own fellowship with Christ throughout our Lord's active ministry; John would unfold Jesus' inner life, as he afterwards did in his Gospel; Paul would tell of that revelation of the risen Christ on the Damascus road. Note that God must work in and for us, if we are to succeed in the gospel ministry. See Galatians 2:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Galatians 2

1  He shows when he went up again to Jerusalem, and for what purpose;
3  and that Titus was not circumcised;
11  and that he resisted Peter, and told him the reason;
14  why he and others, being Jews, believe in Christ to be justified by faith, and not by works;
20  and that they live not in sin, who are so justified

Greek Commentary for Galatians 2:8

He that wrought for Peter unto the apostleship of the circumcision [ο γαρ ενεργησας Πετρωι εις αποστολην της περιτομης]
Paul here definitely recognizes Peter‘s leadership (apostleship, αποστολην — apostolēn late word, already in Acts 1:25; 1 Corinthians 9:2) to the Jews and asserts that Peter acknowledges his apostleship to the Gentiles. This is a complete answer to the Judaizers who denied the genuineness of Paul‘s apostleship because he was not one of the twelve. [source]
He that wrought effectually [ὁ ἐνεργήσας]
See on 1 Thessalonians 2:13. Rev. omits effectually, but it is fairly implied in the verb. Comp. 1 Corinthians 12:6; Philemon 2:13; Colossians 1:29. The reference is to God, not to Christ. [source]
In Peter [Πέτρῳ]
Better, for Peter. In Peter would be ἐν Πέτρῳ . [source]
Unto the apostleship [εἰς]
Not merely with reference to the apostleship, but with the design of making him an apostle. Comp. 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 1:29. Observe how Paul puts himself on an equality with Peter. [source]
Unto the Gentiles [εἰς τὰ ἔθνη]
To make me an apostle to the Gentiles. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Galatians 2:8

Acts 1:25 Apostleship [αποστολης]
Jesus had called the twelve apostles. An old word for sending away, then for a release, then the office and dignity of an apostle (Acts 1:25; Romans 1:5; 1 Corinthians 9:2; Galatians 2:8). [source]
1 Corinthians 1:12 Cephas []
Aramaic for Πέτρος PeterSee on John 1:42. It is Paul's usual name for Peter, Πέτρος occurring only Galatians 2:7, Galatians 2:8. Peter would be the rallying-point for the Judaizing Christians, who claimed him as the apostle of the circumcision. The state of the Corinthian church offered the most favorable ground for Paul's Jewish-Christian adversaries, who took advantage of the reaction created by the looser views and practice of Gentile Christians, and by the differences of opinion on important questions, to press the necessity of legal regulation, and of ceremonial observances in non-essentials. [source]
1 Corinthians 1:12 Now this I mean [λεγω δε τουτο]
Explanatory use of λεγω — legō Each has his party leader. Απολλω — Apollō is genitive of Απολλως — Apollōs (Acts 18:24), probably abbreviation of Απολλωνιυς — Apollōnius as seen in Codex Bezae for Acts 18:24. See note on Acts 18:24 for discussion of this “eloquent Alexandrian” (Ellicott), whose philosophical and oratorical preaching was in contrast “with the studied plainness” of Paul (1 Corinthians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 10:10). People naturally have different tastes about styles of preaching and that is well, but Apollos refused to be a party to this strife and soon returned to Ephesus and refused to go back to Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:12). Χηπα — Cēphā is the genitive of Χηπας — Cēphās the Aramaic name given Simon by Jesus (John 1:42), Πετρος — Petros in Greek. Except in Galatians 2:7, Galatians 2:8 Paul calls him Cephas. He had already taken his stand with Paul in the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15:7-11; Galatians 2:7-10). Paul had to rebuke him at Antioch for his timidity because of the Judaizers (Galatians 2:11-14), but, in spite of Baur‘s theory, there is no evidence of a schism in doctrine between Paul and Peter. If 2 Peter 3:15. be accepted as genuine, as I do, there is proof of cordial relations between them and 1 Corinthians 9:5 points in the same direction. But there is no evidence that Peter himself visited Corinth. Judaizers came and pitted Peter against Paul to the Corinthian Church on the basis of Paul‘s rebuke of Peter in Antioch. These Judaizers made bitter personal attacks on Paul in return for their defeat at the Jerusalem Conference. So a third faction was formed by the use of Peter‘s name as the really orthodox wing of the church, the gospel of the circumcision. [source]
Galatians 2:6 Whatsoever they were [οποιοι ποτε ησαν]
Literally, “What sort they once were.” Hopoioi is a qualitative word (1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 3:13; James 1:24). Lightfoot thinks that these three leaders were the ones who suggested the compromise about Titus. That is a possible, but not the natural, interpretation of this involved sentence. The use of δε — de (but) in Galatians 2:6 seems to make a contrast between the three leaders and the pleaders for compromise in Galatians 2:4. They, I say, imparted nothing to me He starts over again after the two parentheses and drops the construction απο των δοκουντων — apo tōn dokountōn and changes the construction (anacoluthon) to οι δοκουντες — hoi dokountes (nominative case), the men of reputation and influences whom he names in Galatians 2:8. See the same verb in Galatians 1:16. They added nothing in the conference to me. The compromisers tried to win them, but they finally came over to my view. Paul won his point, when he persuaded Peter, James, and John to agree with him and Barnabas in their contention for freedom for the Gentile Christians from the bondage of the Mosaic ceremonial law. [source]
Galatians 2:6 They, I say, imparted nothing to me [εμοι γαρ ουδεν προσανετεντο]
He starts over again after the two parentheses and drops the construction απο των δοκουντων — apo tōn dokountōn and changes the construction (anacoluthon) to οι δοκουντες — hoi dokountes (nominative case), the men of reputation and influences whom he names in Galatians 2:8. See the same verb in Galatians 1:16. They added nothing in the conference to me. The compromisers tried to win them, but they finally came over to my view. Paul won his point, when he persuaded Peter, James, and John to agree with him and Barnabas in their contention for freedom for the Gentile Christians from the bondage of the Mosaic ceremonial law. [source]

What do the individual words in Galatians 2:8 mean?

the [One] for having worked in Peter for apostleship of the circumcision did also in me toward the Gentiles
γὰρ ἐνεργήσας Πέτρῳ εἰς ἀποστολὴν τῆς περιτομῆς ἐνήργησεν καὶ ἐμοὶ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη

  the  [One] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐνεργήσας  having  worked 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐνεργέω  
Sense: to be operative, be at work, put forth power.
Πέτρῳ  in  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
ἀποστολὴν  apostleship 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀποστολή  
Sense: a sending away.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
περιτομῆς  circumcision 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: περιτομή  
Sense: circumcised.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἐμοὶ  in  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
εἰς  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
ἔθνη  Gentiles 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἔθνος  
Sense: a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together.