Albert Barnes Commentary Galatians 2:6

"But from those who were reputed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth not man`s person)-- they, I say, who were of repute imparted nothing to me:" — Galatians 2:6 (ASV)

But of those who seemed to be somewhat. (Galatians 2:2). This undoubtedly refers to those who were the most eminent among the apostles at Jerusalem. There is an apparent harshness in our common translation, which is unnecessary. The word here used, dokountwn, denotes those who were thought to be, or who were, of reputation—that is, men who were of note and influence among the apostles. The object of referring to them here is to show that he had the agreement and approval of the most eminent of the apostles for the course he had pursued.

Whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me. Tyndale renders this, "What they were in time passed, it maketh no matter to me." The idea seems to be this: Paul means to say that whatever was their real rank and standing, it did not in the least affect his authority as an apostle or his argument.

While he rejoiced in their agreement, and while he sought their approval, he still did not admit for a moment that he was inferior to them as an apostle or dependent on them for the correctness of his views. What they were, or what they might be thought to be, was immaterial to his claims as an apostle and immaterial to the authority of his own views as an apostle.

He had derived his gospel from the Lord Jesus, and he had the fullest assurance that his views were correct. Paul makes this remark evidently in keeping with all that he had said: that he did not regard himself as in any manner dependent on them for his authority. He did not treat them with disrespect, but he did not regard them as having a right to claim authority over him.

God accepteth no man's person. (See Barnes, Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11).

This is a general truth: that God is not influenced in His judgment by a regard to the rank, wealth, or external condition of anyone. Its particular meaning here is that the authority of the apostles was not to be measured by their external rank or by the measure of reputation they had among men. Therefore, if it were admitted that he himself did not have as much external honour as the other apostles, or that they were considered to be of higher rank than he was, he still did not admit that this gave them a claim to any higher authority. God was not influenced in His judgment by any such consideration, and Paul therefore claimed that all the apostles were in fact on a level regarding their authority.

In conference. When I conferred with them (Galatians 2:2), they did not then impose on me any new obligations; they did not communicate anything to me that I did not already know.