Discovery BoxGalatians 2:8-9 
Context2:8 (for he who empowered 1 Peter for his apostleship 2 to the circumcised 3 also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) 4 2:9 and when James, Cephas, 5 and John, who had a reputation as 6 pillars, 7 recognized 8 the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me 9 the right hand of fellowship, agreeing 10 that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 11
1 tn Or “worked through”; the same word is also used in relation to Paul later in this verse.
2 tn Or “his ministry as an apostle.”
3 tn Grk “to the circumcision,” i.e., the Jewish people.
4 tn Grk “also empowered me to the Gentiles.”
5 sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).
6 tn Or “who were influential as,” or “who were reputed to be.” See also the note on the word “influential” in 2:6.
7 sn Pillars is figurative here for those like James, Peter, and John who were leaders in the Jerusalem church.
8 tn The participle γνόντες (gnontes) has been taken temporally. It is structurally parallel to the participle translated “when they saw” in v. 7.
9 tn Grk “me and Barnabas.”
10 tn Grk “so,” with the ἵνα (Jina) indicating the result of the “pillars” extending the “right hand of fellowship,” but the translation “they gave…the right hand of fellowship so that we would go” could be misunderstood as purpose here. The implication of the scene is that an agreement, outlined at the end of v. 10, was reached between Paul and Barnabas on the one hand and the “pillars” of the Jerusalem church on the other.
11 tn Grk “to the circumcision,” a collective reference to the Jewish people.
