customarily entered the synagogues of the Jews and first brought to them as
the children of the kingdom, the glad tidings that the promises made unto the
fathers were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. When the Jews refused to hear these
glad tidings, Paul turned to the Gentiles. He was the apostle of the Gentiles
in a special sense, as Peter was the apostle of the Jews.

Paul reiterates that Peter, James, and John, the accepted pillars of the
Church, taught him nothing, nor did they commit unto him the office of
preaching the Gospel unto the Gentiles. Both the knowledge of the Gospel and
the commandment to preach it to the Gentiles, Paul received directly from
God. His case was parallel to that of Peter's, who was particularly
commissioned to preach the Gospel to the Jews.

The apostles had the same charge, the identical Gospel. Peter did not
proclaim a different Gospel, nor had he appointed his fellow apostles. They
were equals. They were all taught of God. None was greater than the other,
none could point to prerogatives above the other. To justify his usurped
primacy in the Church the Pope claims that Peter was the chief of the
apostles. This is an impudent falsehood.


VERSE 8. For he that wrought effectually in Peter.

With these words Paul refutes another argument of the false apostles. "What
reason have the false apostles to boast that the Gospel of Peter was mighty,
that he converted many, that he wrought great miracles, and that his very
shadow healed the sick? These reports are true enough. But where did Peter
acquire this power? God gave him the power. I have the same power. I received
my power, not from Peter, but from the same God, the same Spirit who was
mighty in Peter was mighty in me also." Luke corroborates Paul's statement in