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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"But from those who were reputed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me, God accepteth no man's person)" Here he not only does not defend the Apostles, but even presses hard upon those holy men, for the benefit of the weak. His meaning is this: although they permit circumcision, they shall render an account to God, for God will not accept their persons, because they are great and in station. But he does not speak so plainly, but with caution. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Since it was natural for someone to object to him and say: how then did the apostles command circumcision? – he removes this objection, though he does not indicate the true reason, that they acted this way by special dispensation and out of condescension, fearing that the believers from among the Jews, upon hearing that the apostles permitted circumcision not for the sake of truth but for the sake of good order, might also fall away from them as destroyers of the law; for until then they had adhered to them precisely because they …
Oecumenius
If Paul explicitly said that they tolerated circumcision for reasons of convenience, the believing Jews who rejoiced in circumcision would have departed from them, because they did not accept circumcision in truth, but out of convenience and arrogance. Therefore Paul does not now reveal the usefulness. Otherwise he manages the argument so as to counter those about Peter, saying, "they will give an account of what they preach to God"; (Rom. 14:12) and this is because of their weakness. …
Western Saints
Jerome
But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were,it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, …
Thomas Aquinas
Having shown that the Apostle did not depart from his opinion on any point in the conference mentioned above, he now shows that nothing was added to his teaching by the other apostles. About this he does two things: First, he describes the status of the apostles who were unable to add anything; Secondly, he proves his proposition (v. 6): "for to me, they that seemed to be something, added nothing." Their status he describes from three standpoints: first from the authority they held in the Church, for it was great. …
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