I'm always in favor of scripture speaking for itself:
Galatians 2:7-9
7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
We see here not only two different gospels, regardless of some people's denials of what the text clearly indicates here, with one gospel being for the circumcision and the other for the uncircumcision, we see also who had what gospel to which grouping. Paul preached the gospel of the uncircumcision to the Gentiles and Peter the gospel of the circumcision to Israel.
Continuing:
8 For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:
The distinction is yet expanded further, contrary to modern rejection of what this text is clearly saying to us about the separation in responsibilities and content. Peter's gospel of the Kingdom to Israel is clearly defined in Acts 2, while Paul's Gospel of Grace is defined in 1 Cor. 15:1-4 with no requirement laid down for water baptism unto the remission of sins. Again, there is much rejection and objection to the understanding of what's clearly stated in scripture, but that will never change what's written and what it NOT written that people habitually inject into the text what clearly is not there..
Continuing:
9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Now, some out there deny the fork in the roadway clearly outlined and portrayed here to the detriment of accepting what scripture clearly states, but they do so on the basis of pure subjectivism and warped hermeneutics.
We also see here that Paul was not under any jurisdiction of the twelve. He did indeed submit his praise reports to them of his successes among the Gentiles and the Jews who had not yet been ministered to by the twelve, but he was never required to gain their acceptance for the mission the Lord directly set him upon. Peter did indeed minister to a small hand full of Gentiles at the beginnings of their ministry, but that was not his prime focus given the utter silence in support of the ideas out there that are contrary to the utter silence about Peter and his previous preeminence among the twelve.
I agree with you that Peter baptized a small number of Gentiles into Messianic Judaism before Paul was taken under the leading and instruction of Christ in Acts 9 for him to some years later to return from Arabia and sent out to bring the Gospel of Grace to the Gentiles who became the body of Christ. Paul's gospel was unique in that it laid down no water baptism as a requirement for remission of sins as was the case with Israel and the Kingdom Gospel of circumcision unto Israel.
Paul did indeed go the council in Jerusalem to once and for all address the problem he was having with the Judaizers, only to find out that they were not sent out by the council to trouble Paul's work among the Gentiles. The twelve were not even aware that salvation was then freely available to Gentiles apart from the Gentiles having to join with Israel for salvation. That Paul was given the right hand of fellowship with the twelve, I don't see how that made Paul subject to them apart from the four items James (not Peter) instructed to Paul as relating to the Mosaic Law and its relation to the Gentile believers.
Galatians 1:8-9
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Because the gospels were different, Paul therefore set forth a defensive mechanism against further corruptions from the Judaizers who were apparently still lurking about and causing problems among the Gentile believers. Those Judaizers and all the believing Jews in Jerusalem were all still zealous for the Mosaic Law that was never given to the Gentiles as the custodians of the Law and its dissemination to the world. It makes no sense that, had it all been one and the same gospel, that it would then be a matter of separation simply on the basis of who got whom first. If the two gospels were one and the same between Peter and Paul, then it wouldn't matter who preached to whom given that such a sentiment of flesh-based.
In other words, one man building upon another man's foundations a gospel not delivered to them by the first man, the confusions become a natural outflow; otherwise they simply would reinforce the one and same gospel to those of each other's ministry, just as pastors today invite each other to the other's pulpits as reinforcement and building of what they each agree upon as being one and the same. That wasn't the case with Paul and Peter where the Gentiles were concerned to whom Paul ministered.
You see, Paul wasn't saying that those who preached the Kingdom Gospel among Israelites and proselyte Gentiles among the Israelites were themselves accursed, but only if and when they dared preach that gospel to the Gentiles under Paul's ministry.
Acts 15 clearly shows to us Paul's purpose for going to the twelve. He didn't need their endorsement nor their control over him. He was a minister commissioned and sent forth by Christ Himself, even though he was humble enough to declare himself the least among they who preached the gospels they were set forth to preach. Paul's ministry far surpassed that of the twelve given that the twelve didn't even venture out into the world until some 38 years after the ascension of Christ, most to later be martyred all across the Roman Provinces in the ensuing years.
One last thing also:
2 Peter 3:15-16
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Paul's gospel was foreign to Peter's and Israel in general, understanding. They had been raised with the understanding that Gentiles had ONLY Israel as the portal through which the Gentiles had to join with for salvation. Salvation being readily available to Gentiles was a new phenomenon to the Jews.
BTW
