Why was Paul's comment about the twelve snide?
Paul's remark that the twelve 'seemed to be somewhat' was snide because, twenty-two years after Pentecost, Israel was rejecting the prophetic program and it was falling away. The twelve still thought they were in that program, not realizing God had raised up Paul as apostle to the Gentiles while the church was coming up.
Les explains that Paul’s statement in verse six, 'of these who seem to be somewhat,' was a snide remark because, by that time—twenty-two years after Pentecost—the prophetic program had begun to fall through the cracks. Israel was rejecting it left and right. Meanwhile, God had raised up Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles. While Israel was going down, the Gentile assembly, or church, was coming up. The twelve thought they were still in their prophetic program, not even realizing it was falling away from them. Paul therefore came to Jerusalem to show them the gospel he was now preaching to the Gentiles.