Jerusalem, Cephas and James, and Syria and Cilicia (1:18–24)
Says “Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days” (Gal 1:18; ἱστορῆσαι Κηφᾶν). He saw no other apostle “except James, the Lord’s brother” (1:19), then went “to the regions of Syria and Cilicia” (1:21; τὰ κλίματα τῆς Συρίας καὶ τῆς Κιλικίας). Acts says “Barnabas brought him to the apostles” and that the brothers “took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus” (Acts 9:27, 30).
Lightfoot reckons the three years “Probably from the great epoch of his life, from his conversion.” Ramsay too reckons the events from the conversion, and Burton counts “from the crisis of his life which preceded his departure from Damascus”. On Acts 9, Lightfoot holds that “the two accounts are not contradictory”; Calvin, that “In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke has omitted these three years.” Wesley: “when Barnabas is said to have brought him in to the Apostles, Acts ix. 27. only St. Peter and James are meant.” These are their readings. Josephus tells how Ananus had James, the brother of Jesus, stoned (Ant. 20.9.1).
Implies Paul names the only two leaders he saw and the fifteen days, and affirms “before God” that he does not lie (1:20), so he presents his early contact with Jerusalem as short and open to check.
Uncertain How 1:18–24 fits Acts 9:26–30, and from what point the three years run, are open; this background does not fix the meaning of the text.
Claims
- SaysGal 1:18–21: after three years Paul went up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; he saw no other apostle except James, the Lord’s brother; he then went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. Acts 9:27, 30 says Barnabas brought him to the apostles and the brothers sent him to Tarsus.
- ImpliesBecause Paul names the only two leaders he saw and the length of his stay, and affirms before God that he does not lie (1:20), he presents his early contact with Jerusalem as short and open to check.
- UncertainHow Gal 1:18–24 fits Acts 9:26–30, and from what point the three years are counted, are open; the background does not fix the meaning.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gal 1:18–19, 1:21; Acts 9:27, 9:30
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 1:18, 1:21
- Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (Macmillan, 1914 printing), on Gal 1:18 and on Acts 9, p. 84 (leaf n103), p. 92 (leaf n111); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Ramsay, Galatians public domain Ramsay, A Historical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (1899), on Gal 1:18, p. 273 (leaf n290); checked against the printed page (scan); paraphrased
- Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC, Scribner 1928 printing of the 1920 edition), on Gal 1:18, p. 59 (leaf n152); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Calvin, Commentaries on Galatians and Ephesians (Pringle, CTS 1854), on Gal 1:17–18, p. 43 (leaf n56); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755), on Gal 1:19, p. 493 (leaf n506); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Josephus (Whiston) public domain Josephus, Antiquities 20.9.1 (Whiston numbering); cited by section and paraphrased, not quoted
2026-11-13
Open in Reader All notes on this passage