The second visit to Jerusalem and Acts (2:1–10)
Says “Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, accompanied by Barnabas” (Gal 2:1; Ἔπειτα διὰ δεκατεσσάρων ἐτῶν, “then after fourteen years”). Acts tells of relief sent “to the elders with Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 11:30), and of Paul and Barnabas sent “to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question” (Acts 15:2).
On the visit, Wesley writes, “This seems to be the Journey mentioned Acts xv.” Lightfoot speaks of “the latter visit (supposing it to be the same with that of Acts xv.)”. Calvin instead takes the journey when Paul “brought the charitable contributions of the Greek and Asiatic Churches”, placing it “before he was sent to Jerusalem by the Churches to settle the dispute”. Luther writes, “I do not think that this is the contention which Luke speaketh of in the fifteenth of the Acts”. Ramsay leaves the question open.
Counting, Calvin holds “that the fourteen years are to be reckoned, not from one journey to another, but from Paul’s conversion.” Ramsay too counts from the conversion. Lightfoot asks whether they are “to be counted from St Paul’s conversion, or from the visit to Jerusalem just recorded?” and leans to the visit; Burton, granting that “it is impossible to determine with certainty which view is correct”, also leans that way. These are their readings.
Uncertain Which visit in Acts 2:1–10 describes, and from what point the fourteen years run, are open; this background does not fix the meaning of the text.
Claims
- SaysGal 2:1: then after fourteen years Paul went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus; Acts 11:30 tells of relief sent with Barnabas and Saul, and Acts 15:2 of Paul and Barnabas sent up about the question of circumcision.
- UncertainWhich visit in Acts Gal 2:1–10 describes, and from what point the fourteen years are counted, are open; the background does not fix the meaning.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gal 2:1; Acts 11:30; 15:2
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 2:1
- Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755), on Gal 2:1, p. 493 (leaf n506); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (Macmillan, 1914 printing), on Gal 2:1, p. 102 (leaf n121); 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 2:1, p. 46 (leaf n59), p. 47 (leaf n60), p. 48 (leaf n61); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Luther, Galatians (Middleton 1833) public domain Luther, A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (London, 1833), on Gal 2:1, p. 58 (leaf n164); 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 2:1, p. 286 (leaf n303), p. 287 (leaf n304) and its note 1; checked against the printed page (scan); paraphrased
- Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC, Scribner 1928 printing of the 1920 edition), on Gal 2:1, p. 68 (leaf n161); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
2026-11-13
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