To get to know Cephas, and except James (1:18–20)

Says Galatians 1:18 reads ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι Κηφᾶν. The aorist infinitive ἱστορῆσαι (historēsai) states the purpose; Abbott-Smith lists this verse under “In late writers, to visit, become acquainted with”. The BSB has “to confer with Cephas”. Κηφᾶς is “Cephas, i.e. Peter”; RP 2018 and the TR read Πέτρον (Petron) (see the textual note on 1:18). ἐπέμεινα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε (epemeina pros auton hēmeras dekapente, “I stayed with him fifteen days”) uses the accusative for the span of time.

Says Galatians 1:19 reads ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον, εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ κυρίου, and 1:20 adds an oath, ἰδοὺ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι (idou enōpion tou theou hoti ou pseudomai, “behold, before God, I do not lie”).

Uncertain On εἰ μή (“except”), Lightfoot (p. 85), Burton (p. 60), Calvin (p. 44) and Chrysostom (p. 13) take the exception to count James among the apostles: Lightfoot says “St James is here called an Apostle”, adding that this does not make him one of the Twelve, and Burton reads the phrase as “implying that James was an apostle”. No lean is taken here. How the “three years” are counted, and the family sense of ἀδελφός here, are also left open. No lean is taken here.