Galatians 1:18
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Paul didn't go to Jerusalem to get taught by Peter; he went to "get acquainted" (the original word means to visit a place or person of note). This short, two-week visit, intentionally specified, highlights Paul's immediate independence from the Jerusalem apostles, not his reliance on them for his gospel.
Paul recounts that three years after his conversion, he journeyed to Jerusalem not to learn from the apostles, but to meet Peter personally. He spent a brief fifteen days there, during which he also encountered James, Jesus' brother, and then departed without further prolonged consultation with the leaders of the Jerusalem church.
Paul heads to Jerusalem, not to sit at the feet of the original apostles for training, but for a different reason. What does his choice of words reveal about his intent?
When Paul writes about his visit to Jerusalem, he uses the Greek word historesai to describe his purpose in meeting Peter. This isn't just a casual 'to see.' It implies a deeper level of inquiry, seeking to become personally acquainted with him. Think of it like visiting a renowned expert or a historical site—you go to learn, to understand firsthand, not necessarily to be formally taught like a student. Paul was establishing a connection, seeking a personal understanding with Peter, the leader of the Jerusalem church, rather than receiving foundational instruction.
Fifteen days. That’s it. Why is this seemingly brief visit so important to Paul’s argument, and what does it tell us about his independence?
Paul intentionally highlights the short duration of his stay with Peter – just fifteen days. This wasn't an extended apprenticeship or a period where he was being molded by the original apostles. This brevity serves a crucial point: to demonstrate that his apostleship and his gospel message were not derived from them. It underscored his direct commission from God and his independent ministry, particularly to the Gentiles. While he valued the personal connection with Peter, the short time ensured he received no instruction that would compromise his unique calling.
Understand the original words
Kēphas · Greek Noun
Aramaic name meaning 'rock,' given by Jesus to Simon Peter. He was a leading disciple and one of the pillars of the early church in Jerusalem.
Paul's brief, early visit to Jerusalem emphasizes his independent apostolic authority, received directly from God, not from the Jerusalem leadership. This visit, intended to get acquainted with Peter, underscores that Paul wasn't seeking to be 'taught' or legitimized by the original apostles.
c. AD 33-36
Paul's Conversion
Simon, a fierce persecutor of the early church, has a dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, leading to his conversion and a dramatic shift in his life's mission.
c. AD 33-36
Paul's time in Arabia and Damascus
Following his conversion, Paul spends time in Arabia and then returns to Damascus. During this period, he begins to preach about Jesus, alarming the Jewish authorities who plot to kill him.
c. AD 36-39— this verse
Paul's first visit to Jerusalem
Three years after his conversion, Paul travels to Jerusalem and spends fifteen days with Peter. He also meets James, Jesus' brother, but has limited contact with other apostles.
c. AD 36-39
Flight from Jerusalem
Following his visit, Paul faces danger from Hellenistic Jews in Jerusalem, who conspire to kill him. He is warned and escapes, returning to his hometown of Tarsus.
This passage in Acts describes Paul's first attempt to join the Jerusalem church after his conversion, showing Barnabas introducing him, which directly sets the stage for Paul's later visit to Peter.
Galatians 2:1Paul explicitly references this visit again, stating it was 'after fourteen years' that he went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, providing a chronological anchor and context for the significance of his earlier, brief meeting with Peter.
Romans 1:1Paul declares he was 'called to be an apostle' and 'set apart for the gospel of God,' underscoring the divine origin of his calling, which he emphasizes in Galatians was independent of consultation with human leaders like Peter.
Jeremiah 1:5This Old Testament passage parallels Paul's understanding of his calling, where God states, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.' This echoes Paul's assertion in Galatians 1:15 that God had set him apart from birth.
ellicottGalatians 1:18: "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days."
(18-24) Nor did that consultation with the elder Apostles, which had hitherto been impossible, take place when, at last, after the lapse of three years, the Apostle did go up to Jerusalem. He saw indeed Peter and James, but for so short a time that he could have learnt nothing essential from them. To the rest of the churches of Judæa he was known only by report; and they were too rejoi…
vincentGalatians 1:18: "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days."
To see (ἱστορῆσαι)N.T.o. 1. To inquire into: 2. to find out by inquiring: 3. to gain knowledge by visiting; to become personally acquainted with. In lxx, only 1 Esd. 1:33, 42, to relate, to record. Often in Class. The word here indicates that Paul went, not to obtain instruction, but to form acquaintance with Peter.CephasSee on Matthew 16:18; see on John 1:42; see on 1 Corinthians 1:…
Paul didn't go to Jerusalem to get taught by Peter; he went to "get acquainted" (the original word means to visit a place or person of note). This short, two-week visit, intentionally specified, highlights Paul's immediate independence from the Jerusalem apostles, not his reliance on them for his gospel.
Paul recounts that three years after his conversion, he journeyed to Jerusalem not to learn from the apostles, but to meet Peter personally. He spent a brief fifteen days there, during which he also encountered James, Jesus' brother, and then departed without further prolonged consultation with the leaders of the Jerusalem church.
Paul recounts that three years after his conversion, he journeyed to Jerusalem not to learn from the apostles, but to meet Peter personally. He spent a brief fifteen days there, during which he also encountered James, Jesus' brother, and then departed without further prolonged consultation with the leaders of the Jerusalem church.
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"Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days." — Paul didn't go to Jerusalem to get taught by Peter; he went to "get acquainted" (the original word means to visit a place or person of note). This short, two-week visit, intentionally specified, hi…
