Galatians 1:19

"Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days."

Key Reflection

Paul's journey to Jerusalem three years after his conversion was significant because it marked a pivotal moment in his apostolic authority and his connection to the other apostles, particularly Peter. The original audience would have recognized that this visit validated Paul’s mission from God, as he sought out the leading figure among the apostles to confirm his calling. This encounter also underscored the unity between Paul's teachings and those of the Jerusalem church, bridging the gap between the Jewish Christians centered in Jerusalem and the growing Gentile Christian communities outside.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 19. Save James the Lord's brother. That the James here referred to was an apostle is clear. The whole construction of the sentence demands this supposition. In the list of the apostles in Mt 10:2,3, two of this name are mentioned, James the son of Zebedee and brother of John, and James the son of Alphaeus. From the Acts of the Apostles it is clear that there were two of this name in Jerusalem. Of these, James the brother of John was slain by Herod, Ac 12:2 and the other continued to reside in Jerusalem, Ac 15:13; 21:13. This latter James was called James the Less, Mr 15:40 to distinguish him from the other James, probably because he was the younger.

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