15 But when God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called ME by his grace, was pleased

16 To reveal his Son (EEO) to me, that I might preach him (ev) to the Gentiles; immediately I did not consult1 flesh and blood: 2

17 Neither did I go up to Jerusalem, to them who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and again returned to Damascus.

18 Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

15 But when God, who destined me from my birth to be an apostle, and ordered my education with a view to that office, and who, called me to it by his unmerited goodness, vas pleased

16 To shew his Son to me, that I might preach him to the heathen, as risen from the dead, immediately after that I did not consult any man in Damascus, as having doubts concerning what I had seen, or as needing information concerning the gospel which I was called to preach:

17 Neither did I go up to Jerusalem, to be instructed by them who were apostles before me; but I went away into Arabia, where there was no apostle; and having there received farther revelations from Christ, and studied the scriptures by the light of these revelations, I again returned to Damascus, without having seen any of the apostles.

18 Then, after three years from my conversion, I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Peter, and being introduced to him by Barnabas, who knew how the Lord had appeared to me, I abode in his house fifteen days.

happened after his return to Damascus from Arabia. See Harmony, Prelim. Obser. iii. And as Christ promised to tell Saul what he should do, Acts xxii. 10. we cannot doubt that it was by Christ's direction he went into Arabia, to receive farther revelations, and to shun the displeasure of the chief priests, who as soon as they heard of his embracing the cause which he had persecuted, would endeavour to put him to death. Indeed the Jews in ..general were so enraged against him, for going over to the Christians, that when he returned from Arabia to Damascus, such of them as lived in that city took counsel to kill him, Acts ix. 23. See also Acts ix. 29.

Ver. 18.-1. To become acquainted with Peter. This being Paul's first visit to Jerusalem since his conversion, the brethren there shunned him, suspecting that he feigned himself a disciple, with a view to betray them. But Barnabas, who probably had learned the particulars of his conversion from Ananias, took him and brought him to the apostles, (Peter and James)

19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

20 Now the things which I write unto you,behold, before God, I lie not.

21 Afterwards I came

19 Έτερον δε των αποςολων ουκ ειδον, ει μη μη Ιακωβον τον αδελφον του Κυρίου.

20 Α δε γραφω μιν, ιδου ενωπιον του Θεου, ότι ου ψευδομαι.

21 Επειτα ηλθον εις τα into the regions of Syria κλίματα της Συρίας και της Κιλικιας"

and Cilicia;

22 And was unknown

by face unto the churches of Judea, which were in Christ:

23 But they had heard only, that he which persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the faith which. once he destroyed.

24 And they glorified God in me.

22 Ημην δε αγνοουμενος τῷ προσωπῳ ταις εκκλησίαις της Ιουδαίας ταις εν Χρις

23 Μονον δε ακουοντες ησαν, ὅτι ὁ διωκων ἡμας που νυν ευαγγελίζεται την πιςιν ἣν ποτε επορθει.

τε,

24 Και εδόξαζον εν εμοι

τον Θεον.

and declared to them how he had seen the Lord in the way. Acts ix. 27. It does not appear that on this occasion any thing was said, either by Barnabas or by Saul, concerning Christ's making Saul an apostle at the time he converted him, and concerning his sending him to preach to the idolatrous Gentiles, as related by the apostle himself, Acts xxvi. 16, 17, 18. These things were not mentioned in Jerusalem till Paul went up to the council, fourteen years after his conversion, Gal. ii. 2. 7, 8, 9.

Ver. 19.-1. James the Lord's brother. The Hebrews, called all near relations brothers.—This James was the son of Alpheus by Mary the sister of our Lord's mother. See the Pref. to the epistle of James.That Paul made so short a stay in Jerusalem at this time, was owing to Christ, who appeared to him in a trance while in the temple, and commanded him to depart quickly from Jerusalem, Acts xxii. 18. The brethren likewise advised him to depart, because the Hellenist Jews were determined to kill him.

Ver. 20.-1. The things I write to you. From what St. Paul had already written, it appears clearly that for a considerable time after his conversion, he preached the gospel and acted as an apostle, before he was known to any of the apostles or brethren in Judea. Wherefore it is evident that all that time, he neither was made an apostle by them, nor received any instruction from them.

Ver. 21.-1. The regions of Syria and Cilicia. Some of the brethren in Jerusalem who advised him to depart, kindly accompanied the apostle to Cesarea, which was a noted sea port town, intending that he should go by sea

19 But I saw no other of the apostles, except James the Lord's brother. 1

20 Now the things I write to you, behold, before God, (iri, 260.) assuredly, I do not falsely affirm.

21 After that I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia: 1

22 And I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea,1 which ARE in Christ.

23 But only they heard, That he who formerly persecuted us, now preacheth the faith which formerly he destroyed.

24 And they glorified God on my account,1

19 But, though I abode these days in Jerusalem, I saw no other of the apostles at that time, except James, the Lord's cousin-german.

20 Now the things I write to you concerning myself, to shew that I am not an apostle of men, behold in the presence of God I declare with assurance, I do not falsely represent them.

21 After the fifteen days were ended, I went first into the regions of Syria, and from thence into my native country Cilicia.

22 And I was personally unknown to the Christian churches in Judea ; so that I could not receive either my commission or my doctrine from them.

23 But only they heard, that he who formerly persecuted the Christians, was become a zealous preacher of the facts concerning Christ, which formerly he endeavoured to disprove,

24 And they praised God on account of my conversion, who had been so bitter an enemy to them.

to Tarsus: ix. 30. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. But the apostle himself informs us that he went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. We may therefore suppose, that, after embarking at Cesarea, contrary winds forced him into some of the ports of Syria; that altering his plan, he went through the country of Syria preaching the gospel; and that from Syria he went into Cilicia by land.

Ver. 22.-1. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea. In travelling from Damascus to Jerusalem after his return from Arabia, the apostle, it seems, did not preach, nor make himself known to any of the churches in the cities of Judea, through which he passed.

Ver. 23.-1. Preacheth the faith. In scripture faith sometimes signifies the act of believing, and sometimes the thing believed. Here it signifies the things believed by the Christians; namely the miracles of Jesus, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven, his being the Son of God, and the very Christ: Acts ix. 20. 22. All which facts Saul, while he acted in concert with the chief priests, endeavoured to destroy, that is to disprove. Ver. 24.-1. Glorified God on my account. The apostle mentions the

thanksgiving of the churches of Judea, for his now preaching the faith which formerly he destroyed, because it implied that they believed him a sincere

CHAPTER II.

View and Illustration of the Facts related in this Chapter.

FROM the history which the apostle gave of himself to the Ga

latians in the preceding chapter, it appears, that from the time of his conversion to his coming with Barnabas from Tarsus to Antioch, he had no opportunity of conversing with the apostles in a body; consequently, in that period he was not made an apostle by them.-In like manner, by relating in this chapter what happened, when he went up from Antioch to Jerusalem fourteen years after his conversion, in company with Barnabas, and Titus a converted Gentile, he proved to the Galatians that he was an apostle, before he had that meeting with the apostles in a body, ver. 1.-For at that time, instead of receiving the gospel from the apostles, he communicated to them the gospel, or doctrine which he preached among the idolatrous Gentiles : not because he acknowledged them his superiors, or was in any doubt about the matter; but lest it might have been suspected that his doctrine was disclaimed by the apostles, which would have marred his success among the Gentiles, ver. 2.-And to shew that the apostles, to whom he communicated his gospel, approved of it, he told the Galatians, that not even Titus who was with him, though an idolater before his conversion, was compelled by the apostles to be circumcised, although it was insisted on by the false brethren, who endeavoured to bring the Gentiles under bondage to the law, ver. 3, 4.-And that he and Titus did not yield in the least to these false brethren, by obeying any part of the law as a condition of salvation, for so much as an hour; that the truth of the gospel might remain with the Galatians, and all the Gentiles, ver. 5.-Next, to shew that the apostles of the greatest note were by no means superior to him, Paul affirmed, that from them he received nothing. For however much they had been honoured by their master formerly, these apostles added nothing either to his knowledge, or to his power, or to his authority as an apostle, ver. 6.—But on the contrary, perceiving that he was commissioned to preach the gospel to the gentiles, as Peter had been to preach it to the Jews, ver. 7.-Because he who fitted Peter for preaching to the Jews, had fitted Paul for preaching to the Gentiles, by bestow

convert, and were persuaded that his conversion would be an addition to the proofs of the divine original of the gospel.

ing on him the gift of inspiration, and by enabling him, not only to work miracles in confirmation of his doctrine, but to communicate the spiritual gifts to his converts, ver. 8.-They knowing these things, instead of finding fault either with his doctrine or with his practice, James, Cephas, and John, who were the chief apostles in point of reputation, gave him the right hands of fellowship; thereby acknowledging him to be an apostle of equal authority with themselves, and equally commissioned by Christ to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, as they were to the Jews, ver. 9. The only thing they desired of him was, to exhort the Gentiles to contribute for the relief of the poor, ver. 10.

Moreover, to make the Galatians fully sensible of his authority as an apostle, and of his knowledge in the gospel; Paul told them, when Peter came to Antioch, after the council, he opposed him openly, because he was to be blamed, ver. 11.For, before certain persons, zealous of the law, came to Antioch from James, Peter, who had been taught by a vision to call no person unclean, did eat with the converted idolatrous Gentiles; but when these zealous Jewish believers were come, he withdrew for fear of their displeasure, ver. 12.—And others of the brethren in like manner dissembled; in so much, that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation, ver. 13.— But this behaviour being contrary to the truth of the gospel, Paul publicly rebuked Peter for it, in the hearing of all the disciples at Antioch. And because, after giving him that reproof, he explained to the church, the true doctrine of the gospel concerning the justification of sinners, he judged it proper to give the Galatians a short account of the things which he said on that occasion, ver. 14.-21.-And as it does not appear that Peter, when thus reproved of Paul, offered any thing in his own defence, we may believe he knew the truth, and acknowledged publicly, that obedience to the law of Moses was not necessary to the salvation either of the Jews or of the Gentiles. Or, if he did not make this acknowledgment verbally, his silence on the occasion was equally expressive of the truth.

Peter's behaviour towards the idolatrous converts in Antioch, having proceeded, not from ignorance of the truth of the gospel, but from an unreasonable fear of the displeasure of the zealous Jewish believers, it serveth to shew us, that one's know