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αἵματι, 17. οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστό- λους, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπῆλθον εἰς ᾽Αραβίαν, καὶ πάλιν ὑπέστρεψα εἰς Δαμασκόν. 18. Ἔπειτα μετὰ τρία ἔτη ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι
lpia ern ΝΑΡ 17, etc.; ern τρια BDEFGKL.
from God Saul had no occasion to seek further advice from man. There is an apparent reminiscence in thought and language of Christ’s words, flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father.
Ver. 17. ἀνῆλθον. The religious position of Jerusalem as seat of the Temple and mother-city of the Church, its political importance, and its geo- graphical position on the central heights of Palestine, combined to suggest the application of the terms up and down to journeys to and from Jerusalem.— ἀποστόλους. In the third Gospel and early chapters of the Acts this title is habitually applied to the Twelve. It was extended to Paul and Barnabas on the occasion of their mission. In 1 Cor. ix. 2 Paul and Barnabas are distinctly enu- merated amidst the recognised Apostles. Rom. xvi. 7 suggests a further extension of the title, probably to all founders of churches. But with the possible excep- tion of James, no addition is recorded to the number of the Twelve at Jerusalem after Matthias.—’ApaBiav. No mention is made elsewhere of this journey; its object is clearly indicated by the context ; for it is placed in strong contrast with human intercourse, and was, therefore, undertaken for the sake of solitary com- munion with God. The Arabian deserts were within easy reach of Damascus. Lightfoot suggests, indeed, that Paul perhaps repaired to Mount Sinai; but if the Apostle had been granted communion with God on Mount Sinai, the name would have constituted too effective an argument in favour of his Divine com- mission to be suppressed here. The Sinaitic peninsula was, in fact, remote from Damascus; the journey was at all times dangerous for travellers without escort, and in the year 37 (the most probable date of Saul’s conversion) was hardly possible on account of war be- tween King Aretas and the Romans,
Ver. 18. Ἔπειτα. The thrice-re- peated "Ἔπειτα in this verse, in ver. 21, and in ii. 1, singles out three events in the Apostle’s life bearing on his inter- course with the Church of Jerusalem: his first introduction to them, his depar- ture to a distant sphere of labour, and
his return to Jerusalem with Barnabas. The object of this sketch was not to write a history of those years, but to fix attention on certain salient incidents which threw light on the real nature of his intercourse with Jerusalem. — pera τρία ἔτη. A different preposition is here employed from that used in 11, 1, which describes a mission within fourteen years. In this case no precise date is implied; for the object is not to date the visit, but to show that three full years at least had elapsed before Paul had any intercourse with the Twelve.—toropjoau: to enquire of Cephas, i.e., to obtain information from him. This is the usual meaning of the verb; in Herodotus, and elsewhere, it denotes visits paid to places of interest with a view to getting information about them on the spot. The circumstances in which Paul found himself at that time make this sense very appropriate. He had been suddenly driven from his minis- try at Damascus, and was compelled to seek a new sphere. He could not turn to any adviser more valuable than Peter for determining his future course. For that Apostle was not only prominent in the general government of the Church, but had taken the lead in its expansion by his visits to Samaria, to the maritime plain, and to Cesarea, and by his bap- tism of Gentiles. In spite, therefore, of the danger of revisiting Jerusalem, Paul repaired thither co consult Peter as to how he could best serve Christ.—Ky¢éyv. Several MSS. give the Greek form, Πέ- τρον, of this name; but the Hebrew form appears to be the original reading throughout the Epistle, except in ii. 7, 8. At Jerusalem he was probably known by the name Cephas, but in the Greek Church at large by the name Peter.— ἐπέμεινα. Both in the Acts and in the Pauline Epistles this verb denotes the continuance or prolongation of a stay.— πρὸς αὐτόν. This can hardly be = παρ᾽ αὐτῷ, I abode with him. The clause expresses rather the motive for Paul’s lingering at Jerusalem, I tarried to see him fifteen days.