Discovery BoxGalatians 1:17-24 
Context1:17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem 1 to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia, 2 and then returned to Damascus.
1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem 3 to visit Cephas 4 and get information from him, 5 and I stayed with him fifteen days. 1:19 But I saw none of the other apostles 6 except James the Lord’s brother. 1:20 I assure you 7 that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you! 8 1:21 Afterward I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 1:22 But I was personally 9 unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 1:23 They were only hearing, “The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news 10 of the faith he once tried to destroy.” 1:24 So 11 they glorified God because of me. 12
1 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
2 sn As a geographical region Arabia included the territory west of Mesopotamia, east and south of Syria and Palestine, extending to the isthmus of Suez. During the Roman occupation, some independent kingdoms arose like that of the Nabateans south of Damascus, and these could be called simply Arabia. In light of the proximity to Damascus, this may well be the territory Paul says he visited here. See also C. W. Briggs, “The Apostle Paul in Arabia,” Biblical World 41 (1913): 255-59.
3 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
4 sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).
5 tn Although often translated “to get acquainted with Cephas,” this could give the impression of merely a social call. L&N 34.52 has “to visit, with the purpose of obtaining information” for the meaning of ἱστορέω (Jistorew), particularly in this verse.
6 tn Grk “But another of the apostles I did not see, except…” with “another” in emphatic position in the Greek text. Paul is determined to make the point that his contacts with the original twelve apostles and other leaders of the Jerusalem church were limited, thus asserting his independence from them.
7 tn Grk “behold.”
8 tn Grk “What things I am writing to you, behold, before God [that] I am not lying.”
9 tn Or “by sight”; Grk “by face.”
10 tn The Greek verb here is εὐαγγελίζεται (euangelizetai).
11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the report about Paul’s conversion.
12 tn The prepositional phrase ἐν εμοί (en emoi) has been translated with a causal force.
