Galatians 1:18 tells us that Paul, after a period of three years, went up to Jerusalem for the purpose of getting to know Peter, and he stayed with Peter for fifteen days. The verse is a piece of personal history, not a command or a promise, and it reports a specific trip that shaped how Paul’s relationship with the other apostles was understood. The letter itself is written by the apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia, a region in what is now central Turkey.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.
Galatians 1:18 (WEB)
What Galatians 1:18 Means
The phrase “after three years” marks a gap in time between Paul’s conversion and this journey. Paul does not say exactly how he spent those years, but in the verses just before this one he mentions going away into Arabia and then returning to Damascus. The three years count from his conversion, and they show that his first contact with Jerusalem came well after he had already begun preaching. He was not sent to Jerusalem to be trained by the apostles there.
The phrase “to visit Peter” is the heart of the verse. The Greek word Paul uses, which English versions render as “visit” or “get acquainted with,” suggests a visit made to become acquainted with someone, rather than a formal meeting to receive instructions. Paul is careful to say he went to see Peter, the leading apostle among the Jewish believers, and that he stayed with him for fifteen days. The verse does not promise that every relationship of faith will be easy or quick, but it shows a believer taking the time to know another believer in person.
The Context of Galatians 1:18
The letter to the Galatians was written by Paul to churches he had founded in Galatia, and his main concern is that those believers were being pressed to adopt the Jewish law as a requirement for being fully accepted by God. To defend his message, Paul needs to show that the gospel he preaches did not come from human authorities but was given to him directly through a revelation of Jesus Christ. That is why the first chapter is full of details about his past, his early years of work, and his contacts with the leaders in Jerusalem.
In the verses that come just before this one, Paul insists that he did not immediately consult with anyone after his call. In the verses that come just after, he notes that he saw no other apostle at that visit except James, the Lord’s brother, and he calls God as a witness that he is not lying. Read in this setting, the visit to Peter is not described as the source of Paul’s authority. It is described as a limited, personal encounter that happened after his commission was already in place, and this is exactly what Paul needs his readers to see.
Key Phrases in Galatians 1:18
Acts 9:26-28
26 When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 He was with them entering into Jerusalem…
(WEB)
This passage describes how Barnabas brought Paul to the apostles in Jerusalem after his conversion and how Paul spoke boldly there. It gives an outside account of the same period Paul describes in Galatians, and it helps the reader see the early relationships that formed between Paul and the Jerusalem believers.
Galatians 2:9
And when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.
(WEB)
In this verse Paul describes how James, Cephas, and John recognized the grace given to him and extended the right hand of fellowship. It shows how the relationship Paul began with Peter and the other leaders developed into a recognized partnership in the gospel, which is the next step in the story his letter tells.
A Short Prayer From Galatians 1:18
Lord, you know the seasons of my life, the times I have waited and the times I have been impatient. Help me to trust your timing and to remember that the calling you have placed on me does not depend on the approval of others. Give me the humility to seek out wise believers, to listen and to learn, and the courage to step into fellowship without fear. Keep my heart anchored in you, and let every visit and every conversation point me back to your grace. Amen.
