Galatians 1:24

and they glorified God in me. [The term "three years" may be taken to mean three full years, or one year and parts of two others. Assuming that Paul was converted in A. D. 37, the visit to Jerusalem took place somewhere between A. D. 38 and 40. Luke describes this same period as "many days" (Acts 9:23). For a curious parallel see 1 Kings 2:38, 39. Persecution drove Paul from Damascus (Acts 9:22-25; 2 Corinthians 11:31-32), and the desire to form the acquaintance of Peter led him to Jerusalem. The James whom he met was, as described, "the Lord's brother," and was neither James, the son of Zebedee, nor James, the son of Alphæus. In fact, he was not properly an apostle, but was called such probably because of his nearness to Jesus and his great influence. Paul's reasons for leaving Jerusalem are found at Acts 9:29-30; Acts 22:17-21. Cilicia was commonly coupled with Syria in popular phrase; for, though part of Asia Minor, it was cut off from that district by the high ridge of Mt. Taurus, and so formed social and commercial affinities with Syria. The gist of Paul's argument is this: My gospel did not come to me from Jerusalem, for,

1. I was in no haste to go there.

2. I did not go there for the purpose of perfecting my knowledge of the gospel.

3. I was not there long enough to perfect such knowledge.

4. Leaving there, I was conscious of no deficiency of knowledge, but went at once to localities far distant, and was not personally known in the regions contiguous to Jerusalem, as I must have been had I lingered in that city long enough to learn the gospel history.

5. But I was known to them by my repentance, and by works for which they praised God, which facts show that I was recognized by them as proficient in a gospel which I did not learn from them.]