16 … I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, somewhere between 30-35 A.D. , at most within a few years of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. (Dating of NT events is determined by detailed comparison of the biblical record with secular sources of history). Paul zeroes in on the aspects of his personal history that support the independence of his message from human influence. He stressed that significant time had passed since his conversion before he even met the other apostles (three years). He simply did not “consult with flesh and blood” about the content of the gospel message, nor did he receive a commissioning from anyone. His authority came from God.
The salient details are as follows. According to the book of Acts, while in Damascus, after his conversion, “… immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ ” (Acts 9:20). Severe persecution forced him out and, although the book of Acts doesn’t record what happened next, Paul writes here that he went to Arabia for some time before returning again to Damascus. It was only then that he went to Jerusalem where he met the apostles (see Acts 9:27), specifically meeting with Peter for a little over two weeks (Paul tended to refer to Peter by his Hebrew name, Cephas).
The total elapsed time from conversion to this first Jerusalem visit was at least three years. During that time Paul had preached the message of Christ he had received from God, without seeking or receiving any confirmation or authorization from the other apostles.
A few observations are in order. First, Paul’s authority was independent of Peter and the others. Therefore, even from the beginning, Peter did not hold a position of primacy (later in the letter, Paul relates how he rebuked Peter for hypocrisy). Second, Paul was not disrespectful of the other apostles, for he did acknowledge them as apostles. Third, his insistence on the divine origin of his message was not born out of jealousy or insecurity, for he had been preaching the gospel long before ever meeting them. Fourth, it is a matter of fascinating conjecture to consider what Paul and Peter discussed for 15 days. Was Paul eager to learn the details of Christ’s earthly life from an eyewitness and frequent companion of the Lord. That shall remain a mystery until we arrive in glory!
Lord, just as Paul looked to You for his authority, help me look only to Your Word for my authority, for it is the message of divine origin.
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