The Meaning of Galatians 1:17 Explained

Galatians 1:17

KJV: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

YLT: nor did I go up to Jerusalem unto those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus,

Darby: nor went I up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus.

ASV: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me: but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Neither  went I up  to  Jerusalem  to  them which were apostles  before  me;  but  I went  into  Arabia,  and  returned  again  unto  Damascus. 

What does Galatians 1:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Galatians 1:11-17 - The True Gospel A Revelation
When men belittle the Apostle's teaching as being purely Pauline, we should recall these strong statements, which attribute his knowledge of the gospel to the direct revelation of the Lord. He received from Christ Himself that which he delivered to the Church. See also Acts 1:2. It was this that made his message authoritative.
What intensity of interest must have gathered for him about Mount Sinai, which doubtless was the objective of his journey into Arabia! Moses and Elijah had been pupils before him in its majestic solitudes. As the Apostle dwelt there, with unlimited opportunity for communion with God, his mind was turned in the direction of that massive system of thought which at once distinguishes his Epistles and connects the New Testament with the Old. It is a profound discovery when God reveals His Son as resident in the believer's soul. That Christ is in each of us, if we be truly regenerated, is indubitable. See 2 Corinthians 13:5. But it seems that, in many cases, a veil hides that blessed fact from our consciousness. We need a miracle of grace, similar to that which at the Crucifixion rent the veil in twain, from the top to the bottom, Matthew 27:51. [source]

Chapter Summary: Galatians 1

1  Paul's greeting to the Galatians;
6  He wonders why they have so soon left him and the gospel;
8  and accurses those who preach any other gospel than he did
11  He learned the gospel not from men, but from God;
14  and shows what he was before his calling;
17  and what he did immediately after it

Greek Commentary for Galatians 1:17

Before me [προ εμου]
The Jerusalem apostles were genuine apostles, but so is Paul. His call did not come from them nor did he receive confirmation by them. [source]
Into Arabia [εις Αραβιαν]
This visit to Arabia has to come between the two visits to Damascus which are not distinguished in Acts 9:22. In Acts 9:23 Luke does speak of “considerable days” and so we must place the visit to Arabia between Acts 9:22, Acts 9:23. [source]
Went I up [ἀνῆλθον]
Comp. Galatians 1:18. Only in this chapter, and John 6:3. More commonly ἀναβαίνειν , often of the journey to Jerusalem, probably in the conventional sense in which Englishmen speak of going up to London, no matter from what point. See Matthew 20:17; Mark 10:32; John 2:13; Acts 11:2. In Acts 18:22the verb is used absolutely of going to Jerusalem. The reading ἀπῆλθον Iwent away had strong support, and is adopted by Weiss. In that case the meaning would be went away to Jerusalem from where I then was. [source]
Apostles before me []
In point of seniority. Comp. Romans 16:7. [source]
Arabia []
It is entirely impossible to decide what Paul means by this term, since the word was so loosely used and so variously applied. Many think the Sinaitic peninsula is meant (Stanley, Farrar, Matheson, Lightfoot). Others, the district of Auranitis near Damascus (Lipsius, Conybeare and Howson, Lewin, McGiffert). Others again the district of Arabia Petraea. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Galatians 1:17

2 Corinthians 5:14 Constraineth us [συνεχει ημας]
Old and common verb, to hold together, to press the ears together (Acts 7:57), to press on every side (Luke 8:45), to hold fast (Luke 22:63), to hold oneself to (Acts 18:5), to be pressed (passive, Luke 12:50; Philemon 1:23). So here Paul‘s conception of Christ‘s love for him holds him together to his task whatever men think or say. Judging this (κριναντας τουτο — krinantas touto). Having reached this conclusion, ever since his conversion (Galatians 1:17.). One died for all This is the central tenet in Paul‘s theology and Christology. υπερ — Huper (over) here is used in the sense of substitution as in John 11:50; Galatians 3:13, death in behalf so that the rest will not have to die. This use of υπερ — huper is common in the papyri (Robertson, Grammar, p. 631). In fact, υπερ — huper in this sense is more usual in Greek than αντι προ — antiαρα οι παντες απετανον — pro or any other preposition. Therefore all died (αρα — ara hoi pantes apethanon). Logical conclusion (ara corresponding), the one died for the all and so the all died when he did, all the spiritual death possible for those for whom Christ died. This is Paul‘s gospel, clear-cut, our hope today. [source]
2 Corinthians 5:14 Judging this [κριναντας τουτο]
Having reached this conclusion, ever since his conversion (Galatians 1:17.). [source]
Galatians 4:26 Jerusalem which is above [ἡ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ]
Paul uses the Hebrew form Ἱερουσαλὴμ in preference to the Greek Ἱεροσόλυμα , which occurs Galatians 1:17, Galatians 1:18; Galatians 2:1. The phrase Jerusalem which is above was familiar to the rabbinical teachers, who conceived the heavenly Jerusalem as the archetype of the earthly. On the establishment of Messiah's kingdom, the heavenly archetype would be let down to earth, and would be the capital of the messianic theocracy. Comp. Hebrews 11:10; Hebrews 12:22; Hebrews 13:14; Revelation 3:12, Revelation 21:2. Paul here means the messianic kingdom of Christ, partially realized in the Christian church, but to be fully realized only at the second coming of the Lord. For ἄνω , comp. Philemon 3:14; Colossians 3:1, Colossians 3:2. [source]

What do the individual words in Galatians 1:17 mean?

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the before me apostles but I went away into Arabia and again returned Damascus
οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθον εἰς Ἀραβίαν καὶ πάλιν ὑπέστρεψα Δαμασκόν

οὐδὲ  nor 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὐδέ  
Sense: but not, neither, nor, not even.
ἀνῆλθον  did  I  go  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἀνέρχομαι  
Sense: to go up.
Ἱεροσόλυμα  Jerusalem 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: Ἱεροσόλυμα  
Sense: denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants.
πρὸ  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: πρό  
Sense: before.
ἐμοῦ  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἀποστόλους  apostles 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀπόστολος  
Sense: a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders.
ἀπῆλθον  I  went  away 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἀπέρχομαι  
Sense: to go away, depart.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
Ἀραβίαν  Arabia 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἀραβία  
Sense: a well known peninsula of Asia lying towards Africa, and bounded by Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, the Gulf of Arabia, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
πάλιν  again 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πάλιν  
Sense: anew, again.
ὑπέστρεψα  returned 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ὑποστρέφω  
Sense: to turn back.
Δαμασκόν  Damascus 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Δαμασκός  
Sense: one of the most ancient and most important cities of Syria lying in almost lovely and fertile plain at the eastern base of the Antilibanus.

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