John Calvin Commentary Galatians 2:1

"Then after the space of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me." — Galatians 2:1 (ASV)

Fourteen years after. This cannot be affirmed with certainty to be the same journey mentioned by Luke (Acts 15:2). The connection of the history leads us rather to an opposite conclusion. We find that Paul performed four journeys to Jerusalem. We have already spoken of the first. The second took place when, in company with Barnabas, he brought the charitable contributions of the Greek and Asiatic Churches (Acts 15:25).

My belief that this second journey is referred to in this passage rests on various grounds. On any other supposition, the statements of Paul and Luke cannot be reconciled. Besides, there is ground for conjecturing that the rebuke was administered to Peter at Antioch while Paul was residing there. Now, this happened before he was sent to Jerusalem by the Churches to settle the dispute that had arisen about ceremonial observances (Acts 15:2). It is not reasonable to suppose that Peter would have used such dissimulation if that controversy had been settled and the decree of the Apostles published. But Paul writes that he came to Jerusalem, and afterwards adds that he had rebuked Peter for an act of dissimulation, an act which Peter certainly would not have committed except in matters that were doubtful.

Besides, he would scarcely have alluded, at any time, to that journey undertaken with the consent of all the believers, without mentioning its occasion and the memorable decision that was passed. It is not even certain when the Epistle was written, only that the Greeks conjecture that it was sent from Rome, and the Latins from Ephesus.

For my own part, I think that it was written, not only before Paul had seen Rome, but before that consultation had been held and the decision of the Apostles given about ceremonial observances. While his opponents were falsely pleading the name of the apostles and earnestly striving to ruin Paul's reputation, what carelessness would it have argued in him to pass by the decree universally circulated among them, which struck at those very persons!

Undoubtedly, this one word would have shut their mouths: “You bring against me the authority of the apostles, but who does not know their decision? and therefore I hold you convicted of unblushing falsehood. In their name, you oblige the Gentiles to keep the law, but I appeal to their own writing, which sets consciences at liberty.”

We may also observe that, at the beginning of the Epistle, he reproved the Galatians for having so soon revolted from the gospel that had been delivered to them. But we may readily conclude that, after they had been brought to believe the gospel, some time must have elapsed before that dispute about the ceremonial law arose. I consider, therefore, that the fourteen years are to be reckoned, not from one journey to another, but from Paul’s conversion. The time between the two journeys was eleven years.