And when Saul was come to Jerusalem— Upon his escaping from Damascus, St. Paul went up to Jerusalem, where he had never been since his conversion to Christianity; and thither he went chiefly to visit the great apostle of the circumcision, Galatians 1:18 who, as some of the Christians had informed him, then resided at that city. He had very probably heard much of St. Peter, which made him long for the sight and acquaintance of one so eminent in the Christian church.
Great souls by instinct to each other turn, Demand alliance, and in friendship burn.
And indeed there was something similar in their cases; for the one had been recovered to the dignity of one of the first ministers of the circumcision, after a threefold denial of his Lord and Master; the other, from a persecutor of the Christians, was already converted, and made an eminent prophet, and was commissioned to be the apostle of the Gentile world. But, though St. Paul went as a friend, to visit St. Peter and the Christian church, yet, as he had been so zealous and distinguished a persecutor, and had been since his conversion chiefly in Arabia Deserta, a country with which Jerusalem had but little correspondence, the Christians were still afraid of him. They knew how he had heretofore persecuted their brethren in Jerusalem, and gone to Damascus in pursuit of them; but they very probably had received no certain intelligence of his conversion. Though it may seem strange, that so remarkable an event should have been so long hid from them, yet some very probable reasons have been urged why they had not a full and satisfactory account of the affair; such as, 1. Thewar between Herod and Aretas, which might greatly interrupt the communication between Jerusalem and Damascus. 2. As the Christians in Judea were under a violent persecution, those of Damascus might be afraid of going to Jerusalem, and the Christians of Jerusalem might not be able to carry on their correspondence so regularly with the Christians at a distance; besides, it should be remembered, that there were not then such conveniences of correspondence as now. 3. Perhaps, the persecuting Jews, to prevent the argument which might be drawn from St. Paul's conversion, might affect to give themselves mysterious airs, as if he was only acting a concerted part; sure to find their account in such a pretence, by mortifying the disciples, and bringing St. Paul under suspicion.—But whatever was the cause, the Christians at Jerusalemstill doubted his integrity, till Barnabas convinced them to the contrary. Some affirm, that Barnabas had been his old acquaintance, and had sat with him at the feet of Gamaliel; and therefore might know him to be a man of too much veracity to act an insincere part; but this account is to be questioned. Barnabas, however, was some way or other fully satisfied of the truth and reality of St. Paul's conversion; he therefore, with great propriety, introduced him to the apostles, namely, to St. Peter, who went with St. John to Samaria, and was now returned; and to St. James, the kinsman of our Lord, Galatians 1:18-19. For these were the only apostles whom St. Paul now saw at Jerusalem: the rest had dispersed themselves to plant or water the Christian religion in different places, and especially to confirm and establish such converts as the Christianshad made in their several dispersions, by the laying on of their hands, and imparting unto them the gift of the Holy Spirit.