Galatians 1:16 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

That I might preach him among the heathen;— This was undoubtedly the scheme of Providence concerning St. Paul, who has been accordingly distinguished by the name of The Apostle of the Gentiles. Dr. Wells and some others understand the last clause of this verse as if the Apostle had said, "Immediately after the recovery of mysight, without conferring with any man in the world, or so much as applying to Ananias himself for advice, I retired by divine direction into the desert of Arabia; where, after some time spent in devotion, I had a full revelation made to me of the most important facts and doctrines of Christianity; [which some suppose to be the rapture referred to, 2 Corinthians 12:2.] and then, after my return thence, preached at Damascus for the first time." Mr. Locke too insists, that the word ευθεως does not refer to St. Paul's immediately engaging in the work of the ministry, without applying for advice to any man; but to his going into Arabia: but the same word is used by St. Luke in his history of the Acts, who, without taking any notice of St. Paul's departure into Arabia, says, that after he had recovered strength, he continued certain days at Damascus, and (ευθεως) immediately preached Christ in the synagogues, Acts 9:19-20. So that it seems most probable that, after his conversion, St. Paul was so well instructed in the knowledge of the Gospel by the revelation that was then made to him, that he immediately began, without consulting any man, to preach the word at Damascus, before he went thence into Arabia: which is most suitable to the natural order of the words, and best agrees with the account in the Acts of his first entering on his ministry.