Then after three years. It was not till three years after he had begun to discharge the apostolic office, that he went up to Jerusalem. Thus, he did not, at the outset, receive the calling of men. But lest it should be supposed that he had separate interests from theirs, and was desirous to avoid their society, he tells us that he went up for the express purpose to see [1] Peter. [2] Although he had not waited for their sanction before undertaking the office, yet it was not against their will, but with their full consent and approbation, that he held the rank of an apostle. He is desirous to shew that at no period was he at variance with the apostles, and that even now he is in full harmony with all their views. By mentioning the short time that he remained there, he shews that he had come, not with a view to learn, but solely for mutual intercourse.

Footnotes

1 - " istorein signifies either to ascertain any thing by inquiry, or any person by personal examination;' but sometimes, as here, to visit for the purpose of becoming acquainted with any one by personal communication.' So Josephus, Bell. 6:1-8, hon (scil. Julianum), historesa, whom when I came to know and be with.' See Ac 9:26,27." -- Bloomfield.

2 - "The distinguished guest of a distinguished host." -- Grotius.

Then after three years - Probably three years after his departure from Jerusalem to Damascus, not after his return to Arabia. So most commentators have understood it.
Went up to Jerusalem - More correctly, as in the margin, returned.
To see Peter - Peter was the oldest and most distinguished of the apostles. In Galatians 2:9, he, with James and John, is called a pillar. But why Paul went particularly to see him is not known. It was probably, however, from the celebrity and distinction which he knew Peter had among the apostles that he wished to become particularly acquainted with him. The word which is here rendered "to see" (ἱστορῆσαι historēsai) is by no means that which is commonly employed to denote that idea. It occurs nowhere else in the New Testament; and properly means to ascertain by personal inquiry and examination, and then to narrate, as a historian was accustomed to do, whence our word history. The notion of personally seeing and examining, is one that belongs essentially to the word, and the idea here is that of seeing or visiting Peter in order to a personal acquaintance.
And abode with him fifteen days - Probably, says Bloomfield, including three Lord's days. Why he departed then is unknown. Beza supposes that it was on account of the plots of the Grecians against him, and their intention to destroy him Acts 9:29; but this is not assigned by Paul himself as a reason. It is probable that the purpose of his visit to Peter would be accomplished in that time, and he would not spend more time than was necessary with him. It is clear that in the short space of two weeks he could not have been very extensively taught by Peter the nature of the Christian religion, and probably the time is mentioned here to show that he had not been under the teaching of the apostles.

After three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter - These three years may be reckoned either from the departure of Paul from Jerusalem, or from his return from Arabia to Damascus.
To see Peter - Ιστορησαι Πετρον, to become personally acquainted with Peter; for this is the proper import of the verb ἱστορειν, from which we have the word ἱστορια, history, which signifies a relation of things from personal knowledge and actual acquaintance. How far this is, now, from the sense in which we must take the word, ninety-nine of every hundred of our histories sufficiently show. They are any thing but true relations of facts and persons.
And abode with him fifteen days - It was not, therefore, to get religious knowledge from him that he paid him this visit. He knew as much of the Jewish religion as Peter did, if not more; and as to the Gospel, he received that from the same source, and had preached it three years before this.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem,.... Not three years after his return to Damascus, but after his conversion; and now it was that he moved to become a member of the church at Jerusalem; but they did not care to admit him, fearing that he was not a disciple, till such time that Barnabas took him, and brought him to the Apostles Peter and James, and related his conversion and his boldness in preaching the Gospel at Damascus: his view in going up to Jerusalem at this time was partly his own safety, being obliged to fly from Damascus, but chiefly
to see Peter. The Alexandrian copy, and another, read "Cephas", and so does the Ethiopic version, the same with Peter: not to see what sort of a man he was, but to pay him a Christian visit; to converse with him about spiritual things; to know how the work of God went on under him, as the minister of the circumcision; and to relate to him, what success he had met with as the minister of the uncircumcision; but not to receive the Gospel from him, or to be ordained a preacher of it by him; for he had been three years already in the work of the ministry, before he made him this visit; and besides, his stay with him was very short, nor could he have received much from him, in so short a time, in an ordinary way:
and abode with him fifteen days; and even all this time was not wholly spent in conversation with him; for he was, during this time, coming in and going out at Jerusalem, where he preached boldly in the name of Christ, and disputed against the Grecians.

after three years--dating from my conversion, as appears by the contrast to "immediately" (Galatians 1:16). This is the same visit to Jerusalem as in Acts 9:26, and at this visit occurred the vision (Acts 22:17-18). The incident which led to his leaving Damascus (Acts 9:25; 2-Corinthians 11:33) was not the main cause of his going to Jerusalem. So that there is no discrepancy in the statement here that he went "to see Peter"; or rather, as Greek, "to make the acquaintance of"; "to become personally acquainted with." The two oldest manuscripts read, "Cephas," the name given Peter elsewhere in the Epistle, the Hebrew name; as Peter is the Greek (John 1:42). Appropriate to the view of him here as the apostle especially of the Hebrews. It is remarkable that Peter himself, in his Epistles, uses the Greek name Peter, perhaps to mark his antagonism to the Judaizers who would cling to the Hebraic form. He was prominent among the apostles, though James, as bishop of Jerusalem, had the chief authority there (Matthew 16:18).
abode--or "tarried" [ELLICOTT].
fifteen days--only fifteen days; contrasting with the long period of three years, during which, previously, he had exercised an independent commission in preaching: a fact proving on the face of it, how little he owed to Peter in regard to his apostolical authority or instruction. The Greek for "to see," at the same time implies visiting a person important to know, such as Peter was. The plots of the Jews prevented him staying longer (Acts 9:29). Also, the vision directing him to depart to the Gentiles, for that the people of Jerusalem would not receive his testimony (Acts 22:17-18).

Then after three years. Three years after conversion. This journey to Jerusalem, hurried by persecution at Damascus (2-Corinthians 11:32), was probably A. D. 40.
To see Peter. He had probably never met him before. He desired to form his acquaintance and counsel over their great work. He then remained fifteen days, not long enough to have been taught the gospel by Peter, if that had been his object.
Other of the apostles saw I none. The other apostles were probably absent among churches of Judea (Acts 9:31).
Save James. Not James the brother of John, an apostle, but James, "the brother of the Lord," named in Acts 12:17; Acts 15:13; Acts 21:18. This James was not one of the Twelve, but rose to great dignity and influence in the church at Jerusalem. He is called here "the brother of the Lord," to distinguish him from "James, the son of Zebedee," and "James, the son of Alpheus," who were of the Twelve. See Introduction to Epistle of James.
Behold, before God, I lie not. This statement, an important one in view of the declarations of the Judaizers, Paul makes very solemnly.
Afterwards I came into . . . Syria and Cilicia. See Acts 9:30. He was forced to leave Jerusalem by the attempt of the Hellenistic Jews to kill him.
And was unknown by face, etc. The churches of Judea had heard of him, but few had seen him.
They had heard. Rather, they kept hearing. That he was busy planting churches in Syria and Cilicia at this time we know from the fact that we find them in existence soon after (Acts 15:41).
They glorified God in me. Glorified God for the work I was doing. The idea of glorifying men for the success of their work was unknown in the early church.

Then after three years - Wherein I had given full proof of my apostleship. I went to visit Peter - To converse with him.