James Nisbet Commentary - Galatians 1:17 - 1:17

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James Nisbet Commentary - Galatians 1:17 - 1:17


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

ALONE WITH GOD

‘I went into Arabia.’

Gal_1:17

There is nothing that carries on the soul, and promotes the spiritual life, like secret conversing with God. The great test of every Christian is, what time he can spend in devotion; and, what he is when he is alone with God. How shall we secure it in the full and crowded life which most of us have?

I. It will be a good thing sometimes to retire for a few days from your usual avocations. Not for bodily rest only—not as a holiday—but for more communion (during the retreat) with your hearts and with God.

II. It is a better thing to go to your own room as often as you can in the day (even if only for a few minutes), that you may commune with the Invisible and dip into the Eternal. It is astonishing how it invigorates the mind, and how different things look afterwards, and men ‘will take knowledge of you, that you have been with Jesus.’

III. But best of all is that which, at any time, and in any place, can draw the curtain of the sanctuary of thought around your heart, and catch one moment with God. A hallowed solitude even in a crowd is a wonderful secret of a quiet mind, a heavenly wisdom, and a holy walk!

Arabia touched Canaan, and the boundary of the one was the confine of the other.

—
Rev. James Vaughan.

Illustration

‘The order of the events of St. Paul’s life, immediately after his conversion, as chronologically given, is not clear. In the history, as given in the Acts, there is no mention of this visit to Arabia. And the question is, whether it took place directly after his conversion and baptism; or, whether he had preached in the synagogues of Damascus before he went into Arabia? He certainly went back to Damascus and preached there; and the whole time occupied, before he went to Jerusalem, was three years. But how this time is to be divided—how much he was in Arabia, and how much in Damascus—of this we do not know. I am inclined to think he stayed a short time in Damascus after his conversion; then, for a longer period, he was in Arabia; and then he returned, having stayed a considerable time to escape the persecutions of the Jews, to Jerusalem. So the early summary of his life would be: first with Christ (only Christ); then a little with man; then in solitude with God; then work—an order full of suggestive thought and guidance.’