After his escape from Damascus, Paul went to Jerusalem, about three years having passed since his conversion. His chief object in making this visit, as he himself declared afterward, was "to see Peter." Galatians 1:18. Upon arriving in the city where he had once been well known as "Saul the persecutor," "he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he 129 was a disciple." It was difficult for them to believe that so bigoted a Pharisee, and one who had done so much to destroy the church, could become a sincere follower of Jesus. "But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus."

Efter at være flygtet fra Damaskus drog Paulus til Jerusalem cirka tre år efter sin omvendelse. Som han selv senere erklærede, var hovedformålet med dette besøg at "lære Kefas at kende." Gal. 1,18. Da han var kommet til byen, hvor han tidligere havde været så velkendt som "forfølgeren Saulus," "gjorde han forsøg på at slutte sig til disciplene, men de frygtede alle for ham, da de ikke troede på, at han, som havde været en så blind tilhænger af farisæerne, og som havde gjort så meget for at tilintetgøre menigheden, nu kunne være blevet en sand Jesu discipel. "Men Barnabas tog sig af ham og førte ham til apostlene og fortalte dem, hvordan han på vejen havde set Herren, som havde talt til ham, og hvordan han i Damaskus havde vidnet frimodigt i Jesu navn."