But, the great advantage,--producible, and probably produced, by the opening of the matter, as performed by Barnabas,--was this: in company with those arguments, by which the sincerity of Paul was to be demonstrated,--would naturally come those, by which intimation would be given, of the advantage there might be, in forbearing to apply too strict a scrutiny, to this important statement. The interests, which, in the character of motives, pleaded for the acceptance, of the advance made towards reconciliation and mutually advantageous cooperation,--would, in this manner, prepare the way, for receiving, without any troublesome counter-interrogation, the important narrative: or, perhaps, for considering the matter, as already sufficiently explained, by the son of consolation,--in such sort that, to the new Apostle, the trouble of repeating a narrative, which he must already have so frequently found himself under the necessity of repeating, might be spared. The greater was the importance, of the service thus rendered to Paul by the son of consolation,--the more studiously, in giving the account, as above, of the intercourse with the Apostles at Jerusalem,--the more studiously, would he avoid all mention of it.[27] SECTION 6. LENGTH OF THIS VISIT--PAUL'S EMPLOYMENT DURING IT. Fifteen days, if Paul is to be believed--fifteen days, and no more,--was the length of time, during which his intercourse with Peter continued: Gal. i. 18, that same length of time, and no greater, it may without much rashness be inferred, was his stay at Jerusalem. These fifteen days,--or whatever, if anything longer, was the duration of his stay in that seat of their common religion,--in what occupations were they employed? It is in the Acts, if anywhere, that this question will receive its answer. It was in "disputing against the Grecians." Acts 9:29. That such should have been his occupation, is in his situation altogether natural. Of a sort of _partition treaty_, as having, at one time, been entered into between himself and Peter,--Paul, in his so-often mentioned letters to the Galatians, informs us in express terms. As to the time, which, on that occasion, he has in view,--it was, according to appearance, not the time of _this_ his first visit, but of the third. At that third visit, the treaty was, at any rate, either entered into for the first time, or confirmed: receiving, at the same time, what was on both sides agreed upon, as an amendment requisite to add to it, in respect of clearness, correctness, or completeness.