Galatians 1:11-24
Paul's Call to the Nations
11For I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached was not devised by man.
12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased
16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood,
17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
18Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days.
19But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
20I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.
21Later I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
22I was personally unknown, however, to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.
23They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
24And they glorified God because of me.
Berean Standard Bible
Paul explains why his message must not be judged by the usual standards of human origin. The gospel he preached was not something he received from a human being or was taught through human instruction. He received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
He reminds the Galatians what his life looked like before that revelation. He persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. He was advancing in Judaism beyond many of his contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers. His former sincerity did not make his former direction right.
But God set Paul apart from his mother's womb and called him by grace. He was pleased to reveal His Son in Paul so that Paul might preach Christ among the Gentiles. Paul says he did not immediately consult with flesh and blood or rush to Jerusalem to receive a human commission.
After time in Arabia and Damascus, Paul eventually went to Jerusalem and met Cephas, staying with him fifteen days. He saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. The detail matters because Paul is not inventing a story of secret independence. He is explaining the order in which his calling and his contact with the recognized leaders occurred.
He was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea. They heard only that the man who had once persecuted believers was now preaching the faith he had tried to destroy, and they glorified God because of him.
How We Know
Acts records Paul's conversion after he was traveling to Damascus to arrest followers of Jesus. Ananias was sent to him, Paul began proclaiming Jesus, and the church gradually learned that its former persecutor had become a preacher.
Acts also preserves Paul's later retellings of the same calling before Jewish and Roman audiences. The accounts differ in setting and emphasis, but they agree on the essential movement: violent opposition to Jesus gave way to a God-given commission to announce Him to the nations.
Questions
1 From whom did Paul say he received the gospel?
AnswerHe says he received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ, not from a human teacher or ordinary human instruction.
2 How did Paul describe his former life?
AnswerHe persecuted the church violently, tried to destroy it, and advanced in Judaism while showing intense zeal for ancestral traditions.
3 What did God do when He called Paul?
AnswerGod set him apart, called him by grace, revealed His Son in him, and sent him to preach Christ among the Gentiles.
4 How did the churches of Judea respond to Paul's transformation?
AnswerThey heard that their former persecutor was preaching the faith he once tried to destroy, and they glorified God because of him.
What This Means for Us
Paul's testimony does not excuse his former violence, and it does not pretend that change happens without evidence. The churches had to hear what he was now doing. Grace changed the direction of his life and gave the church reason to glorify God.
Our past may explain some of our patterns, but it does not get the final word over Christ's call. At the same time, a changed life can be examined patiently. Trust need not be demanded instantly by the person who caused harm.
Prayer
God of grace, thank You that Your call can reach people who have gone badly astray. Turn our lives toward Christ, give us patience with real change, and make our repentance visible in faithful action. Amen.