Galatians 1:11–24

Paul Defends His Apostleship

11 Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not based on human thought. s 12 For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation t from Jesus Christ. u

13 For you have heard about my former way of life v in Judaism: w I persecuted x God’s church to an extreme degree and tried to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. y 15 But when God, who from my birth set me apart and called z me by His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son a in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. b 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem c to those who had become apostles d before me; instead I went to Arabia e and came back to Damascus. f

18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem g to get to know * Cephas, h i and I stayed with him 15 days. 19 But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, j the Lord’s brother. 20 Now I am not lying in what I write to you. God is my witness. k

21 Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria l and Cilicia. m 22 I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches in Christ; 23 they simply kept hearing: “He who formerly persecuted n us now preaches the faith o he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.