Paul Called by God

11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters,u that the gospel I preachedv is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man,w nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelationx from Jesus Christ.y

13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism,z how intensely I persecuted the church of Goda and tried to destroy it.b 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealousc for the traditions of my fathers.d 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s wombe and called mef by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,g my immediate response was not to consult any human being.h 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.i

18 Then after three years,j I went up to Jerusalemk to get acquainted with Cephasb and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James,l the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before Godm that what I am writing you is no lie.n

21 Then I went to Syriao and Cilicia.p 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judeaq that are in Christ.r 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faiths he once tried to destroy.”t 24 And they praised Godu because of me.

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem,v this time with Barnabas.w I took Titusx along also. 2 I went in response to a revelationy and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.z I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my racea in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus,b who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.c 4 This matter arose because some false believersd had infiltrated our ranks to spy one the freedomf we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospelg might be preserved for you.

6 As for those who were held in high esteemh—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritismi—they added nothing to my message.j 7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the taskk of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,a l just as Peterm had been to the circumcised.b 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostlen to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostleo to the Gentiles. 9 James,p Cephasc q and John, those esteemed as pillars,r gave me and Barnabass the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.t They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,u and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,v the very thing I had been eager to do all along.