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Galatians

About this book
Chapter 1

1 From Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead) 2 and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia. 3 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.⁠ 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel— 7 not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell! 9 As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell! 10 Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ! 11 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.⁠ 15 But when the one who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace was pleased⁠ 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from any human being, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia, and then returned to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and get information from him, and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you! 21 Afterward I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 But I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.⁠ 23 They were only hearing, “The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 So they glorified God because of me.

Texts in conversation

Compare Galatians 1:22 and Acts 9:1

New Testament

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Summary

Galatians says Paul was unknown to the Judean churches after his change in belief, which differs from Acts where he is shown persecuting believers there. The contrast suggests Acts follows a different literary purpose or tradition than Paul’s account.

Passages

Galatians 1:22

New Testament
20 I assure you that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you! 21 Afterward I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 But I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They were only hearing, “The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith he once tried to destroy.”
48–55 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Galatians

Acts 9:1

New Testament
1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Acts

References

"... The extradition contemplated in Acts 9:2 would require letters to the secular power in Damascus, which at that time was an ethnarch representing the Nabataean monarch, Aretas (2 Corinthians 11:32). In view of the antipathy between Aretas and Herod Antipas (Ant. xviii. 5.1) it seems improbable that an extradition treaty would be in force. It seems even more unlikely that such a treaty would allow for the extradition of refugees from religious persecution. The story of Paul's commission is likewise rendered suspect by its association with the narrative of his activity as a persecutor in Judea, a narrative which is flatly contradicted by Galatians 1:22 ..."
Douglas R. A. Hare, The Theme of Jewish Persecution of Christians in the Gospel according to St Matthew (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967), 65.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Galatians 1:22 and Acts 9:1

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