How Paul Became an Apostle

¹¹ Let me tell you, my friends, that the gospel I preach is not of human origin. ¹² I did not receive it from any human being, nor did anyone teach it to me. It was Jesus Christ himself who revealed it to me.

^13 (A)You have been told how I used to live when I was devoted to the Jewish religion, how I persecuted without mercy the church of God and did my best to destroy it. ^14 (B)I was ahead of most other Jews of my age in my practice of the Jewish religion, and was much more devoted to the traditions of our ancestors.

^15 (C)But God in his grace chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve him. And when he decided ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the Gentiles, I did not go to anyone for advice, ¹⁷ nor did I go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me. Instead, I went at once to Arabia, and then I returned to Damascus. ^18 (D)It was three years later that I went to Jerusalem to obtain information from Peter, and I stayed with him for two weeks. ¹⁹ I did not see any other apostle except James,^[a] the Lord's brother.

²⁰ What I write is true. God knows that I am not lying!