Galatians 1:13-24

Contemporary English Version

^13 (A) You know how I used to live as a Jew. I was cruel to God's church and even tried to destroy it. ^14 (B) I was a much better Jew than anyone else my own age, and I obeyed every law our ancestors had given us. ^15 (C) But even before I was born, God had chosen me by his gift of undeserved grace and had decided ¹⁶ to show me his Son, so I would announce his message to the Gentiles. I didn't talk this over with anyone. ¹⁷ I didn't say a word, not even to the men in Jerusalem who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went at once to Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.

^18 (D) Three years later I went to visit Peter^[a] in Jerusalem and stayed with him for 15 days. ¹⁹ The only other apostle I saw was James, the Lord's brother. ²⁰ And in the presence of God I swear I am telling the truth.

²¹ Later, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² But no one who belonged to Christ's churches in Judea had ever seen me in person. ²³ They had only heard that the one who had been cruel to them was now preaching the message that he had once tried to destroy. ²⁴ And because of me, they praised God.