Galatians 1:11-24

New Century Version

Paul’s Authority Is from God

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the Good News I preached to you was not made up by human beings. ¹² I did not get it from humans, nor did anyone teach it to me, but Jesus Christ showed it to me.

¹³ You have heard about my past life in the Jewish religion. I attacked the church of God and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ I was becoming a leader in the Jewish religion, doing better than most other Jews of my age. I tried harder than anyone else to follow the teachings handed down by our ancestors.

¹⁵ But God had special plans for me and set me apart for his work even before I was born. He called me through his grace ¹⁶ and showed his son to me so that I might tell the Good News about him to those who are not Jewish. When God called me, I did not get advice or help from any person. ¹⁷ I did not go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. But, without waiting, I went away to Arabia and later went back to Damascus.

¹⁸ After three years I went to Jerusalem to meet Peter and stayed with him for fifteen days. ¹⁹ I met no other apostles, except James, the brother of the Lord. ²⁰ God knows that these things I write are not lies. ²¹ Later, I went to the areas of Syria and Cilicia.

²² In Judea the churches in Christ had never met me. ²³ They had only heard it said, “This man who was attacking us is now preaching the same faith that he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And these believers praised God because of me.