Paul's Backstory

Hello everyone.

We will continue our examination of Galatians 1, looking at verses 13-16a:  Here is my translation: 

13 You have heard about the way I used to live, when I still practiced Judaism.  I was a great persecutor of God’s church.  In fact, I was trying to destroy it. 14 My advancement in Judaism was beyond many of my fellow Jews of that day, as I was incredibly zealous in keeping the traditions of my ancestors.  
15 However, God appointed me, even before I was born, and called me by his grace.  He was pleased, 16 to reveal his son to me. That way, I could proclaim his gospel to the Gentiles.  

Starting in verse 13, Paul begins telling his story.  It seems that now Paul no longer considers that he practices Judaism.  He says, “ You have heard about the way I used to live, when I still practiced Judaism.”  (my translation)  Other translations like the NIV say “my previous way of life in Judaism.”  It appears that Paul considers that he is still a Jew ethnically, but has moved on from Judaism.  It is important to note that his detractors and opponents have not moved on, as they were trying to practice a hybrid Christianity that was compatible with the Mosaic Law. (Schreiner, 98.)

Undoubtedly, his audience had heard some of this story, particularly the part about how, at one time, Paul had persecuted God’s people.  He openly admits to this, calling himself, “a great persecutor of God’s church”, and admitting that he had been dead set on destroying it. 

As Paul continues in verse 14, he discusses how he had advanced in Judaism beyond many of his contemporaries.  He admits that he had been zealous for keeping the traditions of his ancestors. When it came to following the law and keeping the traditions, Paul was near the top. In other words: Paul knew and understood legalistic religion on a very high level. In the way that he had lived, he had been steeped in it. (Paul tells Agrippa in Acts 26:5 that he had conformed to the strictest sect of Judaism, living as a Pharisee.) Stott describes the Pharisee Saul of Tarsus like this, “a bigot and a fanatic, whole-hearted in his devotion to Judaism and his persecution of Christ and the church.” (Stott, 31.) But, Paul stresses now that he has left that way of life behind. 

The revelation of grace, had indeed been a revelation to Paul of a different, and better, way to live.  Paul had been so zealous for his former cause, that he believed that it was his duty even  to persecute and kill the ‘heretic’ Christians, and that God was pleased with this.  That version of Paul, called Saul, may have understood something of God’s holiness and righteousness, but understood nothing of God’s mercy, love and grace. This understanding, apparently, had to be given to Paul through special revelation.  We cansee that Saul the persecutor connected his persecution of Chrisitains with his love and zeal for God, but all of Saul’s passion and zeal for God were seriously misguided. Fortunately for the church, God had plans for this persecutor of His people. 

Paul tells us, in verse 15, that God had chosen him, even before he was born. The Greek:  ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου (ek Koilias matros mou) means “out of my mother’s womb.”  Like John the Baptist, God had made plans for Paul even before he was born.  (Paul obviously didn’t get the Holy Spirit in the womb the way John did, as he did not recognize Jesus until much later on.) We see a similar call in Jeremiah 1:5.  “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you , before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  God had a plan for Paul from the beginning, similar to other great men of the Bible like Jeremiah and John. 

In verse 15, going into verse 16, we see that God was pleased to reveal His Son to Paul.  This may be making reference to Jesus’ appearance to Saul on the road to Damascus in Acts 9. Saul, on his way to Damascus to capture Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners, encountered the risen Christ.  (Acts 9:1-9)  It could be making reference to the time Paul spends in Arabia that he references in Galatians 1:17, as a time when he receives that special revelation.  Perhaps he is refering to both.  Either way, Paul makes it clear that through His grace God has revealed Jesus To him, and with that God's gospel of grace. 

His readers here are also told that God had called Paul for a specific purpose, the purpose of proclaiming this gospel of grace to the Gentiles.  (Paul is a curious choice for messenger to the Gentiles, since he was the most Jewish from among the Jews.)