Galatians 1:13
in Galatians 1For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and made havoc of it:
KJV
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
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This verse in Galatians 1
Commentary
15 notes on this verse(Verse 13.) For you have heard of my previous conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. This account is highly beneficial to the Galatians, as it shows how Paul, once a destroyer of the church and a fervent defender of Judaism, suddenly converted to the faith of Christ.
This site's exposition
persecuted the church of God
on Galatians 1:13-14
Paul's proof begins with the last man anyone would expect to carry a gospel to the Gentiles. He persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it and was extremely zealous for the traditions handed down to him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"For you have heard." Then since the Galatians did not know of the revelation which had been given to Paul by Christ, he wishes, in order to show that he was formerly a persecutor and now suddenly transformed, which, unless some divine vision had been …
A commentator
Augustine of HippoEPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 7 [1B.1.13-14] · Written before 430.
proposed
If therefore he showed prowess in Judaism by persecuting and wasting God's church, it is obvious that Judaism is contrary to the church of God, not through that spiritual law which the Jews had received but through their carnal habit of servitude. And if Paul as a zealot—that is, an imitator of late Judaic traditions—persecuted the church of God, his paternal traditions are contrary to God's church, but the blame does not belong to the law itself. For the law is spiritual and does not allow itself to be interpreted carnally. That is the fault of those who understand carnally the things that they have received and who also have handed down many things of their own, undermining, as the Lord said, the command of God through their traditions.
I may here say to those who reject The Acts of the Apostles: "It is first necessary that you shows us who this Paul was,-both what he was before he was an apostle, and how he became an apostle,"-so very great is the use which they make of him in respect of other questions also. It is true that he tells us himself that he was a persecutor before he became an apostle, still this is not enough for any man who examines before he believes, since even the Lord Himself did not bear witness of Himself.
A commentator
Gaius Marius VictorinusEPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 1.1.13-14 · Written before 370.
proposed
The point of telling this about himself is to show that he did not learn from a man or through man but from God and Jesus Christ. The aim of this is to prevent the Galatians from entertaining another opinion or supposing that anything needs …
"For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and made havoc of it." Observe how he shrinks not from aggravating each point; not saying simply that he "persecuted" but "beyond measure," and not only "persecuted" but "made havoc of it," which signifies an attempt to extinguish, to pull down, to destroy, to annihilate, the Church.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
From what is it evident that I received the Gospel through divine revelation? From my former life. For being such a persecutor, how could I have suddenly changed if some divine manifestation had not drawn me out? And that I was a zealous persecutor is …
The whole construction is a demonstration that he did not receive the mystery from a man; for such an abrupt conversion could not possibly have taken place through a man. The teaching of men makes progress little by little. But there is also another underlying construction, in that he gently teaches them not to do the things of law; for he says, if he who showed such a great diligence in connection with the law, abandoned the things of law and turned to the salvation which is from faith, it is obvious that he abandoned the law as being unable to lead to perfection. How much more fitting, then, should it be for those who have turned to the faith not to seek to follow what is unable to lead to perfection!
Then when he says, "For you have heard of my conversation in time past," he shows that he did not receive the Gospel from men, either before his conversion or after his conversion to Christ (v. 15). That he did not receive it from man …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past,.... His manner and course of life, in his state of unregeneracy, how diametrically opposite his education and behaviour, his principles and practices, were to the Gospel; which show that he had not received it, nor was he taught it of men.
This Paul often takes notice of, for the magnifying of that free and rich grace which had wrought so wonderful a change in him, whereby of so great a sinner he was made a sincere penitent, and from a persecutor had become an apostle.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"Israelite," the highest title, the religious privileges, as a member of the theocracy. the church--Here singular, marking its unity, though constituted of many particular churches, under the one Head, Christ. of God--added to mark the greatness of his sinful alienation from God (1Co 15:19). wasted--laid it waste: the opposite of "building it up."
Ye have heard of my conversation - Την εμην αναστροφην· My manner of life; the mode in which I conducted myself. Beyond measure I persecuted the Church - For proofs of this the reader is referred to Act 9:1-2 (note); Act 22:4 (note), and the notes there. The apostle tells them that they had heard this, because, being Jews, they were acquainted with what had taken place in Judea, relative to these important transactions.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For ye have heard of my conversation - My conduct, my mode of life, my deportment; see the note at 2Co 1:12. Probably Paul had himself made them acquainted with the events of his early years. The reason why he refers to this is, to show them that he had not derived his knowledge of the Christian religion from any instruction which he had received in his early years, or any acquaintance which he had formed with the apostles. At first, Paul had been decidedly opposed to the Lord Jesus, and had been converted only by God’s wonderful grace.
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἠκούσατε | ekousate | You have heard of | G191 → | 425 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐμὴν | emen | my | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἀναστροφήν | anastrophen | way of life | G391 → | |
| ποτε | pote | former | G4218 → | 54 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰουδαϊσμῷ | ioudaismo | Judaism | G2454 → | |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| καθ᾽ | kath᾽ | beyond | G2596 → | 468 times |
| ὑπερβολὴν | huperbolen | exceeding measure | G5236 → | |
| ἐδίωκον | ediokon | I was persecuting | G1377 → | 45 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκκλησίαν | ekklesian | church | G1577 → | 113 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπόρθουν | eporthoun | was destroying | G4199 → | |
| αὐτήν· | auten | it; | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἠκούσατεYou have heard of
ekousateG191 →425 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐμὴνmy
emenG1473 →839 times
ἀναστροφήνway of life
anastrophenG391 →
ποτεformer
poteG4218 →54 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἸουδαϊσμῷJudaism
ioudaismoG2454 →
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
καθ᾽beyond
kath᾽G2596 →468 times
ὑπερβολὴνexceeding measure
huperbolenG5236 →
ἐδίωκονI was persecuting
ediokonG1377 →45 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐκκλησίανchurch
ekklesianG1577 →113 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπόρθουνwas destroying
eporthounG4199 →
αὐτήν·it;
autenG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 15:9For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
it leads to
- Acts 8:3
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ephesians 3:7–8
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
- 1 Timothy 1:13–15
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- 2 Corinthians 12:11
I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
- Acts 8:3
Through
Acts 8:3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 1:13
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- 1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Philippians 3:6
as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.
- 1 Timothy 1:13
Through
Acts 9:21All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners…
it leads to
- Acts 9:13–14
But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
- Acts 9:13–14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
About Galatians
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 7 [1B.1.13-14]; Gaius Marius Victorinus, EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 1.1.13-14; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Galatians; John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians 1; John Damascene, Commentary (church-history corpus); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Galatians; Tertullian, The Prescription Against Heretics; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Galatians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Galatians.