Galatians 1:22
in Galatians 1I was personally unknown, however, to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I was still unknown by face unto the churches of Judæa which were in Christ:
KJV
And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ:
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This verse in Galatians 1
Commentary
13 notes on this verse(Verses 22-24.) But I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ Jesus. They only heard it said: He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy. And they glorified God in me. The churches of Judea had only heard of me by reputation. And among them, they saw me more as a persecutor than as an apostle.
This site's exposition
regions of Syria and Cilicia
on Galatians 1:21-24
Paul's next years in Syria and Cilicia kept him personally unknown to the Judean churches. They had only the report that their former persecutor now preached the faith he once destroyed.
This site's exposition
I was personally unknown
The churches of Judea in Christ knew of Paul only by report. They had never seen his face. No teacher in those churches could claim to have trained him after God called him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"I was unknown." Therefore, he says, I did not preach to those who had believed from the circumcision that they must be circumcised (for this is what the slanderers said, that he proclaimed circumcision to those who believed from the Jews); therefore I did not …
A commentator
Augustine of HippoEPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 9 [1B.1.20-24] · Written before 430.
proposed
It should be observed that Jews had believed in Christ not only in Jerusalem, nor were they so few that they had been absorbed into the Gentile churches, but they were so numerous that churches came into being from them.
He discreetly returns to the main point, establishing that he had spent so short a time in Judea that he was unknown even by face to the believers. Hence he shows that he had no teachers—not Peter, not James, not John—but Christ, who had revealed his gospel to him.
"And I was still unknown by face unto the Churches of Judaea; but they only heard say, he that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc." What modesty in thus again mentioning the facts of his persecuting and laying waste the Church, and in thus making infamous his former life, while he passes over the illustrious deeds he was about to achieve! He might have told, had he wished it, all his successes, but he mentions none of these and stepping with one word over a vast expanse, he says merely, "I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;" and, "they had heard, that he, which once persecuted us, now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc." The purpose of the words, "I was unknown to the Churches of Judaea," is to show, that so far from preaching to them the necessity of circumcision, he was not known to them even by sight.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Therefore, he says, the Christians in Judea did not even know me by face. So how could I have preached circumcision to them, when they did not even know me by face? For they slandered him, saying that in Judea he preached circumcision.
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Secondly, how he was known by the others, namely, not by sight but by report and reputation. Hence he says, "I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ," i.e., in the faith of Christ: "As unknown and yet known" …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And was unknown by face,.... Or "in person".
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
So far was I from being a disciple of the apostles, that I was even unknown in the churches of Judea (excepting Jerusalem, Ac 9:26-29), which were the chief scene of their labors.
And was unknown by face - I was not personally acquainted with any of the Churches of Judea; I was converted in another place, and had not preached the Gospel in any Christian congregation in that country; I knew only those at Jerusalem.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And was unknown by face ... - Paul had visited Jerusalem only, and he had formed no acquaintance with any of the churches in the other parts of Judea. He regarded himself at the first as called to preach particularly to the Gentiles, and he did not remain even to form an acquaintance with the Christians in Judea. The churches of Judea - Those which were out of Jerusalem. Even at the early period of the conversion of Paul there were doubtless many churches in various parts of the land, Which were in Christ - United to Christ; or which were Christian churches. The design of mentioning this is, to show that he had not derived his views of the gospel from any of them. He had neither been instructed by the apostles, nor was he indebted to the Christians in Judea for his knowledge of the Christian religion.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἤμην | emen | I was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἀγνοούμενος | agnooumenos | unknown | G50 → | |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προσώπῳ | prosopo | by face | G4383 → | 75 times |
| ταῖς | tais | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκκλησίαις | ekklesiais | churches | G1577 → | 113 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰουδαίας | ioudaias | of Judea | G2449 → | |
| ταῖς | tais | that [are] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| Χριστῷ, | christo | Christ, | G5547 → | 523 times |
ἤμηνI was
emenG1510 →2333 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
ἀγνοούμενοςunknown
agnooumenosG50 →
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
προσώπῳby face
prosopoG4383 →75 times
ταῖςto the
taisG3588 →19766 times
ἐκκλησίαιςchurches
ekklesiaisG1577 →113 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
Ἰουδαίαςof Judea
ioudaiasG2449 →
ταῖςthat [are]
taisG3588 →19766 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
Χριστῷ,Christ,
christoG5547 →523 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
Philippians 1:1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
- Acts 16:12–15
From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
- Romans 1:1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—
- Colossians 1:1–2
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
- 2 Corinthians 1:1
Through
Acts 9:31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
it leads to
- Psalms 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- John 14:16–18
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—
- Isaiah 33:6
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.
- Psalms 111:10
Through
1 Thessalonians 2:14For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews,
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 3:4
Indeed, when we were with you, we kept warning you that we would suffer persecution; and as you know, it has come to pass.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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About Galatians
This page draws on 13 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 9 [1B.1.20-24]; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Galatians; Jerome, EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 1.1; John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians 1; 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; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Galatians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Galatians.