Galatians 1:15–16

Context

This passage comes from the Epistle to the Galatians, which the apostle Paul wrote to the churches in the region of Galatia. After Paul left, a teaching took hold in these churches that Gentile believers, too, must be circumcised and keep the law. Paul's credentials as an apostle also appear to have been called into question. Paul reviews his own history to show that the gospel he preached was not received from man but came "by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1:12).

In verses 13–14, Paul speaks of his past as a persecutor of the church. In this passage he says that God "separated" him (that is, set him apart and appointed him) before he was born, called him by grace, and commissioned him to preach his Son among the Gentiles. He then adds that he did not confer with "flesh and blood," that is, with other people, nor did he immediately go up to the apostles in Jerusalem (1:17). His aim is to emphasize that neither his gospel nor his apostleship originated with human beings.

Interpretation

• A reading in light of prophetic calls: The phrase "from my mother's womb" recalls the calls of Jeremiah and of the "Servant" in Isaiah. Many commentators read Paul as describing his own experience in terms of the calling of the Old Testament prophets.
• The Reformed reading: In the Reformed tradition, including Presbyterianism, this passage is often cited as an illustration of God's sovereign grace and predestination. The reasoning is that being set apart before birth and being called "by his grace" precede any human action.
• The Wesleyan and Arminian reading: Traditions shaped by Wesleyan theology and Arminianism, such as Methodist and Holiness churches, tend to stress that the passage speaks of Paul's call to the apostolic ministry entrusted to him rather than of an individual's predestination to eternal salvation.
• "Conversion" or "call"?: Scholars have long debated the nature of Paul's experience on the road to Damascus. It can be viewed as a conversion from one religion to another, or as a call in which he received a new mission from the same God. The Swedish New Testament scholar Krister Stendahl is known for emphasizing the latter view.

Debates and Issues

• Translation: The Korean Revised Version renders the Greek en emoi as "in me." Some take this as referring to an inward experience, while other translations render it "to me," indicating the recipient of the revelation.
• Manuscripts: Some manuscripts of verse 15 are known to state the subject "God" explicitly, while others do not. In either case, the meaning that God is the one who called remains the same.
• Relationship to Acts: The accounts of Paul's activities immediately after his conversion in Galatians (1:17–18) and in Acts 9 appear to differ. How to reconcile the two remains a matter of scholarly discussion.
• Citation out of context: The words "I conferred not with flesh and blood" are sometimes quoted to emphasize decisive resolve. The original context, however, concerns the source of the gospel. Some therefore point out that using the phrase as a general principle against seeking the counsel of others departs from its context.

In the Korean Church

The passage is often cited in sermons on the calling of pastors and missionaries, as well as in sermons delivered at ordination and commissioning services.

Related Passages

• Jeremiah 1:5
• Isaiah 49:1
• Acts 9:15
• 1 Corinthians 15:10
• Romans 1:1