Galatians 1:15–16: Edit history

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's departure, these churches received a teaching that Gentile believers must also be circumcised and keep the law. Paul's standing as an apostle also appears to have been questioned. Paul therefore 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 recalls 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) from his mother's womb, called him by grace, and revealed his Son so that Paul might preach him among the Gentiles. He then adds that he "conferred not with flesh and blood," that is, with other people, nor did he immediately go up to the apostles in Jerusalem (1:17). His purpose 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 concerns Paul's call to the apostolic ministry entrusted to him rather than 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 may 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 Greek phrase en emoi is rendered "in me" in the Korean Revised Version. Some understand 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 reportedly 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 observe that using the phrase as a general principle against seeking the counsel of others departs from its context.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, the passage is often cited in sermons on the calling of pastors and missionaries, as well as in sermons at ordination and missionary commissioning services.

Related Passages

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