A Tyrant’s Conversion – Gal. 1:13-24
Last week’s study served as an introduction to the book of Galatians. As a reminder, the book is actually a letter written by Paul to the churches in Galatia. It was written to counter the false doctrines that had crept into Galatia by way of Jews who were teaching Gentile believers that they had to keep the Jewish law, in addition to accepting Jesus as LORD and Savior. The main thrust of Paul’s opening argument is that God is true. What He says is truth. Any man who contradicts God is a liar.
You might also remember from last week that Paul’s past as a tyrant and a persecutor of Christians left him constantly defending his apostleship and ministry. How ironic that Christian believers are so quick to judge someone based on his or her past without even considering their own past histories.
Today we are going to briefly look at Paul’s conversion and the immediate aftermath. In this second half of chpt. 1, Paul reminds his readers that he was saved and changed by Jesus Christ. He makes it clear that Jesus changed him – and dramatically so. Paul was not the same tyrant after Jesus got hold of him. It wasn’t the Jewish law that changed Paul. It was Jesus. This argument is the perfect set up for what will follow in chpt. 2 and beyond.