Galatians 1:15-17 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Galatians 1:10-24

What Paul had said more generally, in the preface of this epistle, he now proceeds more particularly to enlarge upon. There he had declared himself to be an apostle of Christ; and here he comes more directly to support his claim to that character and office. There were some in the churches of Galatia who were prevailed with to call this in question; for those who preached up the ceremonial law did all they could to lessen Paul's reputation, who preached the pure gospel of Christ to the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Galatians 1:11-17

1:11-17 As for the gospel that has been preached by me, I want you to know, brothers, that it rests on no human foundation. for, neither did I receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through direct revelation from Jesus Christ. If you want proof of that you heard of the kind of life I once lived when I practised the Jewish faith, a life in which I persecuted the Church of God beyond all bounds and devastated it. I was making strides in the Jewish faith beyond many of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 1:15

But when it pleased God ,.... Here begins his account of his conversion, and call to the ministry; all which he ascribes entirely to the sovereign good pleasure, and free grace of God: who separated me from my mother's womb . By his "mother" is meant, not in an improper and figurative sense, the Jewish church, or the old synagogue, the mother of all its members; the Jerusalem which then was, and was in bondage with her children; from which bondage, blindness, ignorance, superstition and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 1:16

To reveal his Son in me ,.... This clause stands in connection with that in the preceding verse, "but when it pleased God"; the revelation of Christ in the apostle being the mere fruit and effect of God's will and pleasure: some versions read it "by me", making the apostle to be the instrument and means, by whom God revealed his Son Jesus Christ to others, which is a certain truth, but this is rather contained in the following clause: others read it "to me", and which also is true; for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 1:17

Neither went I up to Jerusalem ,.... That is, immediately, as soon as he was converted, not till three years after, as follows; though by the account which Luke gives of him, Acts 9:23 and by that which the apostle gives of himself, Acts 22:17 it looks as if he went to Jerusalem some little time after his conversion, and before the date here given: and therefore some have thought that he did go up to Jerusalem pretty quickly, when, praying in the temple, he fell into a trance, and was... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:15

Who separated me from my mother's womb - Him whom I acknowledge as the God of nature and the God of grace; who preserved me by his providence when I was a helpless infant, and saved me by his grace when I was an adult persecutor. For some useful remarks on these passages see the introduction, sec. 2. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:16

To reveal his Son in me - To make me know Jesus Christ, and the power of his resurrection. That I might preach him among the heathen - For it was to the Gentiles, and the dispersed Jews among the Gentiles, that St. Paul was especially sent. Peter was sent more particularly to the Jews in the land of Judea; Paul to those in the different Greek provinces. I conferred not with flesh and blood - I did not take counsel with men; σαρξ και αἱμα , which is a literal translation of the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:17

Neither went I up to Jerusalem - The aim of the apostle is to show that he had his call so immediately and pointedly from God himself, that he had no need of the concurrence even of the apostles, being appointed by the same authority, and fitted to the work by the same grace and Spirit, as they were. But I went into Arabia - That part of Arabia which was contiguous to Damascus, over which Aretas was then king. Of this journey into Arabia we have no other account. As St. Luke was not then... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:15

Verse 15 15.But after that it pleased God. This is the second part of the narrative, and relates to his miraculous conversion. He tells us, first, that he had been called by the grace of God to preach Christ among the Gentiles; and, next, that as soon as he had been called, without consulting the apostles, he unhesitatingly proceeded to the performance of the work, which, he felt assured, had been enjoined upon him by the appointment of God. In the construction of the words, Erasmus differs... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:16

Verse 16 16.To reveal his Son to me. If we read it, “to reveal by me, ” it will express the design of the apostleship, which is to make Christ known. And how was this to be accomplished? By preaching him among the Gentiles, which the false apostles treated as a crime. But I consider the Greek phrase ἐν εμοὶ (29) to be a Hebrew idiom for to me; for the Hebrew particle ב (beth) is frequently redundant, as all who know that language are well aware. The meaning will therefore be, that Christ was... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Galatians 1:10-24

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Galatians 1:11-17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 1:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 1:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 1:17

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:15

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:17

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:15

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 1:16

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