Galatians 1:23

but they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

but they only heard, “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”

BSB

They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

KJV

But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

ASV

but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc;

BBE

Only it came to their ears that he who at one time was cruel to us is now preaching the faith which before had been attacked by him;

Original Greek

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μόνον monon Only G3441 δὲ de however G1161 ἀκούοντες akouontes hearing G191 ἦσαν ēsan they were G1510 ὅτι hoti that G3754 ὁ ho the [one] G3588 διώκων diōkōn persecuting G1377 ἡμᾶς hēmas us G3165 ποτε pote formerly G4218 νῦν nun now G3568 εὐαγγελίζεται euangelizetai is evangelising G2097 τὴν tēn the G3588 πίστιν pistin faith G4102 ἥν hēn which G3739 ποτε pote once G4218 ἐπόρθει eporthei he was destroying G4199

The early church

"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.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Galatians

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 15–24

St. Paul was wonderfully brought to the knowledge and faith of Christ. All who are savingly converted, are called by the grace of God; their conversion is wrought by his power and grace working in them. It will but little avail us to have Christ revealed to us, if he is not also revealed in us. He instantly prepared to obey, without hesitating as to his worldly interest, credit, ease, or life itself. And what matter of thanksgiving and joy is it to the churches of Christ, when they hear of such instances to the praise of the glory of his grace, whether they have ever seen them or not! They glorify God for his power and mercy in saving such persons, and for all the service to his people and cause that is done, and may be further expected from them.

Read Matthew Henry on Galatians 1 →

Cross-references

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Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.