Galatians 1:13

Galatians 1:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
• New International Version (NIV)For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.

Context of Galatians 1:13

11The good news that I tell people did not come from any person on earth. I want you to know that, my friends. 12Nobody on earth gave it to me. Nobody taught it to me. No, it was Jesus Christ himself who showed it to me clearly. You know about the things that I did before, when I obeyed the Jewish rules. I caused very much trouble against God's church. I tried to destroy those people completely. 14I obeyed the Jewish rules better than many other Jews who were my friends. I tried very much to obey the ideas that our Jewish ancestors taught. 15But God had chosen me to serve him even before I was born. He chose me to be his servant because he is very kind.

Galatians 1:13 word by word

ἠκούσατε γὰρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναστροφήν ποτε ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ ὅτι καθ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπόρθουν αὐτήν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• ye have heard ofἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
• conversationἀναστροφήanastrophē · behaviourG391
• in time pastποτέpote · once/whenG4218
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the Jews’ religionὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the Jews’ religionἸουδαϊσμόςIoudaismos · JudaismG2454
• how thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• ·κατάkata · according toG2596
• beyond measureὑπερβολήhuperbolē · surpassingG5236
• I persecutedδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377
• the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• wastedπορθέωportheō · to lay wasteG4199
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Galatians 1:13

• Acts 22:3‘I am a Jew. I was born in Tarsus in the region of Cilicia. I lived here in Jerusalem when I was a boy. I studied God's Law for many years and Gamaliel was my teacher. I learned very well how to obey the laws of our ancestors. I tried to obey God as carefully as all of you do today.
• Acts 26:4The Jewish people have known me since I was born. They all know how I have lived among them. They knew me in the region where I was born. When I came to Jerusalem, they also know how I lived there.
• Acts 8:1Saul was standing there while the Jewish leaders killed Stephen. He agreed with what they did. On the same day that Stephen died, the group of believers who lived in Jerusalem began to have great trouble. People did bad things to them. All the believers left Jerusalem and went to other places in Judea and Samaria. Only Jesus' 12 apostles stayed in Jerusalem.
• Acts 9:1All this time, Saul was still speaking strongly against the disciples of the Lord Jesus. He wanted to kill all the believers. So he went to see the most important priest in Jerusalem.
• Acts 22:4I caused great trouble to the disciples of Jesus. I even wanted to kill them. I took hold of them and I put them in prison. I did that to both men and women.
• Acts 26:9I myself wanted to work against Jesus, the man from Nazareth, and against his message.
• 1 Corinthians 15:9Among all the apostles, I am the least important. I caused so much trouble for God's church that people should not really call me an apostle.
• Philippians 3:6I tried very much to please God. So I caused a lot of trouble and pain for the Christians. I obeyed the rules of God's Law, and nobody could say that I did anything wrong.
• 1 Timothy 1:13Before he chose me, I said bad things about him. I caused great trouble for his people. I was a cruel man, but God was very kind to me. He forgave me because I did not know what I was doing. That was because I did not believe in Jesus.

Commentaries on Galatians 1:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Ye have heard of my conversation - · My manner of life; the mode in which I conducted myself. Beyond measure I persecuted the Church - For proofs of this the reader is referred to Acts 9:1-2; (note); Acts 22:4; (note), and the notes there. The apostle tells them that they had heard this, because, being Jews, they were acquainted with what had taken place in Judea, relative to these important transactions.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13For ye have heard of my conversation - My conduct, my mode of life, my deportment; see the note at 2 Corinthians 1:12. Probably Paul had himself made them acquainted with the events of his early years. The reason why he refers to this is, to show them that he had not derived his knowledge of the Christian religion from any instruction which he had received in his early years, or any acquaintance which he had formed with the apostles. At first, Paul had…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-14Verses 10-14 In preaching the gospel, the apostle sought to bring persons to the obedience, not of men, but of God. But Paul would not attempt to alter the doctrine of Christ, either to gain their favour, or to avoid their fury. In so important a matter we must not fear the frowns of men, nor seek their favour, by using words of men's wisdom. Concerning the manner wherein he received the gospel, he had it by revelation from Heaven. He was not led to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14To show that his message was not from human reasoning (devised by man, 1:11), Paul explains his life before meeting Jesus. He was a very successful Jew (see Acts 8:1–3; 22:1–5; 26:4–5; Philippians 3:4–7). His opposition to God's church and strict following of Judaism showed his belief in the law before Christ confronted him (Galatians 1:15–16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. heard--even before I came among you. conversation--"my former way of life." Jews' religion--The term, "Hebrew," expresses the language; "Jew," the nationality, as distinguished from the Gentiles; "Israelite," the highest title, the religious privileges, as a member of the theocracy. the church--Here singular, marking its unity, though constituted of many particular churches, under the one Head, Christ. of God--added to mark the greatness of his sinful…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 1:13

• Bigotry
• Church
• Ignorance
• Paul
• Persecution
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Church
• Equal
• Faith
• Beyond
• Christianity
• Conversation
• Criticism of the Bible
• Discrepancies, Biblical

Commentaries on Galatians 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings