The apostle speaks in this part of his epistle to the Galatians about his gospel and says that he received it by Jesus Christ’s declaration to him. It is obvious that Paul is not talking about the four gospels that were not written yet. However, we do notice after they were written in the first century that the content of Paul’s teachings is identical to that of the four gospels. Everything that Paul taught, in a way, is about the Lord’s death and resurrection, in addition to a word about his nativity, and the narration of the mystical supper.
After that, the apostle clarifies that God chose him from his mother’s womb and called him by his grace so that he declares his son in him to preach among the nations (Paganism). Paul carries a teaching that he received directly from Jesus, and this is enough to assure the apostle’s credibility.
The apostle talks in this text briefly about his story saying “I persecuted without mercy the church of God” and one example of this is Stephen’s death in Acts which Paul took part in. Nevertheless, Jesus appeared to him on the road of Damascus where he was delegated to go arrest the Christians. With this appearance Jesus changed him completely making him a strong disciple roaming all the earth to create Christian communities and send them his epistles that are known for us in the New Testament and that we read in each liturgy along with other apostles’ epistles.
In this chapter he assures that after the Lord’s appearance he “did not take the opinion of flesh and blood” i.e. he didn’t hesitate to follow Jesus so he continued his way to Damascus so that Ananias baptizes and releases him from Damascus. He says that after meeting Ananias he didn’t go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who were before him in order to validate his faith, “instead, he went at once to Arabia”. Most commentators believe that “Arabia” means “Horan” and it was called “Arabia” in the Roman administration, and there must have been some Christians there.
The Scripture does not say anything about what Paul did in Horan other than praying and studying the Old Testament which he had a strong relation with as we know from his writings. Paul relates his knowledge of Jesus with the different books of the Old Testament.
Then he says “I returned to Damascus”. Why to Damascus? Because this is the place where his first love to Jesus appeared. We do not know the duration that he spent in Horan. When he says that he went up to Jerusalem after three years, does he mean that he stayed in Damascus for three years? Or he means three years in Horan and Damascus together? We don’t know and we don’t care to know. After these three years he says “I went to Jerusalem to visit Peter”. Peter had a big importance in the apostolic community. Paul stayed at Peter’s for fifteen days in which he heard a lot about Lord Jesus that Peter lived with. Then Paul did not see any other apostle except James, the Lord’s brother. All the rest had surely left Palestine for preaching. After that, Paul took off to the world.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “بداءة بولس” – 10.10.2010-Raiati no41
