They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Galatians 1:23
What does Galatians 1:23 mean?
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Galatians 1:23
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What's easy to miss is that "the faith" refers not just to belief, but to the whole body of Christian doctrine. This phrasing highlights how Paul wasn't just stopping his persecution; he was now actively proclaiming the very truth he had once tried to obliterate.
They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The churches in Judea had heard reports about Paul, but they had never met him in person. They knew him by reputation as the man who had fiercely persecuted believers, and now they heard the astonishing news that he was actively preaching the very faith he once tried to destroy. This radical transformation was the subject of their ongoing discussions and praise to God.
Imagine the whispers, the double-takes, the sheer disbelief. The news about Paul wasn't just surprising; it was world-shattering.
The people in Judea hadn't met Paul or heard him preach. Their understanding of him was purely secondhand information.
Hearsay vs. Reality
What does 'the faith' truly mean? It wasn't just a set of beliefs, but a whole new reality Paul once attacked and then championed.
In this context, 'the faith' refers to much more than just personal belief or trust. It encompasses the entire body of Christian doctrine and the reality of the Gospel message.
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More Than Just Belief
This isn't just a story of personal change; it's a staggering display of divine power that rewrites lives and stuns onlookers.
Paul's conversion wasn't a minor adjustment; it was a radical, divinely orchestrated event that underscored God's supreme authority and transformative power.
Divine Intervention
Understand the original words
diōkōn · Greek Verb
The act of causing suffering or harassment, particularly against the church for their belief in Jesus; it often implies an attempt to silence or eradicate the faith.
pistin · Greek Noun
The objective body of truth, doctrine, and teachings concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ; the content of the Christian message.
eporthei · Greek Verb
To cause the ruin, overthrow, or breaking down of something; in this context, it refers to Paul's prior attempt to dismantle the Christian movement.
The verse highlights the astonishing transformation of the Apostle Paul, moving from a fierce persecutor of the church to its most ardent preacher. The churches in Judea had only heard reports of this dramatic change, marveling at God's power to redeem and empower such a former enemy.
c. AD 33-36
Saul's Violent Persecution
Saul, a zealous Pharisee, actively persecuted early Christians in Jerusalem and Damascus, viewing them as a threat to Judaism.
c. AD 33-36— this verse
Saul's Dramatic Conversion
On the road to Damascus, Saul had a transformative encounter with the resurrected Jesus, leading to his conversion to Christianity.
c. AD 33-36
Saul's Early Ministry in Arabia
Immediately after his conversion, Saul withdrew to Arabia for about three years, likely to process his experience and receive divine instruction before public ministry.
c. AD 37
Saul's First Visit to Jerusalem
Saul returned to Jerusalem and met with Peter and James, the leaders of the church, to share his testimony and confirm his calling.
c. AD 40s-50s
Paul's Missionary Journeys
Paul embarked on extensive missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire, establishing churches and spreading the gospel, often facing significant opposition.
c. AD 50-57
Writing the Letter to the Galatians
Paul wrote this letter to churches in the region of Galatia to address issues of legalism and to defend the true gospel of salvation by grace through faith.
This passage details Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, the very event that transformed him from a persecutor to a preacher, which is the core message of Galatians 1:23.
Jeremiah 1:5Similar to how God set Jeremiah apart before his birth to be a prophet, Paul alludes to a similar divine calling and purpose in his life, emphasizing that his transformation and ministry were not of his own making but from God.
1 Timothy 1:13-16Paul explicitly recounts his past as a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent, but then marvels at God's mercy in using him, highlighting the radical nature of his transformation that astonished others, just as mentioned in Galatians 1:23.
Luke 15:10Jesus' parable about the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents echoes the sentiment that Paul's conversion, from a destroyer of the faith to its fervent preacher, would bring immense glory to God and rejoicing in the Christian community.
gillGalatians 1:23: "But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed."
But they had heard only,.... What they knew of the apostle was only by hearsay; they had never seen him, nor heard him preach, nor conversed with him, only had it reported to them; that he which persecuted us in times past; some few years ago, and not them personally, but such as were of the same faith with them, the church at Jerusalem and the members of it; whi…
cambridgeGalatians 1:23: "But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed."
23 . the faith ] Three principal senses attach to this word in the N. T.: (1) Truth, or truthfulness, trustworthiness; e.g. Romans 3:3 , “the faith of God.” (2) Belief of, or confidence in a Person or thing. This is its most common meaning. (3) The revelation of the character, will and purpose of God ‘who cannot lie’—the only thing certain and permanent in a muta…
What's easy to miss is that "the faith" refers not just to belief, but to the whole body of Christian doctrine. This phrasing highlights how Paul wasn't just stopping his persecution; he was now actively proclaiming the very truth he had once tried to obliterate.
The churches in Judea had heard reports about Paul, but they had never met him in person. They knew him by reputation as the man who had fiercely persecuted believers, and now they heard the astonishing news that he was actively preaching the very faith he once tried to destroy. This radical transformation was the subject of their ongoing discussions and praise to God.
The churches in Judea had heard reports about Paul, but they had never met him in person. They knew him by reputation as the man who had fiercely persecuted believers, and now they heard the astonishing news that he was actively preaching the very faith he once tried to destroy. This radical transformation was the subject of their ongoing discussions and praise to God.
"They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”" — What's easy to miss is that "the faith" refers not just to belief, but to the whole body of Christian doctrine. This phrasing highlights how Paul wasn't just stopping his persecution; he was now acti…
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Last reviewed October 2026