保罗的蒙召经历

¹³You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. ¹⁴I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. ¹⁵But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him ¹⁶to reveal his Son to me#1:16a Or in me. so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.#1:16b Greek with flesh and blood. ¹⁷Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. ¹⁸Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter,#1:18 Greek Cephas. and I stayed with him for fifteen days. ¹⁹The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. ²¹After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. ²²And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. ²³All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” ²⁴And they praised God because of me.