Galatians Chapter 1

vs 13

Not something Paul is proud of, but it would still be well known, and it is an important part of the work Christ has done in his life. It makes the transformation all the more complete.

vs 14

Paul was a hardcore Jew. He becomes a hardcore Christian. Perhaps the reason so many Australian Christians are softcore is that because their beliefs were so watery and meaningless to them before they became Christian, they stay that way afterwards...

vs 15

Leave it alone, VITMOAI guy! He goes to town here. Paul in this section is bringing attention to God's predestining him from his birth (or womb, it doesn't matter). It may in fact be an idiom for his Jewishness - he was set apart by birth as a Jew.

vs 16

After Paul received the call of Christ to go to the Gentiles, he went. And who wouldn't? But his point is that it was clear what he had to do. He didn't need to talk to anyone about it. More literal translations put "Immediately" in this verse, and by the breakup of words into verses they are right that it goes here. But if you translate it too literally (like the KJV) it becomes confusing. I don't necessarily think that means you can move it like they did in the NIV, but there might be something to do with its tense or something that allows it to refer to going in the next verse, rather than not immediately consulting. In the end, what does it matter? They mean the same thing (except the KJV, which sounds like he suddenly didn't consult with people).

vs 17

Paul was on his way to Damascus. So he went there (blind, if you recall) before going out to Arabia. Why he went to Arabia is questionable - perhaps he had a house there, perhaps he wanted some time to think. Anyway, eventually he returned to Damascus. He conspicuously didn't go to Jerusalem and talk to the Apostles there. Why does this strengthen Paul's argument that his revelation was from Christ and not from man?

vs 18-19

It took Paul three years to get himself to the Apostles and talk with them. And then he only spoke with Peter, James brother of Jesus, and Barnabas (who isn't mentioned here, but is in Acts). Now it could be that Paul is saying he was out reaching the Gentiles in Arabia and Damascus before he spoke to the Apostles, and so that shows that his revelation came from God. But if you know Paul, you know that he went to the synagogues first, and it took a fair bit of frustration for him to shake his sandals at the Jews. So what he's probably saying is that it took him three years to come to terms with the call God had given him through Jesus Christ, and that shows how real it was. He didn't just have an epiphany, and then go to the Apostles to get it authorised. He had the real deal revelation, and it took three years to deal with it before he could bring himself to go to the Apostles.

vs 20-21

Whether the "no lie" refers to what he just said or what he's about to say, doesn't matter. Really, it refers to the whole story I think. It's actually a bit of a superfluous verse for us today, because most of us are going to take Paul at his word anyway. What it does show is that there may have been some doubt of his story in Galatia.

vs 22

He didn't spend time in the churches in Jerusalem. As he said, he was only there 15 days (which seems a long time to us, but remember how long it took to walk to Jerusalem from Damascus - 15 days is probably the minimum amount you'd want to stay there for).

vs 23

The churches there only heard the news. At least if they heard it, they probably heard it from an Apostle and not some rumourmonger.

vs 24

And their response was one of praise to God. If we saw some mighty person, be it rich man, world leader or nasty athiest come to Christ, would we praise God? I mean, we probably praise God for anyone who comes to Christ, but when he has one of these big victories, are we praising God in the churches for it? Do we even know when it's happening?