They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
Parallel translations
- WEB but they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”
- KJV But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.
- NKJV But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.”
- NASB but they only kept hearing, “The man who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.”
- NLT All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Judean churches only heard that their former persecutor now preached the faith he once tried to destroy. His changed life testified to God's power.
Overview
The report circulating about Paul highlights the dramatic reversal God worked in him. The one who attacked the faith now proclaimed it, evidence that only God could produce such a change. His conversion itself became a witness to the gospel of grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 1 Cor 15:8–10And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth.
- 1 Tim 1:13–16I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- Acts 9:13But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
- Acts 9:20Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”
- Acts 9:26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
- Acts 6:7So the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew rapidly, and a great number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.
How Galatians 1:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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