But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.  (12) For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.  (13) For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.  (14) And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. (15) But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, (16) to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. (18) Then after three years  went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. (19) But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

The letter to the Galatians was written by the apostle Paul. There were false teachers (Judaizers) who disputed Pauls divine calling and in our verses today Paul is emphasizing his authority as an apostle called by God. It was important because Paul needed to assert the authority of the gospel he preached. In speaking about his calling and purpose, Paul contrasts his position in God with his former life.

The Judaizers were telling the Christian  Galatians that Pauls gospel was defective. Paul was preaching salvation by grace from God through the perfect sacrifice of Christ Jesus. And the false teachers were saying salvation comes through Jewish traditions and obeying the Law – in other words, through works, not faith.  These Judaizers boasted that they had been instructed by the “real” apostles.

Paul begins his defense and claim of authority by telling the Galatians that he had been the chief opponent of the gospel and the enemy of Christianity.  He had been educated in the faith of his ancestors – a Hebrew of Hebrews.  But then Paul experienced his miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus when our Lord revealed that Saul/Paul was a “chosen vessel unto Me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel”.  That he  was separated by God from his mothers womb was the divine purpose and the sovereignty of God.  Paul further made it clear that he relied on God alone and intended to have nothing to do with human counsel.  His trip to Jerusalem was not to learn of the gospel but to meet with Peter and hear first hand of Our Lords life here on earth.  He did not meet with the other apostles but Peter alone, again making it clear that he was not in Jerusalem to learn but was there for mutual talk.