Galatians 1:15-24

But then God called me by his grace, and chose me from my birth to be his. He was pleased to unveil his Son in me so that I would proclaim him to the peoples of the world. After I had this encounter, I kept it a secret for some time, sharing it with no one. And I had no desire to run to Jerusalem and try to impress those who had become apostles before me. Instead, I withdrew into the Arabian Desert. Then I returned to Damascus, where I had first encountered Jesus. I remained there for three years until I eventually went up to Jerusalem, met the apostle Peter, and stayed with him for a couple of weeks. The only other apostle I met during that time was Jacob, the Lord’s brother. Everything I’m describing to you I confess before God to be the absolute truth. After my stay in Jerusalem, I went to Syria and southeast Turkey, but I remained unknown to the churches in Judea. The only thing they heard about me was this: “Our former enemy, who once brutally persecuted us, is now preaching the good news of the faith that he tried to destroy!” Because of the transformation that took place in my life, they praised God even more!