11 I’m letting you know, brothers and sisters, that the good message I proclaimed didn’t just come from human ideas. 12 It didn’t come from my ideas, nor was I taught it by some other person, but it was revealed to me by Yeshua the messiah.

13 Brothers and sisters, you’ve heard about my previous behaviour, when as a strict Jew, I was extreme in persecuting[ref] the assembly of God’s people, and was trying to destroy them. 14 I was progressing in Judaism[ref] quicker than many of my contemporaries, being so much more zealous in observing our ancient traditions.

15 But God, who’d planned this from even before I was born,[ref] called me, because of his grace, 16 so that he could reveal his son through me, and I could preach the good message to non-Jews. I didn’t rush to get advice from others, 17 nor did I head to Yerushalem to consult with the ambassadors there that preceded me, but I went away to Arabia and then later returned to Damascus. 18 Then finally, after three years, I went to Yerushalem[ref] to get to know Peter, and stayed with him for just over two weeks. 19 I didn’t meet any of the other ambassadors, other than Yeshua’s brother, Yacob, 20 and what I’m writing to you, I’m writing with God watching, so I’m not lying.

21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 The assemblies back in Yudea that believe in the messiah didn’t know me by sight, 23 but had only heard about me—that the person who’d once been persecuting them was now preaching the good message about the faith himself, 24 and they praised God because of what had happened to me.