SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:13
Porque ya habis oído acerca de mi conducta en otro tiempo en el judaísmo, que perseguía sobremanera la Iglesia de Dios, y la destruía;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 1:13
Verse 13. Ye have heard of my conversation] thn emhn anastrofhn? My manner of life; the mode in which I conducted myself. Beyond measure I persecuted the Church] For proofs of this the reader is referred to Acts ix. 1, 2; xxii. 4, and the notes there. The apostle tells them that they had heard this, because, being Jews, they were acquainted with what had taken place in Judea, relative to these important transactions.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 13. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past , etc..] His manner and course of life, in his state of unregeneracy, how diametrically opposite his education and behaviour, his principles and practices, were to the Gospel; which show that he had not received it, nor was he taught it of men. This they might have heard of, either from himself, when he first preached among them, who was very free to acknowledge his former sins and errors; or from the Jews, who were scattered abroad in the several countries; and it may be, from them, who were forced to fly to strange cities, and perhaps to some in Galatia, on account of his persecution: now his life and conversation, before his conversion, were spent in the Jews' religion ; or in Judaism. He was born of Jewish parents, had a Jewish education, was brought up under a Jewish doctor, in all the peculiarities of the Jewish religion, and so could have received no hints, not in a notional way, of the truths of the Gospel; which he might have done, had he been born of Christian parents, and had had a Christian education: besides, he was brought up in the religion of the Jews, not as it was founded and established by God, but as it was corrupted by them; who had lost the true sense of the oracles of God committed to them, the true use of sacrifices, and the end of the law; had added to it a load of human traditions; placed all religion in bare doing, and taught that justification and salvation lay in the observance of the law of Moses, and the traditions of the elders: add to this, that he was brought up in the sect of the Jewish religion, Pharisaism, which was the straitest sect of it, and the most averse to Christ and his Gospel; so that he could never receive it, or have any disposition to it from hence; so far from it, that he appeals to the Galatians, as what they must have heard, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God ; which he now knew, and believed to be the church of God; though then he did not, but rather a synagogue of Satan; and this he mentions, as an aggravation of his sin, under a sense of which he was humbled all his days: when he is said to persecute it beyond measure, the meaning is not, as if there were any lawful measure, or due bounds of persecution, but that he persecuted the saints in a most violent and outrageous manner, beyond all others that were concerned with him: the church of God at Jerusalem is particularly designed, and the members of it, the disciples of Christ; whom he hated, and committed to prison, and breathed out threatenings and slaughter against, and destroyed: wherefore it follows, and wasted it; or destroyed it; as much as in him lay, he sought to do it, though he was not able to effect it entirely; he made havoc of it, dispersed its members, caused them to flee to strange cities, persecuted them to death, gave his voice against them to have them punished and put to death: such an aversion had he to the followers of Christ, and the Christian doctrine.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 10-14 - In preaching the gospel, the apostle sought to bring persons to the obedience, not of men, but of God. But Paul would not attempt to alte the doctrine of Christ, either to gain their favour, or to avoid their fury. In so important a matter we must not fear the frowns of men, no seek their favour, by using words of men's wisdom. Concerning the manner wherein he received the gospel, he had it by revelation from Heaven. He was not led to Christianity, as many are, merely by education.
Greek Textus Receptus
ηκουσατε 191 5656 γαρ 1063 την 3588 εμην 1699 αναστροφην 391 ποτε 4218 εν 1722 τω 3588 ιουδαισμω 2454 οτι 3754 καθ 2596 υπερβολην 5236 εδιωκον 1377 5707 την 3588 εκκλησιαν 1577 του 3588 θεου 2316 και 2532 επορθουν 4199 5707 αυτην 846
Vincent's NT Word Studies
13. Conversation (anastrofhn). Better, manner of life. See on 1 Peter i. 15.In the Jews' religion (en tw Ioudaismw). Only here and verse 14. Lit. in Judaism. It signifies his national religious condition. In LXX, 2 Macc. ii. 21; viii. 2; xiv. 38; 4 Macc. iv. 26.
Beyond measure (kaq uperbolhn). P?. Lit. according to excess. The noun primarily means a casting beyond, thence superiority, excellency. See 2 Cor. iv. 7, 17. It is transliterated in hyperbole. For similar phrases comp. 1 Cor. ii. 1; Acts xix. 20; iii. 17; xxv. 23.
Wasted (eporqoun). Better, laid waste. In Class. applied not only to things - cities, walls, fields, etc. - but also to persons. So Acts ix. 21.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:13 {My manner of life} (ten emen anastrofen). Late word in this sense from Polybius on from anastrefomai. In the older writers it meant literally "return" or "turning back." See #1Pe 1:15. It is absent in this sense in the papyri though the verb is common. {In the Jews' religion} (en twi ioudaismwi). "In Judaism." The word in N.T. only here and next verse, already in II Macc. 2:21; 8:1; 14:38; IV Macc. 4:26. In these passages it means the Jewish religion as opposed to the Hellenism that the Syrian Kings were imposing upon the Jews. So later Justin martyr (386 D) will use cristianismos for Christianity. Both words are made from verbs in -izw. {Beyond measure} (kaq' huperbolen). "According to excess" (throwing beyond, huperbole). {I persecuted} (ediwkon). Imperfect active, "I used to persecute" (see #Ac 7-9 for the facts). {Made havock of it} (eporqoun auten). Customary action again, imperfect of old verb porqew, to lay waste, to sack. In N.T. only here, verse #23, and #Ac 9:31 (used by Christians in Damascus of Saul after his conversion of his former conduct, the very word of Paul here). Paul heard them use it of him and it stuck in his mind.
