Galatians 1:11-24
St. Paul meets with St. Peter
11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
18Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. 19I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24And they praised God because of me.
St. Paul was a Pharisee...Then going to Damascus St. Paul is touched by Jesus...On his way to Damascus, St. Paul receives a revelation from Jesus...After this conversion on the road to Damascus, he becomes an apostle to the Gentiles...Before his conversion Paul, also known as Saul, was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of his own age, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers...Paul had been persecuting followers of Jesus...But God chose Paul...God revealed Jesus to St. Paul and now was to teach the Gentiles about His Son (the very One he was persecuting)...
The gospel St. Paul teaches is not something he or any man has made up...His conversion though brief, taught him much, and started and strengthened his faith in Jesus...St. Paul wanted to learn more about the very One who stopped him on the road to Damascus...Paul, at once, started preaching in Damascus that Jesus is the Son of God...This change is religion baffled the Jews in Damascus...Yet, Saul grew more and more powerful, in Damascus, by proving Jesus was the Christ (Acts 9:22)...After this, he went to Arabia and started teaching the Gentiles there...
After a three year period, St. Paul goes to Jerusalem and meets with St. Peter to find out more about Jesus...He also St. James, Jesus brother while visiting St. Peter...St. Paul meets with St. Peter for fifteen days and learns what he can about the Jesus and the disciples...St. Paul who was educated in the Old Testament Scriptures, now was taking this zeal and learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ...
This meeting with St. Peter, a leading disciple of Jesus, gives St. Paul information and his (St. Peter's) experiences to go and preach...Armed with this new knowledge about Jesus, St. Paul goes out to preach the good news to the Gentiles...