They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
23. Which once he destroyed. This does not mean that faith ”The word πίστις denotes not only the act of believing, but that which is believed.” — Beza. may actually be destroyed, but that he lessened its influence on the minds of weak men. Besides, it is the will, rather than the deed, that is here expressed.
What Paul had said more generally, in the preface of this epistle, he now proceeds more particularly to enlarge upon. There he had declared himself to be an apostle of Christ; and here he comes more directly to support his claim to that character and office.
Commenting on Galatians 1:10-24
But they had heard only,.... What they knew of the apostle was only by hearsay; they had never seen him, nor heard him preach, nor conversed with him, only had it reported to them; that he which persecuted us in times past; some few years ago, and not them personally, but such as were of the same faith with them, the church at Jerusalem and...