Paul of Tarsus. He is the earliest witness we have to the life of Jesus. He is the author of the epistles that helped shape the church and change the course of history. His theology is the foundation upon which the bulwark of the Protestant Reformation was constructed. His testimony of a Damascus Road experience of the living Christ informed all the latter “saints” of the church.

This legacy makes it hard to imagine Paul as someone who was trying to “break in” to the Christian circle of believers, as a newcomer who had to prove the legitimacy of his message. Yet in the first chapter of Galatians Paul is doing just that — writing to “prove” that he is an authentic witness to Christ’s resurrection and that he is the recipient of a unique message and mission to the Gentiles. In order to acc…