Here in the second part of Galatians 1, Paul shares his personal story, and in doing so, I see a twofold purpose. First, he wants to make it clear to the Galatians that he is a reliable teacher; that he knows what he is talking about. Second, he is weaving his personal testimony into the letter as a means of adding persuasive impact to his point about the false teaching they have embraced, so that they might be edified and lifted up in their Christian walk, and I hope you will pay special attention to that as his story continues into the next chapter.
Notice how he begins his testimony by pointing out that the Gospel he preached to them was not made up by any man, but that it was revealed directly to him by none other than Jesus Christ Himself. He goes on to remind them of the fact that he was a Jew among Jews, a Pharisee further advanced than his age would normally allow, and that he wanted nothing more than to advance the traditions of Judaism. He sought to do this by persecuting most fervently the church, and was well-known for his efforts as he moved beyond Judea in pursuit of Christians to torment. Then, he recounts his experiences after his encounter with Christ on that famous road trip.
Finally, he sets the stage for his discussion of the interaction between Jewish and Gentile believers in the next chapter, by reminding them of how everyone celebrated his conversion and praised God for it.
Here’s what I’d like for all of us to consider: We all have a story, even though it probably isn’t a well-known one. How can we help others by sharing our story with them? You know, there isn’t anything quite as potent as a personal testimony, an experience, a personal recollection, when helping someone else with their walk. Often, just the fact that you have encountered a similar challenge and gotten through it will inspire someone to keep trying. You might be talking with a person who is struggling to understand, and when you share your experience at a similar stage in your growth it will really resonate with them.
If you are speaking with a non-Christian who is searching for truth, you will most likely have something to share about your experience in a similar position. Understand that when we share our story, we are not the “hero” of the story: Jesus is. Frank admission of how far we might have once strayed is powerful, and you will note that Paul didn’t hesitate to share this.
Can you see how honestly sharing from our hearts about our own experiences with others can help their journey? Good! Can you see how this differs from making speeches or some kind of canned presentation?
Yes indeed, sharing from the heart is powerful indeed.
Life Project Blog 
You are totally correct about this. I think it’s one of the highest on the list of reasons why writers write ~ in order to leave a trail of “bread crumbs” for the next little children wandering through those same woods…
As a poet I’ve always striven to give my readership only my best and loftiest insights ~ but, as an absolutely powerless person in our society, sometimes I’ve had to communicate publicly, through my website, in order for those communications to be heard or effective in the least degree.
Under the stress in which I’m currently made to live, the publication of poetry is beyond me, and I’m forced to write much more pragmatically to remain at all in the public eye ~ not to literally disappear unperceived by any other, as do so many in my enforced social position (I can’t outreach to leave the street, in any form, without risk to my new friend, host or landlord).
However, when I WAS writing in poetry, I found myself perennially surprised at how precious ~ just as you’ve said here ~ my readers seemed to hold pieces which I had hesitated even to publish because I felt them too situationally specific, too negative, not sufficiently constructive to live up to my (then) lovely little site’s hoped-for standards.
I’ve gotten some of my most heartfelt gratitude from readers who seemed to feel ~ again, just as you’ve noted ~ that their own best path through similar situations had been clarified by my open account of my own.
It was in this way that I received ~ of tens of thousands of almost universally beautiful ones ~ my most treasured reader comment of all time: “You give voice to the voiceless!”
So, all that is to say that my experience has borne out your observations here indeed 👌
I’m going to create a “Call and Response” post using parts of your post and my message, with grateful mention of your blog 🙏
Thank you very much!
We’re up: https://thepoetspublicrecord.wordpress.com/2025/04/29/call-and-response-voice-to-the-voiceless/