Galatians 1:13-14

Galatians 1:13-14

[13] For  ye have heard  of my  conversation  in time past  in  the Jews' religion,  how that  beyond  measure  I persecuted  the church  of God,  and  wasted  it:  [14] And  profited  in  the Jews' religion  above  many  my equals  in  nation,  being  zealous  of the traditions  fathers. 

What does Galatians 1:13-14 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Paul was an unusually promising young man in Judaism before his conversion. He was surpassing his contemporaries.
"This probably does not mean that he became more pious than they, but rather that he was more highly esteemed by those in positions of influence, which would have resulted in his being entrusted with more important assignments, such as the trip to Damascus during which he was converted." [1]
The apostle"s actions following that revelation on the Damascus Road supported his claim to having received a divine revelation. The whole direction of his life changed. He had violently rejected the gospel he now preached and had tried to stamp it out, believing it was blasphemous heresy. He had followed his ancestral traditions (his teachers" interpretations of the Old Testament). Moreover he had been uncommonly zealous to obey them, to teach them, and to see that the Jews carried them out. "Beyond measure" (Gr. hyperbole) means "to an extraordinary degree."
"Paul"s extreme zeal for the law as the reason for his persecution of the Church indicates that he probably belonged to the radical wing of the Pharisaic movement, perhaps the school of Shammai (certainly, Galatians 3:10 and especially Galatians 5:3 are more representative of that school than of the school of Hillel). If Song of Solomon , the likelihood is that "he was rather hostile to the Gentiles and had little interest in winning them for Judaism."" [2]
"Paul"s main point in Galatians 1:13-14 was to show that there was nothing in his religious background and preconversion life that could have in any way prepared him for a positive response to the gospel. Quite the contrary." [3]