“Before I Was Born”: Time in Paul's Autobiographical Reflection in Galatians 1 and 2

J. Louis Martyn, in his seminal commentary on Galatians, asks a question we each hear almost every day: “What time is it?” However, this seemingly simple question highlights a significant point of discussion between Pauline interpreters who stress discontinuity as the center of Paul's gospel and others who stress continuity as the heart of Paul's gospel. Time is a crucial motif in Galatians as Paul weaves “the present evil age,” “new creation,” and “the fullness of time” into his letter. This article investigates the question of time in Paul's autobiographical reflections in Gal 1:11–2:21. It begins by examining the basic temporal elements in Gal 1:11–17. Then, after a general discussion of the metaphorical nature of time, it examines how time is metaphorically structured in Paul's autobiographical reflections in Gal 1–2. Finally, it offers three observations about Paul's view of time within Galatians.