Albert Barnes Commentary Galatians 1:13

"For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews` religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and made havoc of it:" — Galatians 1:13 (ASV)

For you have heard of my conversation. My conduct, my mode of life, my deportment.

Probably Paul had himself made them acquainted with the events of his early years.

The reason he refers to this is to show them that he had not derived his knowledge of the Christian religion from any instruction he received in his early years, or from any acquaintance he had formed with the apostles. He had at first been decidedly opposed to the Lord Jesus and was converted only by His wonderful grace.

In the Jews' religion. This refers to the belief and practice of Judaism, as it was understood at the time he was educated.

It was not merely the religion of Moses, but that religion as understood and practised by the Jews in his time, when opposition to Christianity constituted a very material part of it.

In that religion, Paul proceeds to show that he had been more distinguished than most persons of his time.

How that beyond measure. In the highest possible degree; beyond all limits or bounds; exceedingly. The phrase Paul uses here, kay uperbolhn by hyperbole, is one he frequently employs to denote anything that is excessive or that cannot be expressed by ordinary language. See the Greek in Romans 7:13; 1 Corinthians 12:31; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 4:7, 17.

I persecuted the church. See Acts 8:3 and 9:1.

And wasted it. Destroyed it. The word used here means, properly, to waste or destroy, as when a city or country is ravaged by an army or by wild beasts.

His purpose was to utterly root out and destroy the Christian religion.