Augustine of Hippo : It should be observed that Jews had believed in Christ not only in Jerusalem, nor were they so few that they had been absorbed into the Gentile churches, but they were so numerous that churches came into being from them. — EPISTLE TO THE Galatians 9 [1B.1.20-24] Jerome : (Verses 22-24.) But I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ Jesus. They only heard it said: He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy. And they glorified God in me. The churches of Judea had only heard of me by reputation. And among them, they saw me more as a persecutor than as an apostle. But in Syria and Cilicia, Arabia and Damascus, they might have recognized me by sight as well: because I, as the Apostle to the Gentiles, preached the gospel of Christ not to the Jews, but to the Gentiles. But the whole point of what he does is this: to show that he could never have been glorious before those very people whom he had previously persecuted unless his preaching had also been proven by their judgment, even by those who had known him before as evil. And he returns secretly to his purpose, affirming that he spent such a short time in Judea that even those who believed were unaware of his appearance. From this he shows that he did not have Peter, James, or John as his teachers, but Christ, who revealed the Gospel to him. At the same time, it should be noted that while it was said above that the Church was under attack, here faith is: there men, here things; so that now (or then) it could be more opportune: He preaches the faith, which he once attacked. For they could not make a similar sound about the Church. — Commentary on Galatians Jerome : He discreetly returns to the main point, establishing that he had spent so short a time in Judea that he was unknown even by face to the believers. Hence he shows that he had no teachers—not Peter, not James, not John—but Christ, who had revealed his gospel to him. — EPISTLE TO THE Galatians 1.1 John Chrysostom : "And I was still unknown by face unto the Churches of Judaea; but they only heard say, he that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc." What modesty in thus again mentioning the facts of his persecuting and laying waste the Church, and in thus making infamous his former life, while he passes over the illustrious deeds he was about to achieve! He might have told, had he wished it, all his successes, but he mentions none of these and stepping with one word over a vast expanse, he says merely, "I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;" and, "they had heard, that he, which once persecuted us, now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc." The purpose of the words, "I was unknown to the Churches of Judaea," is to show, that so far from preaching to them the necessity of circumcision, he was not known to them even by sight. — Homily on Galatians 1 Oecumenius : "I was unknown." Therefore, he says, I did not preach to those who had believed from the circumcision that they must be circumcised (for this is what the slanderers said, that he proclaimed circumcision to those who believed from the Jews); therefore I did not preach, he said, since they did not know from the beginning. Or therefore. — [PHOTIUS] From Peter I did not learn; I only saw him. From James I did not learn; for I only saw him as well. I did not see any other of the apostles. But not from some other humbler and not so prominent person? And how does it stand that I learned this from those who have not even seen my face? For I was unknown in appearance to the churches in Judea. For the others were in need of instruction, but they did not teach. Therefore, I did not learn it from a man. — "to the Churches of Judea." To the Churches around Syria and Cilicia, to those of the Jews who have turned back to the Lord. For this is what "in Christ" signifies. — Commentary on Galatians