Paul earned his fine Christian insights through fourteen years of prayer.

Wednesday, 10/10/18

None of us "though we speak with tongues of angels and
men" could express our Christian beliefs as clearly as Paul did,
but in today's first reading he tells us that his beautiful fluency
came to him through fourteen years of silent conversations with
 the Lord.

Paul achieved such a grasp of proper Christian behavior  that
when Peter went astray, Paul was capable of setting him straight.