What was Paul's condition before and after his conversion regarding Judaism?
Before conversion, Paul was weighed down by Judaism and all its demands as a religious leader. After conversion, he was set free from that legalistic pressure. He then had three years to shed himself of Judaism's demands and absorb the revelations he later wrote in his prison epistles.
Les explains that Paul is coming from a background where he had been weighed down with Judaism and all of its demands as a religious leader, but now he has been set free. Les says Paul had three years to shed himself of all that and absorb the truths he later brings out in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. This freedom contrasts with legalism; stepping into grace is like setting a bird free from its cage.