Saul of Tarsus
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Introduction:
Beyond Jesus Christ, Paul has had the greatest impact on my life.
Paul:
Author of 13 NT books
Main figure presented after the ascension of our Lord
My model/pattern
His Conversion:
One of the greatest stories ever
Exchanged his Jewish name for his Roman name
A man who is Jewish (by birth), Roman (by citizenship), Greek (by education), and a Pharisee (by conviction), and would become a missionary, preacher, theologian, and leader in his life to come.
We first met him back in chapter 7… Stephen just preached a powerful sermon going through the OT and showing how in pointed to Jesus as the Messiah… but the Jesus hated him for it,
Acts 7:58 “58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.”
Acts 8:1 “1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
He was apart of orchestrating Stephen’s death, that’s made clear by the fact that they laid their garments at his feet.
And on that day, a great persecution rose in Jerusalem, in great part because of him!
And FURTHERMORE, the church was SCATTERED because of Him!
Yet… the words of Stephen would reign true, as he prays to God for those near him, including Saul, he said: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And I believe wholeheartedly that God answered that prayer in regards to the man named Saul.
Let me tell you about him.
Sauls HISTORY
Home was Tarsus
His father was a Roman citizen/Jew/Pharisee… so Saul became one too. In Phil 3 he says: “I was circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin – ” an extremely noble tribe by the way “ – a Hebrew of Hebrews - ” that means completely devoted to the traditions “ – as to the law, a Pharisee.” He covered all his bases in Judaism. “As to zeal, a persecutor of the church. As to the righteousness, which is in the law, found blameless.” Very devout Jew.
On the 9th day, he would’ve recieved his Roman name: “Paulos”
At 13, under Judaism, he became a son of the law (he grew up)
Sent by his parents to Jerusalem… rich parents… they wanted him to study Judaism at the highest level… under Gamaliel… who was so revered and respected that many called him “the beauty of the law” because of his eloquence & wisdom.
Saul would sit at Gamaliel’s feet… memorize the OT… ask questions… argue and debate… he’d become an expert
Ultimately, he was qualified as a teacher in the local synagogues. He grew up around them all his life, now he has the wisdom and the favor of the synagogues, to teach!
But concerning the man Jesus, and his followers… Saul was furious.
When Jesus was on the earth, it’s possible the Paul saw him… but not likely. Otherwise I’m convicted that he would have shared his experience and his role in his death. It’s possible he was at Tarsus.
Nonetheless, Saul was a Hellenistic Jew… (a Jew outside Israel)… and I’m sure he KNEW that people like Stephen were leaving Jerusalem to going help and minister to the widows, and instructing them to abandon Judaism altogether! … Saul became furious, he became aggressive, he became the LEADER of an outright persecution and EXECUTION of Christians!
9 “So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 “And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them.
11 “And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
This is Saul.
After clearing out Jerusalem… he desired to do the same in foreign cities too. Jerusalem wasn’t enough! It had to be a complete decimation of Christians! He hunted them like wild game… waiting for the moment to pounce and kill his prey
This is where we pick up in chapter 9… apparently having heard that a group of Christians found refuge in Damascus, he gets permission to go persecute them.
1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Campaign against believers.
“Breathing” threats
Literally: “still breathing in, breathing in”… not breathing OUT threats and murders, but breathing IN.
Mean? That his very life-breath was to slaughter Christians. He lived… to persecute Christians. There was no end to his satisfaction until ALL Christians were enslaved or killed!
That led him down a road towards Damascus
High Priest (the president of Jewish council) gave Saul the go-ahead, acting as a governor of sorts.
He had power over internal affairs but was NOT a Roman official, yet he takes on the role of one here in commissioning Saul, and sending him on his way.
Damascus:
Bright city of white marble, yet was filled with the greenery of trees and agriculture.
Estimated 150,000, because 30 years later in 66AD… 20,000 were massacred
Old city, predated Abraham.
Large Jewish presence
Paul got word that there were Christians there too (Ananias, refugees, widows, etc.)
Acts 9:2 “… that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”
The Way:
Early term to describe Christianity.
That Jesus Christ is the only “Way” to God
“Bound to Jerusalem” … for what??
To be tried as heretics
To be punished/beaten
To be put to death if they deemed necessary
Saul’s ENCOUNTER.
Forgive me for the pun I’m about to use… But on his way, to persecute “the Way”, he encountered, THE Way.
3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”
7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
What happened? He encountered Jesus.
The Call of God
God called upon Saul
He calls out to us through the gospel, but to Saul… this is a momentous event.
God DESCEND unto him and SPEAKS with him!
Chapters 22 & 26 help us…
Mid-day
Light was brighter than the sun
From HEAVEN… supernatural light.
And Indeed it was the ‘light of the world’ that shone down upon Saul! A light, not to be compared with the sun, but a light from heaven itself flashing around him.
Sees Jesus… How do we know?
Acts 9:7 “7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.”
Acts 9:17 “17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road…”
Acts 22:14 “14 “And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.”
1 Corinthians 9:1 “1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?”
What a sequel to the life of Stephen, who ALSO gazed into the glory of heaven.
The Conversion of Saul
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
In Luke’s writings, the repetition of a name usually gives a warning or rebuke to someone.
Martha, Martha… Simon, Simon… here, Saul, Saul.
Emphatic… WHY are you persecuting me?
How could that be? Jesus is in heaven right?
Yet, there is a significant truth at the heart of Jesus’ words… if you persecute my people, then you are persecuting me.
As we are bound unto Jesus Christ, He is bound unto us.
We are his body! And to extend the metaphor for you, when our body takes blows on account of the gospel, so does our Lord in Heaven.
17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.
Saul would soon endure the very punishment he gave out beforehand. And take joy in it.
Truly God bears our griefs, and carries our sorrows.
Verse 5: “And he said, ‘’Who are you… LORD!”
Saul had never seen Jesus before, but even if he did, Jesus was now in his glorified form.
And quickly he realizes… this is God!! This is Lord! Who are you Lord that I am persecuting?
And He said: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”… I am the very one you have been persecuting.
Can you imagine, his fear… his conviction… his emotion
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;
14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.
15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
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5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”
7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.
McGarvey: ”It is impossible for us, who have been familiar with the glory of our risen Savior from our infancy, to fully appreciate the feelings which must have flashed, like lightning, into the soul of Saul, upon hearing these words. Up to this moment he had supposed Jesus an impostor, cursed of God and man; and his followers blasphemers worthy of death; but now, this despised being is suddenly revealed to him in a blaze of divine glory. The evidence of his eyes and ears can not be doubted. There he stands, with the light of heaven and the glory of God around him, and he says, 'I am Jesus!'
Paul went from kicking against the goads… to a life of diligent service unto Christ.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
The last thing he saw was the bright light of Jesus. And don’t you know that dominated his mind for those 3 days
What was he going to do?
His life had been changed on a dime
We must have the heart of Paul to say: “Lord, what must I do?”
Same question asked in Acts 2.