The Conversion of Paul

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Acts chapters 9, 22, 26, Gal 1
There is no conversion account in the New Testament as powerful or as important as the salvation of the Apostle Paul. He became the hinge between Matthew 1 and Acts 8 to Acts 10 and Revelation 22. His testimony is so powerful!
WHY IS PAUL SO IMPORTANT?
He was a Roman citizen which was thoroughly Jewish, thus he knew both sides of the argument. In a world divided between Jews and Gentiles, Judaism and Rome, Paul was the perfect fit.
He author half of the New Testament. He wrote Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II Thessalonians, I and II Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (maybe even Hebrews).
He trained a generation of leaders which connected the Apostolic age to the church age. Paul gave his life to train men like Timothy, Titus, Silas, Epaphras, John Mark and many others.
As an example of grace and mercy- I Timothy 1:16: “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
His great contribution to theology
Of the 11 mysteries in the New Testament, 8 of them were revealed to Paul. Romans 16:25-26: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:”
the mystery of the incarnation- I Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
the mystery of indwelling- Colossians 1:26-27: “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
the mystery of the rapture- I Corinthians 15:51: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
the mystery of Israel’s blindness- Romans 11:25: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”
the mystery of iniquity- II Thessalonians 2:7-9: “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”
the mystery of the church- Ephesians 5:25-32: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
the mystery of the restoration of all things- Ephesians 1:9-10: “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”
the mystery of the body of Christ- Ephesians 3:3-6: “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Just imagine reading about the death, burial, and resurrection and Christ without entering into the book of Acts. You would have a thousand questions without any biblical hope. You might even have the Hebrew Christian epistles of I and II Peter or Jude, yet you would ultimately get to the Revelation and wonder who these Ephesians or Laodiceans are. Who is this bride at the Marriage Supper? Who comes up hither in Revelation 4:1?
THEREFORE, Acts chapter 9 is a glorious hinge upon which the door of salvation and church theology swings. No, the door does not swing on Paul: it swings on Jesus. But it is Jesus that changes Paul— Jesus through Paul— Jesus in Paul— Jesus with Paul— that makes the difference.

The Kind of Man Paul Was (9:1-2)

religious
Philippians 3:4-7: “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”
radical
he was a zealous man who defended his religion even unto death
Acts 7:57-58: “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.”
Acts 8:1: “And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
the word “persecution” here means “the systemic hunting down of adherents of a particular religion to inflict pain or death upon them; especially to destroy the religion by destroying the adherent or by forcing the adherent to renounce their beliefs.”
lost
there are a lot of ways to be lost
hedonism
II Timothy 3:4: “Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;”
blind
II Corinthians 4:4: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
profane
I Corinthians 6:10: “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
religious

The Way God’s Grace Appeared

Paul heard the Word of God
Acts 9:4-5: “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”
Romans 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Paul was convicted by the Word
Acts 9:5: “And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”
the word here means a cattle prod— a sharp instrument which points the way for an animal.
this is the same word used in I Corinthians 15:55: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
someone noted that “Farmers used the pointed end to urge a stubborn beast into motion. Occasionally, the beast would kick at the goad. The more the beast kicked, the more likely the goad would stab into the flesh of the beast’s leg.”
WHICH WORD STUNG HIM?
I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Paul came face-to-face with Jesus
In that moment, Paul repented. The word repent means “a change of mind which leads to a change of action.” He changed his mind about who Jesus Christ is. Notice the progression...
Who art thou, Lord?
I am Jesus
Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
Romans 10:9-10: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Acts 16:31: “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
The Day God’s Grace Appeared
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