Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles
1 - Saul the Persecutor
In this new series of “Discovery” talks I invite you to join me in looking at the life and work of Saul of Tarsus, who later became known as the Apostle Paul. He was a man who had more to do with the establishment of the early Christian church than any other individual servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. His tireless evangelistic activity; his understanding and insights into the Scriptures; his preaching and extensive writings, all had a unique and immeasurable influence on the development of Christianity.
In considering his personal profile, we discover from the New Testament record that he was born of Jewish parents in Tarsus in south east Asia Minor - present day Turkey. He inherited from birth the privilege of Roman citizenship and he grew up to speak, read and write Greek and Hebrew fluently. The Greek influence in his education gave him the ability to think clearly and systematically, while the Hebrew influence helped to create in him a character of moral uprightness.
Paul himself tells us in Acts chapter 22 that he was brought up in Jerusalem, and as a young man studied at the university there. His main tutor was a highly respected scholar named Gamaliel, who taught him according to the laws and traditions handed down from the fathers of Israel. All this fitted him to become the great orator and writer for which he is still renowned today. He was, like many others, taught a trade. In Paul’s case the trade was tent-making, which later provided a living for him as he moved from place to place serving Christ. In all this early part of Paul’s life we can see the hand of God preparing him for the work that He had for him in the future.
Like his father before him, Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee who lived according to the strict rules of that sect, and this greatly influenced his subsequent attitude and actions. It was his Jewish religious zeal that stirred up hatred in him for the growing number of Christians in Jerusalem in the very early days of the church. With the approval of the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, he persecuted and had imprisoned those who openly owned the name of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. We read about this in Acts chapter 8.
Why was it that Saul so hated these Christians? It was because he considered them to be guilty of blasphemy in believing and accepting a Messiah who had died on a cross under the curse of God. These new born Christians believed, however, that Jesus had died not because He was a lawbreaker, but because He willingly bore the curse on behalf of those who are, that is all of us, for we have all broken God’s moral law and stand in need of God’s forgiveness.
In Acts chapter 7 we read the story of Stephen, recognised as the first Christian martyr. Stephen, according to the description of him in Acts chapter 6, was “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit; full of God’s grace and power”, who did “great wonders and miraculous signs among the people”. He was brilliant in debating with the Jewish opponents of Christianity who could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by which he spoke. As a result of this Stephen was falsely accused of blasphemy and forcibly brought before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Acts chapter 7 is the record of Stephen’s great speech to the Jewish leaders, including the high priest.
Stephen saw that Christianity was not simply a remodelling of the Jewish faith, but that through the teaching and life of Jesus, and through his death and resurrection, everything had changed. The Jewish laws, their ceremonies, temple and priesthood had fulfilled their purpose in pointing the way to Christ, “the Righteous One” whom they had put to death. When the Jewish leaders heard this they were furious, and so much so that the Bible records “they gnashed their teeth at him.” Such was their fury that they dragged Stephen out of the city and began to stone him. Right up to the moment of his death Stephen demonstrated the power of Christ in his life. We read in Acts chapter 7 verse 59, “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out,” Lord do not hold this sin against them.”
Verse 58 tells us that those who participated in the stoning “laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.” Many Bible scholars believe that Saul was considerably affected by what he heard and witnessed that day, and it left a lasting impression upon him.
Christian, never underestimate the effect that your witness as a follower of Christ can have on those around you!
The mind of Saul of Tarsus towards the early believers in seen clearly in his own testimony before a Roman official as recorded in Acts chapter 26 verse 9 to 11:
“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.”
We see from later comments by Saul, now Paul, that he was often full of remorse for what he had done, and on one occasion he described himself as “the chief of sinners” - one for whom Christ had died even though at first he had not believed.
That an amazing transformation took place in the life of Saul of Tarsus is very evident when eventually he became Paul the Apostle of Christ. That conversion will be the subject of my next talk as we discover how Saul the persecutor and unbeliever became a Christian himself and claimed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. And what Christ did in the life of Saul of Tarsus, He can do in your life if you are presently not a believer, even one opposed to Christ as he was.