II. Curious Tales From the New Testament ~ Paul B. I Was Blind But Now I See There is much we can learn from the life of the apostle Paul. His story is one of redemption in Christ and a lesson that no one is beyond the saving grace of the Lord. To better understand how this life changed, let's look at Saul...before becoming “the Apostle of Grace.” Paul’s early life was one of religious zeal, violence, and relentless persecution of the early church. In contrast, his later years show a marked difference as he lived his life for Christ and for the advancement of His kingdom. His abrupt turnaround was a major factor in the shaping of the history of the early Christian church. So...who was Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul? PRE-CONVERSION PAUL Saul was born around 1-5 AD in Tarsus in Cilicia to Jewish parents, with Roman citizenship. This was a coveted privilege that Saul also possessed (Acts 22:22-29). About AD 10, Saul’s family moved to Jerusalem. Acts 22:3 His nephew was in Jerusalem after Paul’s conversion (Acts 23:16), so Paul’s family probably also moved there. He was of Benjamite lineage & Hebrew ancestry (Philippians 3:5–6), the son of a Pharisee, who adhered strictly to the Law and protected their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles.Yet he could speak Greek and passable Latin. His household would have spoken Aramaic, the official language of Judea. Between AD 15-20 (at age 13) Saul began his studies of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Law in Jerusalem under Rabbi Gamaliel. Gamaliel was a first-century Jewish rabbi and a leader in the Sanhedrin. He's mentioned in Scripture as a well-known and respected teacher. Indirectly, He had a profound effect on the early church. The first reference to him is in Acts 5:27-42. Peter delivered his defense of the gospel and Jesus before the Sanhedrin where John and Peter are standing trial. They warned the apostles to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, becoming enraged when Simon Peter defiantly replies in Acts 5:29. Peter had no intention of not proclaiming the gospel, regardless of the consequences. The council began to seek their deaths. In steps Gamaliel, “who was honored by all the people” (Acts 5:34). He orders the apostles to be removed from the room, then encourages the council to be cautious in dealing with Jesus’ followers: Acts 5:38–39 The Sanhedrin is persuaded by his words (V40). Gamaliel has been praised and honored for his knowledge, but may be better known for his most famous pupil, another Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus (Acts 22:3), who later became the apostle Paul. It was under the teaching of Rabbi Gamaliel that Paul developed his expert knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures. Paul preached in the synagogues wherever he traveled (Acts 17:2), and his grasp of OT history and law aided his presentation of Christ as the One Who had fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17). In God’s sovereign plan, this Jewish rabbi, Gamaliel, preserved the lives of the apostles in the early church and helped equip Paul, arguably the greatest Christian missionary. His education continued for 5-6 years as Saul learned how to dissect Scripture (Acts 22:3). He developed a question-and-answer style of teaching known as “diatribe”, which helped debate the finer points of Jewish law to defend or prosecute those who broke the law. (Think Acts 17-Mars Hill) Saul become a lawyer, and may have been a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of 71 men who ruled over Jewish life and religion. Zealous for his faith, not allowing compromise, lead him down the path of religious extremism. Saul was present at the trial of Stephen - the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:54–60). Stephen’s executioners laid their garments at the feet of Saul (Acts 7:58), who approved their actions. After Stephen’s death, "a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem" (Acts 8:1). Determined to eradicate Christians, he sought permission from the High Priest Caiaphas. He was ruthless... believing he was acting in the name and service of God. It's been said there are few things more frightening or vicious than a religious terrorist, when he believes he is doing the will of the Lord. This is exactly what Saul of Tarsus was. An angry, violent man convinced of his own righteousness. Acts 8:3 But Saul was actually fighting God Himself. PAUL'S CONVERSION: READ Acts 9:1-22 These passages recount Paul’s meeting with Jesus Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, about 150 miles. Saul was filled with murderous rage against Christians. He received letters from the High Priest to the synagogues in Damascus, with permission to bring any followers of “the Way,” back to Jerusalem to imprison. The Way? This seems the earliest name for the Christian movement, used in Acts (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22) in connection with early followers of Christ. The early followers of Christ may have referred to themselves as followers of the Way because of Jesus’ statement in John 14:6 that He is “the way and the truth and the life.” Luke says that Aquila and Priscilla explained to Apollos “the way of God” more fully (Acts 18:26). Peter refers to Christianity as “the way of truth” (2 Peter 2:2). Hebrews 10:19–20 says that Jesus’ body is the “new and living way” for us to enter the Most Holy Place. The name means that Christianity is more than a belief or a set of doctrines, but is a way of living as well as believing. It is significant that there was a Christian community large enough in Damascus for Saul to be concerned about. Christianity was spreading everywhere. Here was a man who truly hated Christ and all who were associated with Him. While on his way to Damascus, Saul was confronted by the very One Whom he was persecuting (Acts 9:3–9; 22:6–11; 26:12–18). What followed was one of the most dramatic conversions in church history. Saul of Tarsus became the apostle Paul, an ardent missionary to an unbelieving world and an example of faithful service in the face of fierce persecution (Acts 14:19; 16:22–24; 2 Corinthians 11:25–26). Saul’s education, skills, talents and zeal contributed to his success as a missionary, once they had been put under submission to the lordship of Christ. On the road Saul was caught in a bright light from heaven that caused him to fall face down on the ground. We all know the phrase, “falling off his high horse”, usually spoken regarding someone who thinks they have the moral high ground, is proud, arrogant, self- righteous...but in actuality is none of those things. So where is the horse? It is not mentioned...not to say he wasn't riding a horse. We don't know. But interesting how that phrase has been around this long, presumably as a result (at least in part) to this humbling event in the life of Saul. The idea has taken root, not in small part, due to the paintings of Saul's conversion. None of which can count as doctrine. He heard the words in verses 4–5. Against the goads: While accurate, doesn't appear to have been in the original text. It was likely added by scribes, who thought they were doing God a favor by inserting it. Goads: kentron “to offer vain and perilous or ruinous resistance”. A goad was a long, sharp stick used to get an ox going the way you wanted to, when plowing. One jabbed the hind legs of the ox with the goad until the ox cooperated. Saul was the ox; Jesus was the farmer. Saul was stubborn - yet valuable and potentially useful to the Master’s service. Jesus goaded Saul into the right direction, which caused Saul pain...because instead of submitting to Jesus, Saul kicked against the goad – which only increased his pain. Sound like anyone you know? Though Jesus was a fairly common name in that day, the ascended Jesus of Nazareth needed no further identification. When He said, “I am Jesus,” Saul seemed to know exactly which Jesus spoke. This may not have been his first encounter with Jesus. He might have known of Jesus, heard Him teach and witnessed His death. If in the Sanhedrin, Saul may have sat in judgment in the trial before His crucifixion. From that moment on, Saul’s life was turned upside down. V8 He would spend a few days as physically blind as he was spiritually. One way to get his attention...and give him something to think about. V9 Saul was so shaken that he could not eat or drink for 3 days. This was a humbling time, that challenged all his previous ideas about Who God was & what pleased Him...having to think about his own failure. In those three days, Saul was dying to himself. It would only be after the three days of dying that he would receive resurrection life from Jesus. As instructed, Saul continued to Damascus to make contact with Ananias. We don’t know anything about Ananias from either before or after this meeting...just that he was a disciple of Christ. Yet God used him...an ordinary disciple, for all we know.