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Home , Acts 16, Gamaliel

II. Curious Tales From the ~ 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 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 to Jewish parents, with Roman citizenship. This was a coveted privilege that Saul also possessed (:22-29). About AD 10, Saul’s family moved to . Acts 22:3 His nephew was in Jerusalem after Paul’s conversion (: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 .

Gamaliel was a first-century Jewish rabbi and a leader in the . 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 :27-42. Peter delivered his defense of the and 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 wherever he traveled (: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 (: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" (:1). Determined to eradicate , he sought permission from the High Priest . 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 :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 “the way of God” more fully (:26). Peter refers to 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 (: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 of Christ. Yet God used him...an ordinary disciple, for all we know. In the same way, God can use us. It wasn’t necessary that God use a man like Ananias for this. God simply used him because He loves to use His people, and Ananias was a willing servant. God spoke to Ananias in a different way than He spoke to Saul. Saul had a bold, confrontation from God, but Ananias heard the voice of God calmly and clearly. Ananias responded in V10. (Remind you of Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6:8? We shouldn’t be surprised if people like Saul receive the God’s Word with resistance. We should expect disciples of Christ to receive God’s Word like Ananias did. The vision from God was specific: · A specific street (the street called Straight) · A specific house (the house of Judas) · A specific man (one called Saul of Tarsus) · A specific thing the man was doing (he is praying) · A specific vision the man had (in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias) God asked Ananias to do something dangerous...he needed confirmation that God was guiding him. Ananias asked Saul’s question, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:6) This was from Ananias, who was hesitant ato meet Saul because of Saul’s reputation. Ananias’ objections were well founded. Tim Challies calls this his, “Um…God” moment.” As in: “Um…I know you’re omniscient and all, but maybe you haven’t heard about this Saul guy. So let me tell you about him…” But the Lord told Ananias of his plans for Saul. (Acts 9:15-16). Ananias followed the Lord’s instructions and found Saul, on whom he laid hands, and told him of his vision of Jesus Christ. What does he call Saul in V17? Brother = adelphos. We aren't told specifically what Ananias was thinking. Perhaps he chooses to trust God at His word, believes that Saul has been chosen...may see evidence of God's work in Saul's life and addresses him as a brother. It may reflect his understanding of the situation and so, he speaks in an accepting way to Saul. Through prayer, Saul received the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17), regained his sight, and was baptized (Acts 9:18). This prayer indicated a true change of heart. POST-CONVERSION PAUL Several things we know about Paul, after his conversion...none in great detail, to give you a picture of his life after meeting Christ on that dusty road. Galatians 1:11-24: Paul describes his calling to the churches in . Paul affirms he is an apostle sent directly from Yeshua the Messiah, and not from men. To affirm his authority, he again claims he was taught his gospel by none other than Messiah. Immediately after his conversion, he did not speak to any man, including the Apostles. Paul implied he spent 3 years being taught by Jesus Himself, either directly or through the study of the Word. So, like the other apostles, Paul studied with Christ for 3 years before beginning his ministry. Saul then went into the synagogues and proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God. The people were amazed and skeptical (Saul’s reputation and all). The Jews thought he came to take away the Christians, but he had joined them. They were confounded by his arguments proving that Jesus was the Christ. In , Paul was accused by a mob of defiling the temple, dragged out and beaten. The commander of the garrison couldn't figure out what actually happened, but took Paul into custody. He allowed Paul to make a defense before the people. Acts 22:3-21 recounts his conversion. Saul spent time in Arabia, Damascus, Jerusalem, , and his native Cilicia, and enlisted his help to teach those in the church in (:25). Saul took his first of 3 missionary journeys in the late AD 40s. As he spent more time in Gentile areas, he began to go by his Roman name Paul (:9). He wrote many of the NT books. Most agree he wrote Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Philemon, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus. These 13 “letters” are the primary source of his theology. The book of Acts gives us a historical look at Paul’s life and times. Paul spent his life proclaiming the risen Christ throughout the Roman world, often at great personal peril (2 Corinthians 11:24–27). It is believed that Paul died a martyr’s death in the mid-to-late AD 60s in . So, what can we learn from the life of Paul? First, God can save anyone. The remarkable story of Paul repeats itself every day as sinful, broken people all over the world are transformed by God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ. With Paul, we are amazed that God would allow such a man into heaven. Today, we see terrorists or other criminals as unworthy because their crimes are just too great. Paul's story can be told today—he isn’t worthy of a second chance, yet God granted him mercy. The truth is that every person matters to God. Second, anyone can be a humble, powerful witness for Jesus Christ. Arguably, no other human demonstrated more humility while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ as Paul. :19. :31, Paul shares the good news of Jesus Christ: “Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” He was not afraid to tell others what the Lord had done for him, spending all his days working for the kingdom of God. Finally, anyone can surrender completely to God. Paul was fully committed to God. :12–14 Despite his circumstances, Paul praised God and continually shared the good news ( :22–25, Philippians 4:11–13). Through it all, Paul knew the outcome of a life well lived for Christ. He had surrendered his life fully, trusting God for everything. He wrote, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Can we make the same claim? IN CONCLUSION: The events that happened on the road to Damascus relate not only to the apostle Paul, but provide a clear picture of the conversion of all people. While some have a conversion known as a “Damascus Road experience,” a phrase used to describe a dramatic conversion, the conversion of all believers follows a similar pattern. First, salvation is of the Lord, by His will and according to His plan and purpose (Acts 22:14). Jesus made it clear to Saul that he had gone his own way for long enough. Now he was to become an instrument in the hands of the Master to do His will as He had foreordained it. He does the same for us. Second, the response of both Saul and all those who are redeemed by Christ is the same: “What do you want me to do?” We do not bargain, negotiate, question, or come halfway. The response of the redeemed is obedience. When God truly touches our hearts, our only response can be, “Lord, may your will be done and may you use me to do it.” Such was the experience of Saul on the Damascus Road. His conversion on the road to Damascus was the beginning of an incredible journey. Each of us is commissioned by Christ to live in obedience to Him (John 14:15), love one another in His name (1 John 3:23), “know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” (Philippians 3:10), and tell the world of the wonderful riches in Christ. Seems to me, in those things, we are in good company!

RESOURCES: https://www.gotquestions.org/Damascus-Road.html https://www.gotquestions.org/Saul-of-Tarsus.html https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Paul.html Enduring Word Commentary by David Guzik https://www.challies.com/articles/brother-saul/ https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/the-preparation-of-paul/