The Conversion of St. Paul
(c. 48 CE)
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now
live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if
justification were through the law, then Christ died to no
purpose." Galatians 2:20-21
"But I do not consider my life of any account
as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the
ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of
the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:24
"And all those hearing him continued to be
amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem
destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for
the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?"
Acts 9:21
The person many today know as St. Paul was not
always known as such. In fact, quite the opposite is the case. The
following information briefly presents the person of St. Paul before,
during, and after his conversion and attempts to decipher what or who
could bring such a massive change in the life of one individual. The
above verses only act as personal evidence from the mouth of Paul
himself as well as those of his days to the life he lived and the
change that came.
One first encounters him as Saul. Born to a
wealthy Jewish family of the tribe of Benjamin in the city of Tarsus
in Cilicia (presently Asia Minor), he was thus a citizen of the Roman
Empire by birth. He later went to Jerusalem to study law under the
Pharisees and became a zealous follower. Under their teachings and
politics, Saul was a witness and support of the peoples' stoning the
apostle Stephen. Stephen spoke out against the blindness of the
Jewish people making specific reference to the Pharisees saying that
they only followed the law superficially. Saul may have viewed this
as a threat to his affinity for the Jewish custom, his pride
concerning the law, and his adherence to it. For similar reasons,
Saul fiercely disliked Stephen along with others who were followers
of a man named Jesus Christ. His animosity toward the followers of
"the Way" motivated him to set out on a campaign to
oppress, imprison, and eradicate these "Christians".
Already having established a fierce reputation around Jerusalem, his
campaign (with the support of the high priest in Jerusalem) led him
to Damascus. Some sixty miles north, the leaders of the Synagogues
agreed to aid him in routing and imprisoning the Christians in that
area. Who would have ever guessed what came next.....
Saul set off for Damascus with a group of
travelers. When approaching the city, there was a flash and Saul was
knocked to the earth. Christ appeared before him asking, "Saul,
Saul, why do you persecute me?" Baffled, Saul asked, "Who
are you sir?" "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Get up
and enter the city and you will be told what to do." Though
Saul's companions heard a voice speaking, they did not see anything.
Now, Saul was blind. His companions took him to an inn where he ate
nothing nor drank for three days.
A disciple living in Damascus, named Ananias, had
a vision in which God told him to go to Saul, lay his hands on him,
and heal his blindness. Fearing Saul's reputation, Ananias initially
hesitated only finally going from the reassurance he received from
God. Ananias found Saul and did as the Lord told him. Something like
scales fell from his eyes and he sight was now restored. Saul was
baptized "Paul" and then spent several days with the
Christians of Damascus. He learned what he could while regaining his
strength.
After spending time in Damascus preaching and
spreading the Word, plots to assassinate Paul surfaced. With the help
of new friends, Paul escaped back to Jerusalem. There he attempted to
join with the Christian disciples. However, their fear of him and his
reputation for formerly persecuting followers of the Way kept them
from accepting him as one of them. With the aid of another man,
Barnabas, he managed to convince them that his conversion was real.
After he preached a bit in Jerusalem, more plots to kill him
surfaced. So, this time his escape led him to Antioch. Briefly
summarized, life for Paul after this included several missionary
trips into Greece and Asia Minor with Barnabas as well as the
establishment of Christian churches throughout Greece, Macedonia,
Asia Minor, and even into Rome.
Sources: Edited by: Andrea J. Elving, [email protected]
Researched by: Peter W. Marks, [email protected]
Written by: Kelly E. Ogg, [email protected]
November 21, 1997
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