Why is Paul’s Conversion so Important?

We need to remember that authors of books in ancient times didn’t have the luxury that modern writers have of adding a few pages here and there for color and depth. In the first century CE authors like Luke were limited to the length of a scroll. They had to be concise and choose carefully what they wished to say in order to successfully express the theme behind their work. Luke chose to record Paul’s conversion three times (Acts 9, 22 and 26)! Why? Wouldn’t once have been sufficient, knowing that space was limited? Looking back, our vision is 20/20; Paul turned out to be one of the most significant figures of western civilization. What he did, or rather what God did through Paul, changed the direction of the whole continent of Europe and ultimately of the Americas, and to some degree even how the East developed into our modern societies. But, Luke didn’t know this, so why did he take such an interest in Paul’s conversion?

 

Do We Rescue Luke at Paul’s Expense?

There seems to be a growing number of folks who believe Luke contradicts Paul and ancient history concerning events surrounding Paul’s conversion. Some even claim that in order to rescue Acts we must sacrifice Paul’s credibility on matters that pertain to his own life. Are the critics correct, or are they simply addressing these matters with some preconceived notions of what things were like back in the first century Middle East?

 

Was Paul Converted or Called?

Luke treats Paul’s Damascus road experience as a very important event in his thesis, mentioning it three times. First, he describes the event as part of an historical narrative concerning the spreading of the Kingdom of God (Acts 9). However, later he has Paul recall the event, describing what occurred in his own words to the Jews at Jerusalem, including the Jewish authorities (Acts 22). Finally, Luke has Paul recall the event before King Agrippa, while other important authorities listened, including the Roman governor, Festus (Acts 26).

 

Is Suffering a Sign of Divine Favor?

Obviously, not all suffering is of God, nor does it mean one is held in his favor. However, I have read, and I believe it to be true, that suffering in the midst of one’s devotion to God is not only a sign one is in the narrow path to glory but also a sign of divine favor. Certainly we exalt those men and women who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to risk life and limb for their country. So, there is reason to believe that suffering for one’s country or out of devotion to God is worthy of praise.

 

The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb

I wonder how often, if ever, that we think of the prospect of coming into fellowship with one who hurt us badly. Most often, I suspect, we would simply seek to avoid such a person. People who seem to live to or at least enjoy hurting those who trust in Jesus are too often simply written off as unreachable, and perhaps unforgivable. Certainly, it would be very difficult to forgive such a one under normal circumstances who had beaten or killed a friend or a loved one, especially a harmless, gentle friend or loved one. Yet, as the Scripture keeps telling us, the thoughts of God are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9); yes, the depth and height of his wisdom is beyond our full comprehension (Romans 11:33).

 

The Wrath of Saul

From the beginning the Jewish people held the Jesus Movement in high esteem. Although many didn’t fully embrace the Gospel, the Apostles and early believers were not only regarded as harmless to the Jewish faith, but what they preached was part of that faith, just as the sects of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes were so held.

 

Saul and the Persecution

If Luke was not among those believers who were persecuted and had to leave Jerusalem, he could not have witnessed Stephen’s death. However, it would not be inconsistent with his explanation in Luke 1:1-4 that he could have researched his material concerning the events surrounding Stephen’s death and the persecution that followed. These things may very well have been supplied by Philip, who had ultimately settled in Caesarea after fleeing Jerusalem.

 

Saul’s Conversion & the Body of Christ

Saul was a zealous persecutor of Messianic believers, but I don’t think he persecuted the Church for more than six or seven months, or from the mid 7th month of 34 CE to cir. 1^st month of 35 CE. Therefore, the reigning high priest would have been Caiaphas and from him Saul would have sought papers of extradition (Acts 9:1-2) in order to arrest Messianic believers at Damascus and bring them before the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem for judgment.

 

Samaria Believes!

At long last the word of God is going out to the nations as promised by Jesus in Acts 1:8, but probably not as originally expected by the Apostles. Instead, the Gospel explodes outwardly in the form of evangelism brought on by persecution. It wasn’t planned—at least not by the Church. Nevertheless, the prophecy was fulfilled as the King of the Kingdom of God reached out to embrace the uttermost parts of the earth, beginning with Samaria and bringing all under his authority.

 

The Reluctant Evangelists

Our ancient ancestors were not that much different from us? For about three and one-half years the disciples had been witnesses at Jerusalem, the capital of Judaism. Miracles were done in the name of Jesus and the Gospel was preached and believed in power. Thousands were baptized into the Kingdom of God and most of these travelled home to various parts of the Empire taking the Gospel with them. Nevertheless, the power behind the Gospel seemed to build up pressure at the capital like waters behind a damn of clay. Something had to occur sooner or later, and finally it did.

 

Who Were Scattered Abroad?

We now come to Acts 8 when Luke tells us that the believers were scattered abroad due to a great persecution that arose over the death of Stephen. Saul, who is later called Paul of Tarsus, was among the leaders of that persecution (Acts 8:1, 3; cp. Galatians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:6). Strangely enough, Luke tells us that the Apostles didn’t have to leave Jerusalem over the sudden change in the political climate (Acts 8:1). Why would that be, and who had to leave or suffer the consequences, which included loss of life for the unrepentant?

 

The Great Persecution

I think we often read past Acts 8:1-4 just to get to Philip’s ministry to Samaria and the Ethiopian eunuch. Nevertheless, these four verses tell us a great deal, and are pretty much continued at Acts 11:19. It seems Luke placed Philip’s ministry to Samaria and the Ethiopian plus Saul’s conversion plus Peter’s going to the Roman centurion and his household right in the middle of this persecution, or to but it another way: between Acts 8:4 and Acts 11:19. It serves as a kind of parenthesis within the persecution and its information helps us to forget what is really taking place. Believers are dying for their faith.

 

The Prophet Like Moses ~ Savior

As we go through Acts 7, I am emphasizing parts of Stephen’s address before the Sanhedrin, hoping to show how the young Messianic leader put forth not only his defense but that of the Gospel as well. Throughout Stephen’s address he points to Israel’s history—a solidified revelation of how God has interpreted himself and his relationship with mankind in such a manner that God’s people’s eyes were always directed toward the future. It was a history of faith and expectation. The problem in Stephen’s day was the Jewish authorities wrongly defined their present service to God with the past.

 

The Prophet Like Moses ~ His Coming

In chapter seven of Acts Stephen’s defense of the Gospel, which ultimately included proof of his own innocence of the charges of blasphemy brought against him, was presented in the form of a summary of the history of salvation in the persons of Abraham, Joseph and Moses. In a previous blog I wrote of his illustrations of Jesus and the infancy of the Church in the lives of Abraham and Joseph, but by far the main body of Stephen’s testimony lay in his illustration of Moses’ life.

 

The Structure of the Book of Acts ~ Part 3

This represents the third in a three part series in which I intend to show how I think Luke constructed the Book of Acts. He did so by presenting the theology and the practicality of specific problems the Church had to face in its infancy—from Pentecost 31 CE to the culmination of Paul’s mission cir. 62 CE or roughly a span of about 30 years. When Luke adds what he does to Acts, he always ends his submission by giving a summary of the growth of the Church. He does this six times showing he organized his thesis into three two-part summaries of what the Church began to do and teach (cp. Acts 1:1).