This is another lesson in Mike’s series on Bible Characters.
Saul. The man who persecuted Christians. The man who became…Paul…the apostle.
Zealous for God. Dedicated. A Pharisee completely devoted to the legal enforcement of the Law.
His conversion to Christianity became an amazing testimony to the resurrection of Jesus, the very man whose followers he persecuted.
Paul, the man who described himself as the very worst of ALL sinners. In this sermon, Mike shares his lesson – a lesson of hope. As Paul said, “Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors (Acts 26:6 NLT).”
“A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.”
Acts 8:1-3 (NLT)
Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished. “As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
Acts 22:3-7 (NLT)