Saul was an angry young man! He was a Pharisee who was so zealous for Judaism, and so convinced that the new group of Christians was a false teaching sect, that he hated them and hunted them down to throw them into prison (v. 1-2). In his letter to the Galatian church Saul, now Paul, described himself like this: “For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:13-14). Paul had been present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), and had received authorization from the High Priest to travel to Damascus to arrest Christians there and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial and imprisonment. That’s where our reading for today picks up, for it was on that road to Damascus that Saul’s life would be changed forever, and the Church of Jesus Christ would be saved from it most fierce enemy.
Saul quite literally “saw the light” in a dazzling appearance of Jesus Himself. As a result Saul could no longer deny who Jesus was, and he went from wanting to persecute Christians to preaching about Jesus. He was a zealous in spreading the Gospel as he had once been in trying to destroy the Church. He became known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles,” writing 13 of the New Testament books. It’s an incredible story of life change.
Some people have radical conversion stories like Saul (who took a Greek name “Paul”), others have testimonies that aren’t as dramatic, but equally life-changing. Some Christians are reluctant to share their testimonies saying, “Mine isn’t that dramatic,” as if the only way to have a powerful testimony is to get knocked to the ground and hear the voice of Jesus. We ALL have stories (testimonies) of how our faith in Jesus Christ has impacted and changed our lives. You can share yours. No one can argue with you because your story is all yours. So be thankful that God has changed you, and share the testimony of life-change with others!
Week 20, Day 99 -- Angry Young Man: Acts 9:1-19
Saul was an angry young man! He was a Pharisee who was so zealous for Judaism, and so convinced that the new group of Christians was a false teaching sect, that he hated them and hunted them down to throw them into prison (v. 1-2). In his letter to the Galatian church Saul, now Paul, described himself like this: “For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:13-14). Paul had been present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), and had received authorization from the High Priest to travel to Damascus to arrest Christians there and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial and imprisonment. That’s where our reading for today picks up, for it was on that road to Damascus that Saul’s life would be changed forever, and the Church of Jesus Christ would be saved from it most fierce enemy.
Saul quite literally “saw the light” in a dazzling appearance of Jesus Himself. As a result Saul could no longer deny who Jesus was, and he went from wanting to persecute Christians to preaching about Jesus. He was a zealous in spreading the Gospel as he had once been in trying to destroy the Church. He became known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles,” writing 13 of the New Testament books. It’s an incredible story of life change.
Some people have radical conversion stories like Saul (who took a Greek name “Paul”), others have testimonies that aren’t as dramatic, but equally life-changing. Some Christians are reluctant to share their testimonies saying, “Mine isn’t that dramatic,” as if the only way to have a powerful testimony is to get knocked to the ground and hear the voice of Jesus. We ALL have stories (testimonies) of how our faith in Jesus Christ has impacted and changed our lives. You can share yours. No one can argue with you because your story is all yours. So be thankful that God has changed you, and share the testimony of life-change with others!