If you had attended a session of the Sanhedrin during the year of Stephen's martyrdom, you would have noticed a certain young leader who was high-born and well educated. Instead of hovering in the background with the other young men, he boldly took his place in the forefront. He was a strict Pharisee who zealously defended law and tradition against anything he perceived as compromise.

This was Saul of Tarsus, better known to history by the name he took later—Paul. Before he became a follower of Christ, Paul was generally recognized as one of the future leaders of his nation. No one had better credentials. He later said of himself that he was "circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; . . . touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless" (Phil. 3:5-6). He came from a well-to-do family in Tarsus, a commercial center in Asia Minor. Unlike most Jews, he was a Roman citizen by birth. He had been a star pupil of Gamaliel, still remembered by Jews today as one of the greatest teachers of the law.

As a young man, Paul rose to a prominent place in public life. At the execution of Stephen, the witnesses who took up stones to hurl at the first martyr laid their outer garments at Paul's feet (Acts 7:58). Luke, the writer of the Book of Acts, tells us specifically that Paul consented to Stephen's death. He must mean that Paul himself had a vote in the Sanhedrin. In other words, he was already a member of the highest ruling body in the nation.

Moreover, he had already become a leader among leaders, for he took a commanding role in events after Stephen's death. He led a campaign of persecution against the church, and in this campaign he personally went from house to house and cast into prison every Christian he could find, whether man or woman. Later, he confessed that he had been responsible for some Christians being killed (Acts 22:4).

We can imagine that Paul was a man consumed with self-importance. He could not see the truth of the gospel because his eyes were blinded with pride, and pride is the greatest sin. It was the sin that brought down Lucifer, who fancied that he could rise to the place of the Most High (Isa. 14:12-14), and it was the sin that brought down Adam and Eve, who also desired to become equal with God (Gen. 3:5). No wonder that when Paul looked back upon his career of persecuting the church, he said of himself, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 Tim. 1:15).

The persecution he unleashed scattered believers far and wide. They had to flee for their lives. But God in His great wisdom had a good purpose behind the trouble, for everywhere that Christians went, they preached the gospel. One place offering safety was Damascus, the leading city in Syria. The church there was perhaps founded by Jews who had been converted at Pentecost, but now their ranks were swollen by refugees from Jerusalem

The concentration of believers in Damascus came to Paul's attention, and he obtained authority from the high priest to seize them and bring them to Jerusalem for trial. The Romans at this time were not exercising strong control over the Jewish leaders. Taking prisoners in Damascus merely required the cooperation of the local synagogues. So, armed with letters to these synagogues from the high priest, Paul started on his way.

Acts 9:3-7
The Vision That Changed the World

With him on the road were several companions. As they drew near Damascus, a brilliant light suddenly engulfed the whole company. It must have seemed as if the sun had leaped toward the earth. Paul's companions were greatly frightened (Acts 22:9). They stood motionless and speechless, unable to understand what was happening. They also heard a voice, but they could not make out exactly what it was saying.

Paul responded to the overpowering radiance by falling on his face. Unlike his companions, he had no difficulty understanding the majestic voice that came from the midst of the light. Moreover, he could see the person speaking, for in later years he listed himself among those who had seen the risen Christ (1 Cor. 15:8). The Christ he saw was not merely human in appearance, however, but in His glorified state, as He was when John saw Him on the isle of Patmos (Rev. 1:12-16).

Paul heard the voice questioning him, saying, "Why persecutest thou me?" Paul was confused. He knew that he was in the presence of a being so exalted that he must address Him as Lord. Yet he did not immediately grasp how he, the best of the Pharisees, had offended the God of Israel. In his complete bewilderment, he called out the pointless question, "Who art thou, Lord?" It was pointless because it gave the answer. The voice was indeed the Lord's. Perhaps Paul's question betrayed a dawning realization that he was in the presence of Jesus. Whom else had he been persecuting? Yet he wanted to confirm the speaker's identity.

Pondering a Question How Did Paul Know That He Was in the Presence of the Lord and Not Just an Angel? The Pharisees believed that angels sometimes appeared to men (Acts 23:9). Yet they would not have condoned addressing an angel as "Lord," a term reserved for God. Therefore, Paul's answer to Christ shows that he viewed the Being standing before him as greater than an angel. What was there in Christ's manner or appearance that was obviously divine? We do not know exactly. But apparently the divine presence in some way communicates a certain knowledge that God is there. Moreover, it displays holiness in some fashion that strikes man's heart with a sense of exceeding sinfulness. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he cried out, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts" (Isa. 6:5). So, when Paul beheld Christ, he instantly knew two things: that the speaker was the Lord, and that God was against him, not for him. This unwelcome truth breaching his longstanding walls of pride allowed him for the first time to see himself correctly, as a sinner.

The Lord answered Paul with two statements designed to bring Paul to salvation. He said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." So, Paul's suspicion was correct. The Lord speaking to him was the person Jesus. And now Paul perceived with horror that his tireless work to extinguish the new church was nothing less than blasphemy, for he was desecrating a work of the Lord. The Lord continued, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." He was referring to ox goads—the sharp implements used to get oxen moving. Only an especially stubborn and stupid ox would respond by kicking the goad and thus inflicting more pain upon itself.

Paul's heart melted. The presence of a glorious Christ shriveled up all his layers of pride and left him a naked soul. For the first time in his life he uttered words that were entirely humble: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" In other words, "I acknowledge who you are, Lord, and I submit wholly to your leadership. What is your will?"

Many years later, when Paul stood before the Roman rulers of Palestine, he revealed how Christ answered the question. Christ told him as he lay on the road that he would go to the gentiles and "turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me" (Acts 26:16-18). Then Christ told him to rise and proceed into Damascus, where he would receive further instructions.

Getting Practical Until now, Paul had been the epitome of everything contrary to the Spirit of Christ. He was proud, argumentative, self-seeking, nasty toward enemies, and zealous to do harm. But in a moment, he was so transformed that he became the epitome of everything pleasing to Christ. He was humble, peaceable, and willing to devote his life to the good of others. Is there an example anywhere in Scripture or history of a conversion more dramatic and complete? God intended Paul in his ministry to the gentiles to be not only the one who brought them the gospel, but also their chief example in all things. Paul himself stressed often that we should follow him and do as he did (2 Thess. 3:7, 9; 1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 4:9). His first words as a believer have an exemplary force as great as anything he ever said. They model the right response to any moving of Christ in our heart. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"

Acts 9:8-30
Paul's Preparation for Service

Before Paul could be a useful vessel in God's service, he had to undergo extensive training. God's program of education for Paul had three parts.

1. Paul had to be thoroughly humbled. He had to be moved from self-reliance to total dependence on God. God began the process by blinding him. When Paul rose from the ground, he could not see, and for the rest of the journey, his companions led him by the hand. A man full of ambition to lead was forced to let others lead him. How humiliating! His dependence on others did not cease when he reached Damascus, for the blindness continued three days.

In the meantime, the Lord appeared in a vision to a faithful disciple in Damascus named Ananias. He instructed Ananias to go to Paul, who was at the house of one Judas on the street called Straight. The Lord wanted Ananias to lay his hands on Paul so that he might receive his sight. Ananias balked, knowing perfectly well who Paul was—that his purpose in coming to Damascus had been to arrest believers like Ananias. But the Lord patiently explained that He had chosen Paul for an important ministry reaching both Jews and gentiles. Also, to arouse sympathy for this former enemy of the church, the Lord revealed that in serving God, Paul would undergo great suffering.

Ananias, a good man, immediately dropped his objections and obediently set out to find Paul. To approach someone who had been a ruthless persecutor of believers took great confidence in the Lord's word as well as great courage. When Ananias found Paul, he laid his hands on him and the blindness disappeared. It seemed as if scales fell from his eyes. From this time forward Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Because Paul had seen in a vision what would happen, he received Ananias gladly and cooperated with him. The role of Ananias in Paul's recovery was another measure intended to teach Paul humility. He had to accept help from the kind of man he formerly despised. On his way to Damascus, he viewed followers of the way as his inferiors. Now he was a learner sitting at their feet for instruction.

Paul remained for some time with the church in Damascus. Immediately he began to preach Christ in the synagogues. The unconverted Jews were amazed, for they recognized him as the man who had come to arrest Christians. Some tried to argue with him, but like Stephen, Paul was not easily beaten in debate. In time, as his faith and knowledge grew, he utterly confounded those who opposed him.

Paul was doing what the Lord wanted him to do. The Lord wanted him to start witnessing for Christ without delay. This proved the reality of his conversion. Also, this furthered the humbling process, for to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God was a public admission that formerly he had been dead wrong—that what he had denied passionately was true absolutely.

Getting Practical God greatly used Paul as soon as he was saved. Let us never discourage a new believer from sharing his faith with others. We might think that his theology is weak or that his methods need more polish and tact, but as a witness he has many advantages over those who have been saved a long time. Newly freed from his sin, he may communicate a greater enthusiasm for Christ. He may also be bolder, because the freshness of being saved removes all doubt from his mind that he has the right solution for the plight of every lost person. Finally, he has not had the discouraging experience of being rebuffed again and again by stubborn sinners.

2. Paul had to be reeducated. In his Epistle to the Galatians, Paul recollects that after his conversion, he went to Arabia for a long stay, perhaps three years (Gal. 1:15-18). He implies that he went there to confer with the Lord.

Pondering a Question Why Did Paul Have to Spend Three Years in Arabia before God Could Use Him? Paul was a highly trained rabbi, an expert in the Old Testament. He probably had memorized the entire Torah (the five books of Moses). Yet although he knew what the Scriptures said as well as any man alive, he did not understand the Scriptures. He did not know that the theme of the law and the prophets is Christ. But who was available to teach him? Now that he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he had the best teacher of all (John 16:13; Psa. 119:99-100). Clearly, what he did in Arabia was to reexamine the Scriptures and his religious traditions in the light of his new faith. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, he added great understanding to his storehouse of great knowledge, so that in years to come he could be the teacher of all the gentile churches as well as the principal author of the New Testament.

3. Paul needed a few years of seasoning. The next step in his education was to go back to Damascus. There he met violent opposition. A plot against his life forced him to flee, but leaving the city was risky, because his enemies were watching the gates. So, his friends lowered him over the wall in a basket. The purpose of this experience was no doubt to give Paul a taste of the persecution that he would face all his life.

Paul went to Jerusalem and tried to join the band of disciples, but naturally they were afraid of him. Perhaps they thought that he was infiltrating their ranks to find out who were Christians. Barnabas, one of the leaders, believed in Paul's sincerity and brought him before the apostles. He told how Paul was converted on the road to Damascus and how he had been boldly preaching Christ. The suspicions then melted away. Paul was received as a brother and allowed to fellowship freely with everyone in the church. During this time, he spoke with Peter and James, the brother of Christ (Gal. 1:18-19), as well as with other believers who had known Jesus, and from them he no doubt learned much of great value.

As he had done in Damascus, he began to confront unbelieving Jews in their synagogues. Coming from a Greek city in Asia Minor, he knew Greek and Greek learning, and so he especially targeted the Greek-speaking Jews. This was good practice for him, since his calling in life would be to evangelize the Greek world. But his efforts came to the same result as Stephen's. The Greeks sought to slay him. For his safety, the believers sent him away to the port city of Caesarea and from there to his home city, Tarsus. Then for a time—probably a few years—Paul disappeared from prominence.

Pondering a Question Why Did Paul Refrain from Immediately Embarking on His Calling to Reach the Gentiles for Christ? Because he needed seasoning. During the time of his obscurity, Paul probably belonged to a small group of believers and ministered to them in humble ways. Learning the discipline of fulfilling small duties out of the limelight was an important part of his training. Jesus taught that we must prove ourselves faithful in small tasks before we will be entrusted with larger ones (Luke 19:17; 16:10).

The Wisdom in God's Choice

History remembers Paul as the man who took Christianity beyond the bounds of the Jewish nation and made it primarily a gentile religion. If we measure success by visible results, he was the greatest of the apostles. Why did God choose Paul for this role?

1. By every measure, Paul was an unusual man. He himself wrote that "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called" (1 Cor. 1:26). Yet Paul was all these. He had the best Jewish education available in his day, giving him wisdom after the flesh. He was mighty, for he possessed enough political clout to wage a campaign of persecution against the church. And coming from a distinguished family, he was noble.

In His wisdom, God molded such a man to be His apostle to the gentiles. In that role he would write much of the New Testament, a task that would employ his education. His background as a member of the Sanhedrin prepared him to stand before rulers, even governors and kings. His last trial before he was beheaded by the Romans was in Rome, so it is possible that the emperor himself, the vile Nero, sat in judgment upon Paul and heard him speak. Paul's high birth fitted him to reach all classes of society, the nobility as well as the common people.

2. Before he became a witness for Christ, Paul was a persecutor of Christ. The suffering that he caused fellow believers left a lifelong grief in his heart. We see evidence of this lingering grief in his statement that he was the chief of sinners. But it was good for him to remember how wicked he had been. He was so important in the work of God that he could easily have fallen into the snare of pride. The memory that he had once been a pitiless persecutor helped to keep him humble.

The same memory also helped him to accept his sufferings for Christ. The catalog of all his trials and tribulations is sobering to read. "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches" (2 Cor. 11:23-28).

It is amazing that a human body could endure so much punishment. He must have had an iron constitution. Yet all this suffering was bearable partly because he could look on it as a sort of justice—as exactly what a man deserved who in days past had tormented and killed the godly.

Getting Practical When Paul calls himself the chief of sinners, he does not mean that we should see ourselves as better than he was. We should not say smugly to ourselves, "He's right. It is hard to imagine a greater sinner than a man who went around persecuting Christians." No, we should regard his words as an example of the right self-image. We too should see ourselves as the chief of sinners. What do you think of yourself? Do you think that you are better than most people? Do you think that you are no worse than most people? If the answer is "yes" to either question, you are proud. Except for the grace of God, you would be capable of any sin. None would be too awful for you to commit. If you did not descend to the worst sins, the only reason might be your fear of the consequences. So, in potential at least, you are the chief of sinners. The history of tyrants shows what wickedness the human heart will produce in the absence of restraints. As the saying goes, power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. Therefore, you must deal with your wickedness here, in this world, before you get to heaven, where you will have power on a scale unimaginable. Looking at yourself as the chief of sinners has three benefits. You are freed from any temptation to imagine that you can get to heaven by your own merits. No one in himself is good enough to live in the presence of a holy God (Rom. 3:23). If you could get to heaven by passing some test of goodness, you would spend eternity congratulating yourself. You would boast to yourself and others of your achievement. Therefore, salvation is by grace, so God will receive all the credit (Eph. 2:8-9). You appreciate God's willingness to forgive your sins. Your eyes are opened to the greatness of His mercy. As the chief of sinners, you deserve nothing but His anger. Are you not angry when you hear about the terrible wrongs that men inflict on each other—when you see news of some horrible atrocity committed by terrorists, for example? Then is God not justified in being angry with you, the chief of sinners? He certainly has no obligation to grant you mercy and forgiveness. Yet because He loves you, He offers to cancel the penalty for your sin and give you a place in heaven forever. When we realize just how good He is to us, we cannot help but love and praise Him. When we see ourselves as basically no better than any murderer or drug addict, we gain a new compassion for every lost soul. We stop fooling ourselves that such people are not good enough for our churches. Rather, we go out and seek to bring them in. A church is healthiest when it includes people saved from the depths of sin. When Jesus was visiting Simon the Pharisee, an immoral woman came in and washed Jesus' feet with her tears—tears of sorrow for her sin and of gratitude for God's forgiveness. Jesus said to Simon, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little" (Luke 7:47). We need people like this woman in our churches. They add warmth to our love for Christ and zeal to our work for God. Because they understand how much God has done for them, they give us an enthusiasm that is too often lacking in churches made up of respectable people.