Paul Makes a New Start

Acts 26:9-18; I Corinthians 15:8-10

GOLDEN TEXT: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”—I Timothy 1:15

IN THE Acts there are three accounts of the conversion of Paul on his way to Damascus—the 9th, 22nd, and 26th chapters. They are not identical in their details, but all agree in substance with respect to that miraculous demonstration in which the Lord appeared to Paul in such blinding glory that his sight was restored only by a subsequent miracle in connection with the visit of the fellow disciple, Ananias.—Acts 9:17,18

The first part of our lesson consists of Paul’s account of his experience before King Agrippa. In it he acknowledges his error, and declares that his persecution of the followers of Jesus before his conversion, was done conscientiously. “I verily thought with myself,” he said, “that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.”—Verse 9

It is difficult for us to understand how Paul could have believed that God would have him persecute such noble characters as Stephen. And it seems that there must have been a measure of fault to be found with him, even though he was conscientious, for the Lord chidingly asks, “Why persecutest thou me?” (verse 4) He implies, too, that Paul had been given some measure of information as to the quality of the persons whom he was injuring, and had failed to respond to the suggestion—perhaps only of his own conscience—that he should discontinue his persecution of them. This suggestion of a previous reproof that was not recognized, or a qualm of conscience that was smothered, is indicated in our Lord’s words, “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”—Acts 9:5

We gain the same impression from Paul’s subsequent references to his injurious course against the early church. In his first Epistle to Timothy he expresses the thought that God’s willingness to overlook his previous conduct and appoint him to the ministry of an apostle, notwithstanding he had been “a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious,” was because he acted “ignorantly in unbelief.”

In this same letter, Paul claims the distinction of being the “chief” of sinners; but happily connects this evaluation of his own past reprehensible conduct, with the abounding mercy of God, saying, “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”—I Tim. 1:13,15,16

The deep humiliation of having been a persecutor of the church remained with Paul. In the second section of today’s lesson he claims to be the “least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” In this letter to the Ephesians, this self-abasement goes even further, in the statement that he is “less than the least of all saints.”—Eph. 3:8

No doubt the recollection of his measurably conscientious, but wholly wrong course, had much to do with his preparation for the great ministry he was to undertake in accordance with the Lord’s instructions. It made him more ready to extend mercy, and to recommend it to others. Of this disposition we are given an illustration in his two letters to the Corinthian church. In the first, he exhorts them to judge severely, one of their number living in gross sin. In his second epistle, after learning that the church at Corinth had taken his advice and rebuked the erring member effectively, and evidently to his reformation, Paul urges, “Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.”—I Cor. 5:1-7; II Cor. 2:4-8

Several important lessons are illustrated in the conversion of Paul, which we have briefly reviewed. One is the danger of even a conscientious person, but insufficiently alert to the instructions and spirit of the Lord’s Word, being misled into a course opposed to the One he desires to serve. It seems not unlikely that Paul was influenced by those opposers of the early church with whom he was associated at Jerusalem. Few of them probably were as conscientious as he. Paul may have had too much respect for the organization of which he was a member—the Pharisees, perhaps also the Sanhedrin. They were not influenced by the character and words of those early witnesses, such as Stephen. Possibly that is one of the lessons our Lord had in mind when he reproved him on the way to Damascus. Paul should not have been influenced by others, but primarily and personally, and regardless of others, his conscience should have been tender and open to the “pricks” which the Lord had previously given. Such tests of independent relationship to the Lord and his Word have often been the experience of consecrated Christians: the same principles always apply. We have but the one Head, and in him we find a perfect example of adherence to the Word and Spirit of God.

QUESTIONS:

How did Paul refer to his persecution of the early church?

What effects on his after life and ministry can be reasonably traced to his great error?

What special lessons can we draw from his wrong course, and how may his conscientious misconception of God’s will be explained?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |