But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me. (Galatians 1:23-24)

Saul’s Story

Everyone brings baggage to the conversion story. Some stories are more profound than others, and few can match the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. As the early church began, the gospel claimed Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah; He died and rose from the dead. Multitudes of people saw Jesus after His resurrection. The disciples went everywhere preaching the risen Christ, which did not sit well with the Jewish leadership. As the word of God spread in Jerusalem, the converts to the message of Jesus Christ multiplied greatly, including many Jewish priests becoming disciples of Jesus.

One of the disciples in the church of Jerusalem was Stephen, a man full of faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. Stephen did great wonders and signs among the people. There arose some from the Synagogue of the Freedmen that disputed with Stephen but to no avail. Stirring up the people, elders, and scribes, they seized Stephen and brought him to the council. False witnesses accused Stephen of speaking blasphemous words against the Law of Moses. The high priest asked Stephen to defend himself. Stephen stood courageously and defended the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

One man in the council heard Stephen’s defense and would become a pivotal figure in the early church. Saul of Tarsus was a man of power and influence. He listened to Stephen speak and grew angry. Saul joined with the crowd to drag Stephen out of the city of Jerusalem, where they stoned him to death. As the men stoned Stephen, they laid down their clothes at the feet of Saul. Saul consented to the killing of Stephen, and then he took more drastic measures against those of the Way by dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

The church faced a great persecution from Saul. Breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, Saul wanted to eradicate everyone who claimed to follow Jesus of Nazareth. He went into every synagogue and imprisoned and beat those who believed Jesus was the Christ. Saul of Tarsus persecuted the Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Saul’s persecution did much harm to the church. He imprisoned many of the saints. When they were put to death, he cast his vote against them. Saul punished the disciples of Christ in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. The persecution of Saul against the church came from Saul’s exceedingly enraged heart against any who professed Jesus as Christ. He was willing to persecute them to foreign cities. The zeal of Saul had no bounds. He would later confess that he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man.

Saul’s story was well known among the saints of God. They knew Saul of Tarsus as a man who persecuted the church and tried to destroy the disciples’ faith. Saul likely succeeded in causing some to give up their faith in Christ rather than face imprisonment or death. The churches of Judea that were in Christ feared Saul of Tarsus. It was a remarkable turn of events when the churches began to hear of Saul’s conversion. How could that be? The point of the spear against the church was Saul of Tarsus. How is it possible the man who once tried to destroy the faith of those in Christ was now preaching that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God? To their amazement, it was true.

Saul’s story, while tragic because he tried to destroy the church, is a powerful testimony to God’s grace. Saul became known as Paul, the apostle and great missionary preacher who spread the story of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire. His life story became a witness to God’s love and mercy. He remembered when Stephen was stoned. There were many faces he remembered who were persecuted by his hand. Saul’s story became a story of God’s longsuffering, a pattern for those who believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life. His story became a powerful sermon. My story can be a powerful sermon. Your story can be a powerful story. Let the light of Christ shine in the character of our stories to show the world the grace of God. Saul of Tarsus had a story that changed lives.