Investigating Paul: from persecutor to apostle
Paul is a case apart: a brilliant, religious, passionate man who pursued Christians with formidable energy, and who became the greatest missionary in the Church's history. This week's quest invites you to a genuine investigation: understanding what happened, and why it matters to you.
What it looks like in your day
Spread your reading over several days. Three texts, three perspectives:
- Acts 9:1-22: Luke's account. Paul is on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians. A light, a voice. He is blinded, led into the city, healed by Ananias. Notice what Jesus says to him: "Why persecutest thou me?" He identifies with his disciples.
- Acts 26: Paul's own testimony, before King Agrippa. He tells of his life before, the encounter, the mission he received. Compare with Acts 9: what is added? What is emphasized?
- Philippians 3:4-14: his reading of it, years later. He lists his religious credentials, then regards them as a loss because of Christ.
As you read, note three columns:
- Before: who Paul was, what he valued.
- The encounter: what happened.
- After: what changed (his priorities, his relationships, his mission).
At the end, write a summary: "Meeting Christ changed in him..." You can then ask yourself: "What does this investigation teach me about how God works?"
If you are in a hurry, read only Philippians 3:4-14, which is shorter. If you are a beginner, start with Acts 9, which reads like a story. If you are shy about Paul, remember that he was first a man like any other, with his mistakes.
What the Bible says
Here is how Paul himself rereads his story:
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
What were "gain" to him (his birth, his training, his zeal) became "loss for Christ." Notice the word "excellency" in the following verse: knowing Christ is worth more than everything. It is not a sad renunciation, but an exchange.
Luke's account shows the encounter itself (Acts 9:3-6): "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Jesus doesn't say "why do you persecute my disciples?" but "why persecutest thou me?": he and his people are one. And the reaction of Ananias, who fears this man and yet obeys (Acts 9:13-17), gives a face to an ordinary believer in this story.
Pitfalls to avoid
Idealizing Paul. He too has his limits, his conflicts (with Barnabas, for example), his weariness. His transformation did not make him perfect.
Trying to reproduce his experience. Not everyone has a spectacular conversion. God acts in different ways. What is common is the encounter with Christ, not the staging.
Forgetting the role of others. In the account, Ananias, Barnabas and the church in Damascus play a decisive part. Paul's conversion is not a solitary event.
Missing the grace. Paul did not deserve what he received: he was persecuting the Church. If you find the story "too good to be true," you have understood grace.
Drawing hasty conclusions about his life. Paul's letters are rich and complex. This quest is only a first step: an investigation of his journey, not a study of all his theology.
This week, read one of the three texts each day. Note what meeting Christ changed in Paul.