The Conversion Of Saul -- Why?

Readings of present day scholars on who Paul really was (or might be)  See how ridiculous many of the present age church leaders have become.  Is this what Max Lucado was suggesting, that we all try to "unify" with thinking like this?  Not me!

1. St Paul has always been something of an enigma in New Testament studies, not least because of his "advanced" theology from such an apparently early date. Though contemporaneous, supposedly, with the godman, Paul never meets him, and yet he becomes the most important apostle of the new religion. Then again, the man and his seminal epistles, by convention placed in the mid-years of the 1st century, are actually unheard of until late in the 2nd century. Could our hero from Tarsus be a pious fabrication?

2. Jesus was not the founder of Christianity as we know it today. Most of the New Testament doesn't even concern the historical Jesus while the main influence is the Apostle Paul and through the church he founded at Ephesus a Greek convert named John. Paul never met Jesus in the flesh, he only claimed some strange vision and proceeded to paganize the teachings of Jesus (who preached an enlightened form of Judaism), until he created Pauline Christianity. Because there are no known writings from Jesus, the actual Apostles, or anyone that actually knew Him in the flesh (other then perhaps James), most of what He taught is lost forever.

3. While followers of his Pharisaic contemporary, Hillel, pursued a "live and let live" approach to political and religious adversaries, says Wright, the Shammaites believed the Torah "demanded that Israel be free from the Gentile yoke" even if by violent means. Thus, while for modern Christians, zeal is "something you do on your knees, or in evangelism, or in works of charity," says Wright, "for the first-century [Shammaites] 'zeal' was something you did with a knife." It was in that spirit of "holy war" that Saul of Tarsus pursued the Christian heretics–men, women, and children–who when caught were often beaten, imprisoned, and even executed.

4. Some say that Jesus was a good teacher who never claimed to be the Messiah or the Son of God. They claim that Paul imported pagan ideas into the Jewish teaching of Jesus in order to appeal to the Gentiles and create a new religion. Paul, some say, was the real "inventor" of Christianity and a detractor of Judaism who taught that the Torah was of no value.

5. John Shelby Spong is the Episcopal bishop of Newark, wrote  "To me it is a beautiful idea that a homosexual male, scorned then as well as now, living with both the self-judgment and the social judgments that a fearful society has so often and unknowingly pronounced upon the very being of some of its citizens, could nonetheless, not in spite of this but because of this, be the one who would define grace for the Christian people. Grace was the love of God, an unconditional love, that loved Paul just as he was. A rigidly controlled gay male, I believe, taught the Christian church what the love of God means and what, therefore, Christ means as God's agent. Finally, it was a gay male, tortured and rejected, who came to understand what resurrection means as God's vindicating act."

6. Legend has it that the apostle Paul was "a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked." This physical profile of Paul, found in the apocryphal Acts of Paul and composed by a second century presbyter from Asia on the basis of circulating traditions

7. Some even go so far as to say that Paul was the originator and lifeblood of the first century church.  His epistles were written some 10 years before any of the gospels, so the gospels were actually tainted by Paul.  Ex.  How could James, who was widely known as the head of the Church in Jerusalem, such a “powerful” position be totally ignored in the Gospels?  All of a sudden he became the Head of the church when he played virtually no role when Christ was here?  This is explained by some by saying there was a power struggle between Paul and James to see who could be the most prominent man in the church, and the gospel writers sided with Paul.

So who was Paul?  Was he a power seeking megalomaniac the likes of which the world had not seen since the days of Nebuchadnezzar? Or was he one of the most humble men who ever professed service to our Lord?

The answer comes in his conversion to Christianity.  How it happened, why it happened, and what it means to us.

A. Of all the conversions recorded in the book of Acts, we are given more detail in regard to Saul's conversion than any other.

1. These accounts are found in Acts 9, 22 & 26 as well as Galatians 1:11-16.  

2. The conversion of Saul is of special significance in view of the fact that he so vigorously opposed the cause of Christ.

   a. Acts 8:1-4: "And Saul was consenting unto his death. & at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; & they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea & Samaria, except the apostles. (2) & devout men carried Stephen to his burial, & made great lamentation over him. (3) As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, & haling men & women committed them to prison. (4) Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."   

Acts 26:9,10: "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to

do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. (10) Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: & many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; & when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them."   

Acts 22:4: "And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding & delivering into prisons both men & women."  

b. After Saul's conversion we are told: "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea & Galilee & Samaria...." Acts 9:31  

B. Of all the first century opponents of Christianity, perhaps none was as dedicated as Saul of Tarsus.

     1. All of which makes his conversion even more interesting.

2. What prompted this vicious opponent of Christianity

 to become one of her most ardent supporters?

     3. Over the centuries, this question has prompted the writing

 of numerous books & articles.

a.     Mid 18th century a man by the name of Lord George Lyttelton & his friend Gilbert West were convinced Bible was hoax

b.     they were determined to expose it

1.     Lord Lyttelton chose the conversion of Paul

2.     Mr. West chose the resurrection as topics to expose.

c.     They decided to spend one year studying their subjects and then meet again & discuss their findings.

d.     Ironically, the result of their separate attempts:

they were both converted to the truth.  

Lord Lyttelton was 38 years old when he published his Observations on the Conversion of St. Paul.

a. Opening paragraph    "The conversion was of itself a demonstration sufficient to prove  Christianity to be a divine revelation."

1. Strange words for a man who proving the Bible to be a hoax! 

b. 4 propositions which he considers exhaust all the possibilities:

          1. Paul was "an Imposter who said what he knew to be false,

 with an intent to deceive"; or

          2. He had "an overheated imagination" or

          3. He was "Deceived by the fraud of others;" or

          4. What he declared, really happened 

Let's consider each of these possibilities as we progress in our study.  

I. PAUL WAS NOT AN IMPOSTER:

     A. Men act from motive   Murder must show motive

1. No motive for imposture.

a. What motive could have caused the turn?     

B. Wealth could not have been the motive behind Paul's conversion.

          1. He left material wealth for poverty to become a Christian.

2. Early converts sold their possessions & gave to the poor. Acts 4:34-37

          3. Even though poor & in want, he refused to accept help

when such would hinder the gospel.

I Cor. 4:11: "Even unto this present hour we both hunger, & thirst, & are naked, & are buffeted, & have no certain dwelling place; (12) & labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: (13) Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, & are the offscouring of all things unto this day."

    II Cor. 12:14,15: "Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; & I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. (15) & I will very gladly spend & be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved."    

Acts 20:33,34: "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. (34) Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, & to them that were with me."   

4. Paul ends his life not as a wealthy religious leader, but that of an old man in a Roman prison, asking that a cloak be brought to him. II Tim. 4:13  

C. Reputation was not the motive, better to be a Pharisee;   

I Cor. 1:26-29: "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; & God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (28) & base things of the world, & things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, & things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: (29) That no flesh should glory in his presence."

   I Cor. 4:11-13: "Even unto this present hour we both hunger, & thirst, & are naked, & are buffeted, & have no certain dwelling place; (12) & labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: (13) Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, & are the offscouring of all things unto this day."

1.     The founder & leader of Christianity had been crucified with criminals.  

2. Would Paul leave the company of Gamaliel for poor fishermen & peasants?

              Harvard degree to work in a soup kitchen    

What did Paul gain by becoming a Christian? (What could he have hoped to gain?)  

D. A desire for worldly power did not motivate him.          

1. Worldly ambitions gone when he became a Christian.

a.     He addressed his brethren as "co-laborers,"

b.     & "fellow-laborers." Philemon 23,23

          2. He did not "lord" his apostleship over individuals

          or congregations (even those he established).          

3.     Paul's preaching was anything but self-promoting!

              a. He preached Christ as the head of the church.     

I Cor. 3:4-9: "For while one saith, I am of Paul; & another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (5) Who then is Paul, & who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (6) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (7) So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. (8) Now he that planteth & he that watereth are one: & every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. (9) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."  

II Cor. 4:5: "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; & ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."

              b. He constantly put the cross first.     

I Cor. 1:13-17: "Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (14) I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; (15) Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. (16) & I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. (17) For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect."

              c. He rebuked all types of sin without fear or favor,

1. never with an air of superiority.  

E. The gratification of other passions not a motive.  

1. Many have claimed revelations to indulge in loose conduct

a. i.e., Joseph Smith's revelation on polygamy.          

2. Paul preached the highest standard of morals

a.  condemned all departures from such a standard.

1. Eph. 4:17 - 5:33; Col. 3:5-17; Gal. 5:19-25     

F. Was it simply a pious fraud?

          1. Did Paul pretend conversion simply to spread Christianity?

              a. What was the motive? What did he hope to gain?

b. Men usually have a motive for trying to deceive

 -- what was Paul's?  

2. Furthermore, where did Paul get his knowledge?     

Gal. 1:12: "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."    

3. How do we account for the tremendous success that Paul had?  

4. If Paul fabricated the story of his conversion would have:

        located it in a remote place with no witnesses: 

a.     Happened on a well-traveled road 

b.     in the middle of the day 

c.      with witnesses present.

                        5. The miracles of Paul were also done openly 

(were not sleight of hand tricks).          

6. Paul was not a cheat telling story about his conversion.

              1) Had he tried this, he never would have succeeded.  

III. PAUL WAS NOT DECEIVED BY OTHERS (CHRISTIANS): 

A.     Some modernist have claimed that Saul was simply deceived

a.  by the apostles, or other Christians.

              1. This view is so absurd that needs little comment.

4.     Keep in mind that Paul was a well-educated,

intelligent man who would not be easily be deceived.

B.     Would have been impossible for the disciples to have produced

the bright light, the voice or the miracles.  

C. The only logical explanation is that Paul did see Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus.  

D. That being the case, we are forced to conclude that Jesus was raised from the dead, just as Paul and all other Christians of the first century.     

E. To the honest, open-minded, individual the conversion of Saul is one of the greatest evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.