05.10. CONVERSION OF SAUL OF TARSUS

THE CONVERSION OF SAUL OF TARSUS

Saul, whose conversion we are to study in this lesson, was a native of Cilicia. "Tarsus was a celebrated city, the metropolis of Cilicia, in Asia Minor, on the banks of the river Cydnus, which flowed through it and divided it into two parts. Tarsus was a distinguished seat of Greek philosophy and literature, and from the number of schools and learned men, was ranked by the side of Athens and Alexanderia." (Strobo, XVI, pp. 673, 674.— The Popular and Critical Bible Ency.) With such sur­roundings and with his energy and acuteness of intellect, Saul would early in life become acquainted with much of the Greek language, literature and philosophy. He would know something of the customs and habits among other people than the Jews. But all this did not prevent him from becoming intensely Jewish in his thoughts and re­ligious convictions.

Early in life he became a pupil of the famous teacher Gamaliel in the city of Jerusalem. He was more radical than his teacher, for he persecuted the Christians with all his power, while Gamaliel counseled moderation and that no violence be done them. Saul was filled with the fire of youth; Gamaliel was sobered by a riper knowledge and experience of years. Some people never learn! When all the circumstances are considered, the conversion of Saul is an outstanding argument for the truthfulness of Christianity. Think on this matter. Well-informed infidels admit that Saul persecuted Christians, and then become one himself. His conversion occurred but a few years after the crucifixion of Christ. The matter was fresh in the minds of the people of Jerusalem. Saul was endowed with great intellectual powers. He knew the Old Testament Scriptures. No one possessed greater Jewish prejudices nor were more bitter toward Christians than he.

He was held in high esteem by the rulers of his nation, and great honors were before him. He was devoting all the powers of his great personality to the utter destruction of Christianity; to that course he was thoroughly committed. To become a Christian he had to give up his Jewish religion, sacrifice all his friends, turn his back upon the prospect of riches and worldly honor, and become an outcast from his people, the object of hatred and persecution. What caused the change? He had no social ties among Christians to influence him. Every circumstance of his life and all the influence of friends were against his becoming a Christian, yet he changed.

Nothing but the overwhelming evidence of the truthfulness of the resurrection of Christ could have brought about such a change in such a man. And let us remember that no infidel now has so great an opportunity to disprove the claims of Christianity, nor such important reasons for so doing, as Saul had, if indeed the claims of Christianity could be disproved. In addition to proving the truthfulness of Christianity, the conversion of Saul teaches us many important lessons. When studying Saul’s conversion, it is important that we note carefully Luke’s account of his conversion, (Acts 9:1-19), Paul’s speech before the Jews in Jerusalem, (Acts 22:1-16), and his speech before Agrippa, (Acts 26:1-20). Also the requirements of the Great Commission should be kept in mind. (See Sound Doctrine, Vol. 1. pp. 95-106). changed His religion. Though Saul was a very religious man, he was not a Christian, not a saved man. Many religious people are not Christians. The Jews were intensely religious, and so were worshippers of idols, but they were not Christians, not saved. A great change was necessary. Yet some people even today are deceived into thinking that it is little in a man to change his religion. Had Saul of Tarsus held to that idea—would we have had Paul the apostle?

It takes strength of character to change when one it as thoroughly committed to a religion as was Saul of Tarsus. There is a lifetime of training to give up; also family ties and traditions to sacrifice.. Then there are hosts of friends and associates who will not understand, and who in their blindness, will run away in disgust, or become bitter enemies. But Paul found, that in comparison with what he gained in Christ these things, together with the prospect of great earthly glory, were but refuse. (Php 3:7-14). Paul’s conscience would not allow him to continue in a wrong when he had learned the right. conscientious, but wrong. Even while Paul was persecuting the church, he believed he was right, and his conscience was clear in the matter. A person has a good conscience when he does what he believes is right. Conscience is not a guide. Judgment should control one’s action’s unless passion gains the mastery. Our judgment is formed from the information we have. The more information we have on any subject the more capable are we to judge correctly the proper course to pursue. When we do that which we think is right our conscience approves; when we do that which we think is wrong our conscience condemns, if it has not been "branded as with a hot iron," (1 Timothy 4:2). One’s conscience may become so hardened by abuse that it fails to respond. It is therefore of utmost importance that we gain all the information that we can, train our minds to form correct judgments, cleave to the right and cultivate a tender responsive conscience. Paul lived with a good conscience, even though he persecuted Christ, and wasted the church. He thought he was doing God’s service. the first persecution. The persecution of Christians, which began with the stoning of Stephen, is referred to as the first persecution. Saul, then a young man, guarded the clothes of those who stoned Stephen, (Acts 7:58) and from that time launched into a determined effort to put down Christianity. "Saul laid waste to the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women, committed them to prison." (Acts 8:3). He strove to make them blaspheme the name of Christ; and when he failed to do that, he voted that they should be put to death. (Acts 26:9-11). His mad zeal against the church carried him to foreign cities.

"Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me." (Acts 26:12-13).

Christ appeared to Saul. The light that shone round about Saul, rivaling the brightness of the noonday sun, must have been the radiant light of the glorified and exalted Christ. Paul said he saw the Lord, (1 Corinthians 15:8). The brightness of his glory blinded Saul. Awed and over­whelmed by what he saw, Saul, as an act of worship, fell to the earth. A voice was heard: "Saul, Saul, why persecuteth thou me?" Whom Saul has seen and whose voice he heard he knew not; so he replied: "Who are thou, Lord?" The Lord replied, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest."

Then he knew what heavenly being had appeared to him."Faith comes by hearing." (Romans 10:17). Believing, Saul then said: "What shall I do, Lord?" The Lord answered, "Rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."Not may do,but"mustdo." (Acts 9:3-6). not saved on the highway. By what Saul saw and heard he was convinced, but not saved. The light which he saw was physical, not spiritual; it shone round about him, not in him. It was so bright that it blinded him. Those who were with him saw the light, but evidently they did not see the source of that light. Saul saw the glorified person of our Lord, and could not see for the glory of that light.

"They led him by the hand, and brought him to Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink." (Acts 9:8-9). This distress and anxiety of mind shows that he realized that he was not yet saved, nor justified and at peace with God. He did not receive the Holy Spirit on the highway, for Ananias was sent to him in the city that he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holly Spirit. (Acts 9:17). why the lord appeared To Saul. It is clear that the Lord did not appear to Saul that Saul might be saved that very moment; for he was sent into the city to learn what to do, and was told to be baptized, and wash away his sins. (Acts 22:16). The light which he saw did not purify his soul, for the soul is purified in obeying the truth. (1 Peter 1:22). The Lord did not, in person, tell him what to do to be saved, but sent Ananias to him in the city for that purpose. But we are not left in doubt as to why the Lord appeared unto him, for Saul gives the Lord’s own words on that point:

"And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutes!. But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and the things wherein I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me." (Acts 26:15-18). n To be a witness it was necessary for Paul to see the Lord, For a fuller discussion of the apostles, see Sound Doctrine, Vol. 1. all conversions alike. The law of God is uniform. Christians are not made in a haphazard way. Many cases of conversions are recorded in The Acts; and, all of them occurred under the execution of the Great Commission, and in harmony with its provisions, hence they are all alike. (In Sound Doctrine, Vol. 1, pp. 97-106, the student will find a lesson on the "Great Commission"). This Commission is recorded in Matt. 29:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-49. It was the guide to the apostles in their preaching; and according to its provisions all must become Christians. This Great Commission requires that one believe the gospel, repent of his sins, and be baptized. On these conditions salvation is promised. Saul was converted after the Great Commission was given. Did his conversion measure up to the divine requirements? That Saul believed is shown by the fact that, when the Lord said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest," he replied, "What shall (must) I do, Lord?" and further by the fact that he promptly did what the Lord told him to do. Though the record does not mention his repentance, no one doubts, or questions his repentance, for his prompt obedience and his thorough change of life shows that his repentance was wholehearted and complete. "And he arose and wasbaptized." The requirements of the Great Commission are alike to all. the law, incidents, and circumstances. The law of God is uniform in its application to all, though in connection with each act of obedience there are incidents and circumstances that might not be present on another occasion. Certain things are essential to make a Christian— these must be present in every conversion. We need to make a clear distinction between essentials and incidentals, between the law and the circumstances connected with executing the law. A failure to recognize these distinctions has caused much confusion in the minds of some good people, for they have lost sight of the essentials and have exalted the circumstances rather than the essentials. A few cases of conversion will illustrate. The eunuch was riding in a chariot while Philip preached to him, but no one thinks of exalting that circumstance into a law of conversion, no one contends that one must be riding in a chariot while the gospel is being preached. The visit of the angel to Cornelius was not a part of the law of conversion; if it were no one could be converted without such visit. The light which Saul saw, his consequent blindness, and the voice which he heard, were never present, so far as the record shows, in any of the other thousands of conversion in Acts recorded. In every case of conversion the people heard the gospel, believed it, repented of their sins, and were baptized. These are the essentials. It is regretted that many lose sight of the essentials, of the law, and exalt the circumstances, that accompany some one’s conversion, into as essential to salvation, for in so doing they become sadly confused as to what is necessary in conversion. After all that Saul saw and heard on the highway, he was told to go into the city, where it would be told him what he must do. ananias sent to Saul. After Saul arrived in the city he was in such distress of mind that he neither ate nor drank for three days. He would not have been in such self distress had he been saved when the Lord appeared to him on the highway. Why the Lord left him to worry about his condition, so long, we may not fully understand, but we feel sure it was all for Saul’s good. Perhaps Saul needed time to review his past life and meditate on the enormity of his guilt, so that his repentance might be thorough and his reformation complete.

"Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth; and hath seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight." (Acts 9:10-12).

"And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there, came unto me, and standing by said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I lootedupon him. And he said, The God of our Fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarrest thou? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name." (Acts 22:12-16). On the highway the Lord told Saul to go into the city and it would be told him what he "must do," and Ananias told him to be baptized. Is it not clear that this was what he"must do?" In the Great Commission Jesus said: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." To the people on Pentecost Peter said: "Repentye,andbe baptizedevery one of you in the name of JesusChrist untothe remission of your sins." Hence we see that Saul’s conversion harmonizes with the Great Commission, and Peter’s sermon on Pente­cost.

Saul praying before he was baptized. There is much confusion concerning the prayers of alien sinners. Some contend that an alien receives salvation in answer to prayer before, and without baptism; others that he has no right to pray. Such conclusions are wrong. An alien sinner is not directed to pray for salvation; neither is he promised salvation before nor without obedience to the gospel. Yet God is pleased with the sincere prayer of an alien. Cornelius was a praying man, and God heard his prayer, before he was baptized. (Acts 10:1-42). He was evidently praying for light as to what he should do, for that was the answer he received. Before Saul was told what to do, he prayed. When the Lord appeared to Ananias to send him to Saul, he made a favorable mention of the fact that he was praying. He must have been praying for the information the Lord promised that he would be given in the city. But neither Cornelius nor Saul were actively sinning at the time he was praying. If there had been sin, sin and rebellion in their hearts before this, they had put it all away, and were earnestly seeking to know the will of God that they might do it. We cannot believe that God would hear the prayers of any whose hearts were rebellious toward him.

"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." (Proverbs 28:9).

After Cornelius and Saul had been told what to do, had they refused to obey the Lord, their prayers would have been an abomination to God.

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION

• What was necessary to be an apostle of Christ?

• Christ’s Witnesses, are there any now?

• Paul as a preacher. .

• His Missionary Zeal.

• His motto: "This One Thing I Do.

QUESTIONS.

attending conversion.

How many have confused the church with costly marble, and worship with golden altars. On every side we hear: "What beautiful music." "What exquisite architecture" and "What adequate equipment," but seldom do we hear an echo of a vital living faith in a living God. Can you measure the depth into which sin has plunged you; by the distance from heaven to earth traversed by the Lord to rescue men?