Paul, the great missionary of the Gentiles was born in Tarsus, the ancient famous capital of Cilicia in Asia Minor, on the Cydnus river, twelve miles from the sea, in the midst of a productive plains, Acts 22, 3. The city was renown for its culture as well for its learning. One historian placing it above even Athens and Alexandria in this respect. In this seat of Greek learning the boy himself the son of a Pharisee and therefore a strict Jew, acquired a knowledge of the Greek language, and the manners and Greek custom,which stood him in good place in the after life.Incidentally it should be noted that the inhabitants of Tarsus , having showing themselves friendly to the Romans at the times of Julius Caesar, were given privileges of Roman citizens (or Paul's father may of obtained the right as a reward of merit, and it was on this account, Paul could claim the rights of Roman citizens. Paul was of Pure Jewish descent. A Hebrew of the Hebrews of the tribe of Benjamin, descended from pious ancestors (Phil.3,4,5,; 2 Tim.1,3, The instruction in the home and local synagogue, Paul was forced to learn a trade, which was a great service in the dark days and after years, Acts 18,3; 20,34; This was a necessary part of every boys education, and Saul ended up a tent-maker. The trade was a great. As soon as he was ready for high school, he was sent by his father to Jerusalem, and was brought of at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the most learned Doctors of the Jews (Acts 22,3 ). he lived a strict life as Pharisee. Acts 26,4, 5; Phil. 3,6). Paul very likely left Jerusalem before John the Baptist began his work, and was absent when Christ began His ministry. For their is no indication in Paul's writings of a personal knowledge of events in them life of Jesus. It seemed Paul returned to Jerusalem about the time that Stephen began his debates in the interest of Christian religion. To read the rest of Paul's later life, which is described in the Book of Acts and also in his epistles.
Each of us has a story of meeting God's grace. Saul later called Paul was an ardent persecutor of all who followed the way of Christ. Today's text from the Book of Acts, (known as the story of the Church), recounts the story of the transformation, beginning with an encounter with Jesus Christ on the way to Damascus. Meanwhile Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the High Priests and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,so that if he found any who belong to the way (Christ) whether men or women. He might take them prisoners to Jerusalem. "The way" another designation for believers. It reminds us, that Jesus is the way to the Father. (John 14:6) and that the Christian life is a special way of life.
Saul was not satisfied to scatter the Jerusalem believers (8:3,4). He was determined to destroy the church everywhere. Damascus is about 150 miles northeast of Jerusalem.
It had a large Jewish population and thus would have been a natural place for persecuted Jewish believers in Jesus to seek refuge. The fugitive believers had preached the word there as they did everywhere they went (8:4).
The Roman government allowed the Sanhedrin to excise jurisdiction over Jews living outside Palestine. Saul's intention was to bring those who belonged to the "way" to Jerusalem as captives, to be tried by the Sanhedrin, the religious authority of that day.
For that purpose he asked for credentials (warrants) that would give him the authority to do so.
He planned to go to synagogues because that was where Jewish followers of Jesus would be worshiping. They were Jews who believed that the Messiah had come. They would not stop worshiping with their fellow Jews until it became clear that they(and Jesus name were no longer welcome there.
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him:" Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" " Who are you Lord? Saul asked. " I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, "he replied," now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.
We learn from Acts 26:13, that it was about noon. As brilliant as the noonday sun was, an even greater light flashed around Saul. The text tells us, Paul recounts his conversation, " At Midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from Heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me". " From Heaven means more than " from the sky. " It means " from the dwelling place of God." Saul was overwhelmed by it and fell to the ground.
He learned that by persecuting those who belonged to the "way" he had been persecuting another.
The voice asked: " Why do you persecute me?" " Saul,Saul," like Martha, Martha, and Jerusalem, Jerusalem, was really an expression of loving concern on the Lord's part.
The light of God's glory and the voice made Saul realize that he was in the presence of the Lord.
From that moment on Saul was under orders of the Lord. The first order was to go into Damascus, and wait further instructions. Ever afterward Saul was a man who knew himself to be the chief of sinners and knew Jesus to be the Savior of sinners. More than a hundred times in his letters Paul the Apostle used the word grace. The word was so important in his vocabulary. The reason the word was so important in Paul's vocabulary was because of what the Lord did for him, when he was Saul the Pharisee. Paul was made blind in his encounter with our Lord, for a period of three days. When his eyes were open to the truth of Christ, he saw his great mistake in the past. That of not recognizing the work of God when it was taking place before his eyes. as a Christian, Paul could see that God's Messiah was Jesus, the very one who was accursed by the "Law," and God's Messianic people were the "Christians," the very ones who had seemed irreligious. The story of Paul's conversion is frequently read in the light of what Paul says in Romans : 7: 14,15. We know that the law is spiritual;
but I am carnal, sold under sin. I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
From such statements it has been concluded by many that Paul as a Pharisee sense the frustration of accepting the law as divinely given, but being unable to abide by it.
It is ironic that such a view should be substantiated by reference to Romans 7, since the ' Lutheran" interpretation of this chapter has been that it describes a feature of the Christian's life after his conversion, not the preconversion failure to keep the law. But, when Lutheran readers of the New Testament comes to the Damascus road experience ( and certainly others do the same) they read back into Paul's life the kind of religious life "transformation" which "Martin Luther" went through before he discovered the full meaning of free grace of God in Jesus Christ. If their is any truth in this suggestion, it has to do with a subconscious process. Paul knowing that he a strict Pharisee before he became a Christian, knowing that the Pharisee were sticklers for on many fine points of the law.
Little by little the situation of Paul takes on more and more similarity to Luther's anguish efforts to do proper penance and perform sufficient good works.
The result is that Paul becomes a first century Luther, Judaism becomes the first-century equivalent of medieval Roman Catholicism, and Paul's conversion becomes virtually identical, psychologically, with Luther's discovery of the Gospel.
Well, Ananias obediently carries out his orders. he lays his hands on Saul. Saul regains his sight and is filled with the Holy Spirit. Then he is baptized. Soon he is preaching to the Jews in Damascus, declaring, that Jesus is the "Son of God," and "Christ." Saul quickly learns how much he must suffer for Christ. The suffering includes the humiliation of having to escaped from Damascus by night, being let down over the wall in a basket (Acts 23-25).
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