The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
“I never had a Damascus road conversion”, I sometimes hear people say. By this they mean their conversion was not as dramatic as,f or example, that of a criminal. They use this phrase figuratively but it is derived from a literal event, namely, the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who became the Apostle Paul, Acts 13.9.
I wish to consider Saul of Tarsus’ conversion from a historical and spiritual standpoint.
Historical Standpoint.
“I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city” said Paul to a Roman commander in Acts 21.39. Compare Acts 22.3.Tarsus was the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, in what is now southern Turkey. This was a strategic location for both commercial and military purposes. Paul describes it negatively as “no mean city”. The negative is used for emphasis.1
“As one born out of due time” or “as an abortive offspring” Paul describes his conversion in 1 Corinthians 15.8. His sudden and dramatic change from a vehement enemy of the Gospel to being its most zealous advocate was truly amazing. The zeal he had for the Jewish faith was now redirected to the Christian faith, Philippians 3.6-8.
His zeal was characteristic of the tribe of Benjamin to which he belonged, Romans 11.1; Philippians 3.5. In Genesis 49.27 Jacob says of the descendants of his son Benjamin, “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey; and at night he shall divide the spoil”. This wolf-like zeal of the Benjamites indicates that they would be fierce and fearless. Examples are Ehud, Judges 3.22; Saul and Jonathan, 2 Samuel 1. 22, 25, 27; Esther and Mordecai, Esther 2.5,7; 9.2-5.
Saul of Tarsus demonstrated his wolf-like zeal in the Book of the Acts. In chapter 8.1 he consented to the death of Stephen. Verse 3 says “he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison”. Not only the men but even the women were bound and transported from Damascus to Jerusalem, verse 2.
These passages remind us of what the Lord foretold His disciples in John 16.2, “They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you thinks that he offers God service”.
His prey was the “people of the Way”. Meyer says that the Way is “the characteristic direction of life as determined on faith of Jesus Christ” (Quoted In M R Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament p. 243). It occurs nine times in Acts and is described in various ways. The best known is in 16.17 “the Way of salvation”. Read also 18.25,26;19.9,23;22.4;24.14,22. Compare John 14.6.
Saul was authorised by the high priest in Jerusalem to bind and transport these people. However, God stopped him in his tracks as he journeyed from Jerusalem to Damascus. He did this by shining a light from Heaven, chapter 9.3. This light is described in more detail in the other two accounts of Saul’s conversion, namely, chapters 22.3-16 & 26.4-20. In 22.6, the light is “a great light” and in 26.13 it is described as “a light above the brightness of the sun”. Therefore the light did not become dimmer in his memory.
The light startled Saul causing him to fall to the ground, verse 4. Then he heard a voice asking him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” This is a very significant statement. The Lord Jesus was in Heaven and so not physically persecuted on earth as were His followers. Nonetheless, He was sympathetic to them, as members of His body, the church. In his letters, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and Colossians 2, Paul uses the human body as an illustration of God’s heavenly people, the church. The same is true of the nation of Israel, God’s earthly people, as is seen in the parable of the sheep and the goats, Matthew 25.31-46.
The Lord called his name twice -“Saul, Saul” – so as to deter him from persecuting His church any further and to make him feel guilty for doing it. Galatians 1.13 says that he persecuted it “beyond measure and tried to destroy it.” It was something he deeply regretted, 1 Corinthians 15.9.
Saul then asks, “Who are You, Lord?, verse 5.The reply was “I am Jesus”. This name on its own emphasises the Lord’s humanity. That is why it is used so often in the Gospels and the Hebrew Epistle. “Jesus of Nazareth” is the answer in Acts 22.8 which adds more emphasis on His humanity. Note how none of His followers simply addressed or referred to Him as “Jesus”. They included titles such as “Son of David” and “Lord”. We should do the same.
“It is hard for you to kick against the goads” the Lord Jesus continued. He was employing an image from the farming industry. Oxen were made to tread out the corn but often required proding from an implement with spikes or goads at one end.They typified the pricks on Saul’s conscience as he persecuted Christians.
Saul’s questions in verses 5 and 6 are very significant: “Who are You, Lord?” and “Lord what will You have me to do?” The essence of his zeal was to know and serve Christ. Compare Philippians 3.10 “That I may know Him” and Acts 27.23, “Whose I am and Who I serve”. When his execution was imminent he states in 2 Timothy that these desires had been fulfilled. In chapter 1.12 he says, “I know Whom I have believed” and chapter 4.7, “I have finished the course”.
“The Lord appeared to Saul. He was seen by Him there as a living and reigning One, having a right to lordship over him, and making a personal appeal to him. For the moment there might not be any others in the universe than these two; and the matter to be settled between them was whether the sinner would accept the Saviour as his sovereign, or would reject Him as an usurper. Paul was “apprehended of Christ Jesus”; would he be apprehended for that which he was apprehended? (Philippians 3.12). That was the matter now he had to settle. It was a crisis, short, sharp, almost volcanic in its intensity, but yet thoroughly decisive; for he came out of it yielding unreservedly to Jesus as he cried, “Lord what wilt Thou have me to do?”. (Bible Biographies. Paul the Missionary, page 28, by W. M. Taylor, D.D.).
“The rest of Paul’s experiences at this time can be summed up thus – He acknowledged a new Master, verse 6; he went to live in Straight Street, verse 11; he prayed, verse 11; he was baptised, verse 18; he joined himself with the disciples, verse 19; he preached Christ, verse 20; he increased in strength, verse 22; he suffered persecution, verse 23; he still joined the disciples when he went to reside in another town, verse 26”. (Fifty Two Bible Lessons, page 83, volume 3, by William Rodgers). Paul, surely, is an example to us all.
Spiritual Standpoint
In 1 Timothy 1.12-16 we read of Paul’s conversion subjectively. In these verses he says how he was saved through the mercy and grace of God.
When we compare this text with those in other epistles we see how Paul’s estimation of himself diminishes as he grows older. In 1 Corinthians 15.9 we read, “For I am the least of the apostles, and am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” First Corinthians was one of the earliest epistles Paul wrote. Later he wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians where he says in chapter 3.8,” I am less than the least of all saints”. In 1Timothy, one of his last epistles, Paul states in chapter1.15, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief”.
In verse 16 Paul says that his conversion is a “pattern” or “sketch”, “just like a master will first draw a rough pencil sketch before attempting his final work. This sketch revealed Paul, as illustration, pattern or model, of the type of work that sovereign grace was going to perform in the lives of all those who would believe hereafter”. (The Epistles of Timothy and Titus, page 82, by W. Hendriksen).
In Galatians 1.13-17 and Philippians 3.4-9 we have another subjective view of Paul’s conversion. They both deal with Paul being saved by God’s grace rather than his self righteousness. William Rodgers draws some striking contrasts between the texts in Philippians 3 and 1 Timothy 1. “In Philippians 3 he describes himself so religious and so law keeping, the wonder is that he needed salvation at all; but in 1 Timothy 1 he thinks of himself as such a vile sinner, the wonder is that God was willing to save one like him, a “blasphemer” of His Son, a “persecutor” of His saints and an “injurer” of His work. In the one case he is depicted as men saw him; but in the other as he was in God’s sight.”
In conclusion, I quote the old adage:
”Only one life, it will soon be passed;
only what is done for Christ will last”.
1 This is a common literary technique which abounds in the Bible especially in the Gospel and Epistles of John.