Covenant of Peace: A Return to Holiness

6.1 Conversion of the Apostle Paul

Before his conversion, the Apostle Paul felt he had a moral obligation, which included using force to persecute the church. Paul was zealous to defend what he thought was God's will to reestablish Old Testament rule over the world through Israel. Those who have an Old Covenant mindset are blind to the truth of the gospel, that salvation is available only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

After his conversion, Apostle Paul became the greatest evangelist of the New Testament, providing a clear understanding of the transition from Old to New Covenant ideology.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Paul clarified that the gospel was a stumbling block to the Jews. Paul would know - it had been a stumbling block to Him before he was sovereignly enlightened by Jesus.

8 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing."

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the lawyer of this world? Hasn't God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn't know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

22 For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom,

23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks,

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God;

25 because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

In Romans 1:16-17, Paul clarified that the gospel is the power of God for salvation.

2 Romans 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

17 For in it is revealed God's righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, "But the righteous shall live by faith."

Paul nearly lost his life trying to convince his Jewish brothers of this truth. Christianity posed a threat to Jewish leaders. It suggested that Jews and Gentiles were one in God and of the same status by faith in Jesus Christ. Before his conversion, he was known as Saul. Like so many other Pharisees who hated and rejected their Messiah, he also rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ. He must have thought that it was a privilege to watch over the garments of those who stoned Stephen, as we read in Acts 7:58.

1 Acts 7:58

58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 8:1 emphasized Paul's rise to leadership in his cloistered community.

1 Acts 8:1

1 And Saul approved of his execution.

Paul's authority to persecute the church became apparent in Acts 8:3.

1 Acts 8:3

3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

According to Acts 9:1-2, Paul requested permission from his superiors to continue persecuting the church outside of Jerusalem.

2 Acts 9:1-2

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Consider what happened next in Acts 9:3-6 when Jesus confronted Paul.

4 Acts 9:3-6

3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.

4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

Paul did not deserve this opportunity, but grace demanded it. Verse 5 reveals that Paul acknowledged the voice of God. Verse 6 provided hope, but it required action to enter Damascus and await further instruction.

In an instant, Paul faced both judgment and hope. If Paul rejected Jesus, he would never have regained his sight. His physical and spiritual blindness would remain, but Paul was confronted by a judge who was loving and gentle and who wanted to show him grace. The kindness of God leads to repentance. Paul discovered that the Jesus he was persecuting was the same as the God that he was trying to serve! James 2:13 describes this mercy.

1 James 2:13

13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Acts 9:10-16 tells us how Jesus used Ananias as a minister of the gospel to show Paul the way.

7 Acts 9:10-16

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."

11 And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,

12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."

13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.

14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."

15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

When the light shone down from heaven into his darkness, Paul experienced extreme cultural shock. His entire frame of reference for serving God changed. Luke recorded the history of Saul's transformation into Paul. All his epistles reflect this new paradigm about God and Jesus.

If you read the Old Testament before the New Testament, it is easy to get caught up in thinking the Old Testament is right. However, reading the New Testament is necessary to get the complete picture. Proverbs 18:17 describes this experience.

1 Proverbs 18:17

17 He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.

We all need to experience this exact paradigm change from Old Testament law to New Testament grace.

Paul authored a large part of the New Testament, which inspired the title of Philip Yancey's best-selling book, What's So Amazing about Grace? I highly recommend it.

If you listen in carefully to Paul's experience, perhaps you can hear a fulfillment of the Lord's prophetic message about grace to Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4:6-7.

2 Zechariah 4:6-7

6 This is Yahweh's word to Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says Yahweh of Armies.

7 Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of 'Grace, grace, to it!'

Paul gained confidence in hearing from Jesus, who came with grace and truth to usher in the New Covenant, so Paul traded in his sword of defense of Mosaic Law for the sword of the Spirit.

In Acts 13:47, Paul spoke about his calling to the Gentiles with Barnabas.

1 Acts 13:47

47 For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, 'I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.'

In Galatians 1:3-5, Paul spoke earnestly of deliverance from sin.

3 Galatians 1:3-5

3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

4 who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father -

5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Deliverance from this present evil age occurs by the removal of our sins. Like Paul, we become mature in Christ as we grow in His grace and walk in obedience.