Previous Series Links:
The Sovereignty of God on the Damascus Road: Introduction
The Sovereignty of God on the Damascus Road: Saul's Past
The Sovereignty of God on the Damascus Road: Saul's Prey Part 1

The Martyr Stephen

Previously in this series, we found who Saul hated so much that he woke up every morning breathing threats and murder. Saul hated Christians. To answer why anyone could hate a Christian so much I thought we should look at the Christian who set Saul off in the first place. The threats and murderous intentions Saul was intending to unleash on the Christians of Damascus was nothing new. He had taken part in the murder of Christians before; there was of course the martyr Stephen.

So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’  ~Acts 22:19,20

He spoke also of Isaac and Jacob, and of Joseph’s sojourn in Egypt which ultimately led to 430 years of slavery for the Hebrew people (Acts 7:9-16). Stephen explained how God called Moses and through him delivered the Israelites from bondage, but the people were stiff-necked and rebelled against God. Stephen would then draw a parallel between their rebellious ancestors and their own stiff necks in rejecting God’s Messiah.

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”  ~Acts 7:51-53

When Stephen unmasked their self righteousness they responded by stoning him to death (Acts 7:54-60) and Saul, after consenting to the murder, watched over the coats and robes of those who would take up the stones so they would not be bloodied. This ferocious and vicious murder is the result of self righteousness being revealed. That is why Saul and others hated Christians so. The disciples of the Lord represent the One who exposed the dark and futile hope of a form of righteousness apart from God’s own righteousness. Saul would later write a letter to the Christians in Rome explaining the plight of these Jews.  

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.  ~Romans 10:1-4

A true disciple of the Lord Jesus is one who exposes the false hope of self righteousness by correctly and lovingly, using the Word of God to reveal the total inability of man to do anything to earn, or warrant salvation. Are we as faithful to the Great Commission as Stephen was? Are we willing to risk even our lives to share the Gospel? The next installment we will see how the fragile and damning facade of self righteousness must be propped up with religious legitimacy.

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  ~Acts 9:1,2

Previous Series Links:
The Sovereignty of God on the Damascus Road: Introduction
The Sovereignty of God on the Damascus Road: Saul's Past

Who did Saul hate?

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  ~Acts 9:1,2

The first installment of this series we began by looking at who the Apostle Paul was before his conversion on the Damascus road; the man Saul of Tarsus. The first verse of Acts chapter 9 begins by describing Saul’s state of mind; he is breathing threats and murder. I think it is important to note whom his hatred and murderous threats are directed against...

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord”

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.  ~Acts 8:3

Here is Paul’s own testimony before King Agrippa about his former persecution of the Church...

“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.  ~Acts 26:9-11

When Saul went from city to city searching for Christians to bind and return to Jerusalem, what would he look for? In other words, what were the distinctions of those early Christians that enabled him to identify them as disciples of Jesus Christ? Who were these people of the Way, how would you characterize them?

The first thing to consider is Saul was looking for Jews. He was not after gentile believers as they made up only a tiny fraction of the church at this time. Saul was primarily after Jewish converts as evidenced by the fact he needed letters from the high priest to the local synagogues (Acts 9:1,2).

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  ~Acts 9:1,2

So, Saul arrives into town and makes contact with the local Jewish leaders to inform them what he is doing and probably to gather information about who might be a Christian. He then begins his search and what does he look for? What sort of person catches his Christian hating eye? Jesus gives us a clue about these disciples of His...

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”  ~John 8:31

The person Saul hates and wants to take bound to Jerusalem to be executed abides in the word of Jesus. The word “abide” is the Greek word μείνητε, which means “remain, continue, or stay” The point being a true disciple of Jesus Christ continues in His Word. At my house we call that “obedience”. The next installment we will review an example of a true disciple of Jesus Christ and why Saul might hate him so. Please read Acts chapter 7 and ask yourself if Saul found you during his early days, would he have taken you bound to Jerusalem?

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.   ~Luke 14:33

Previous Series Links:
The Sovereignty of God on the Damascus Road: Introduction

What was Saul like before his conversion?

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  ~Acts 9:1,2

When reading the narrative account from Acts chapter 9, we would do well to remember where Luke got this information. The Apostle Paul himself would have recounted these events for Luke to record, so in a sense Paul describes his own assessment of whom and what he was before that day he met Christ. Let's begin this study by looking at the first part of verse 1:

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord”

Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.  ~Acts 7:57,58

The very next chapter Luke relates Saul was not only present at the murder of Stephen, but he was in agreement with it and inspired by it for more...

Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.  ~Acts 8:1-3

The very idea of “breathing threats and murder” is how Paul would describe his own attitude towards Christians before conversion. Threats and murder are what he drew his breath from and it sustained him. Finding and putting to death Christians is what got Saul out of bed in the morning! So then let it be noted that on the day Saul met Christ on the Damascus Road, repented of his sin and trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, his heart was filled with a hateful and murderous desire for Christians. Even up to the very moment of his conversion Saul was totally depraved, totally unable to know God on his own. Again, Saul's own words...

For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.  ~Galatians 1:13

Saul had the heart typical of any unbeliever. Later, many years after his conversion, he wrote a letter to a body of believers in Rome and in it he describes every man, woman, and child before salvation...

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written:

There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit;

“The poison of asps is under their lips;
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.

A few years ago when I began studying the Doctrines of Grace and whether mankind was totally depraved, I came across this clear statement made by the Apostle Paul...

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  ~1 Corinthians 2:14

The point here is the “natural man” (unsaved) is incapable of receiving the things of God. It is not a matter of choice, but inability. In his book “What’s So Great About The Doctrines of Grace?” Richard Phillips said this...

Sin has corrupted man’s thinking in such a way that people lack the ability to understand the truth about themselves, God, and the world.

Saul was a typical man with an unsaved and unregenerate heart. He was ignorant of God and His Christ and in going about establishing his own fallen brand of righteousness; Saul lived for threats and murder of God’s people. What was Saul like before his conversion? He was totally depraved, totally unable to understand God and seek Him. Just like you... just like me.

God is sovereign over all of His creation including all aspects of salvation. A little over a year ago I would have argued against that statement. I would not have agreed God chooses whom He will save and chooses whom He will not save. After spending months of study in the book of Romans and particularly in chapter 9, I came to the inevitable conclusion that God saves those whom He has elected for that purpose.

I want to begin a study from the ninth chapter of Acts, working verse by verse through the Apostle Paul's meeting with Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road and subsequent conversion. I am drawn to this passage because there are some parallels between what happened to him on his way to Damascus and my own conversion (I am not insinuating in any way that I am like the Apostle Paul).

The argument I want to put forth is God is sovereign over every detail and aspect of our salvation. And to a lesser degree attempt to answer why God saves us in the manner He chooses. In other words, why doesn't God save everybody like He did Paul on the Damascus Road? The passage I want to work through is Acts 9:1-31, and breaking it into four parts:

     I.    Saul is Converted - Acts 9:1-9
     II.   Saul is Baptized - Acts 9:10-19
     III.  Saul is Persecuted - Acts 9:20-25
     IV.  Saul is Befriended - Acts 9:26-31  

If you would like to take part in this study and accompanying discussion take some time to read the passage and spend some time focusing on verses 1 and 2 as that is where the study will begin. The first two verses will lead us into a look first at who Saul was before he became known to us as the Apostle Paul. Each of the four parts of the passage will be covered by multiple posts as we work verse by verse (sometimes clause by clause) through the passage.

To get your wheels turning let me ask this question. Does God specifically choose whom He will save?