The Life And Times Of Saul Of Tarsus Series

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SAUL OF TARSUS

Acts 8:1-3

(4/16/23)

I regularly listen to a radio program called “Unshackled”. This program provides dramatic reenactments that tell the stories of people who were in desperate situations and by the grace of God they had an encounter with Jesus and repented and believed in Him for salvation. One such story is that of Shaul Katzav who was an avid student of the Torah but through a certain chain of events he came to truly know the God of the bible. Another example is Roger Munchian, a man who was the head of a multimillion dollar drug trafficking empire who surrendered to Christ and turned away from that lifestyle. Then there is Brett McCormick who was an obsessed porn addict who was saved and delivered from his addiction. Kyle Hebert joined a motorcycle gang and lived a life of crime until he met Jesus inside of a prison cell. On and on I could go, recounting the stories of drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, homosexuals, gang members and criminals of every kind who hit rock bottom and then had an amazing encounter with the Savior.

Some of you have not just heard such stories, you have actually lived them. There are numerous people within our own faith family who have been delivered from the bondage of sin by the transforming power of Jesus Christ. You can personally testify that “if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Throughout the Bible it is apparent that no one is without hope; no one is too lost to be saved. Writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul said “1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

That is devastating news, but the following verse contains great hope and a wonderful promise. Paul goes on to say “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (I Corinthians 6:11) When Paul wrote these words, he was writing from personal experience. This man who eventually became the greatest advocate of the Church was at one time its greatest adversary.

Quite often you will hear the conversion of Saul used as evidence that the worst sinner is not beyond the reach of God’s amazing grace. It is certainly true that no one is too lost to be saved. But it is important to understand that Saul was not your stereotypical sinner; on the contrary, he was actually as devout and religious as they come. Granted he was just as lost as anyone who has yet to surrender to Christ, but the things he did, he did with a clear conscience. Saul genuinely believed that persecuting Christians and attempting to destroy the church was a way to honor and serve God and to protect the Jewish faith and the traditions that had been handed down from his ancestors.

- I would like to survey the scriptures today and examine “The Life And Time Of Saul of Tarsus”.

Even those with limited Biblical knowledge know of the wonderful things that God did through the Apostle Paul; but in order for us to truly appreciate the transformation that occurred in his life, we must look to the persecution and destruction that he was involved in before he met the Savior.

Acts 7 closes with the death of Stephen. That faithful servant of God stood before the Sanhedrin and many other Jews and boldly defended the faith and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He indicted his listeners for their part in the death of Christ. When they heard his accusation they were infuriated. As a result 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. (Acts 7:57-58)

Acts 8 begins with the declaration that Saul was “consenting to” or “in hearty agreement” with his death. (v1 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.)

We are briefly introduced to Saul of Tarsus in Acts 7:58; there we are told that as they cast Stephen “out of the city and stoned him… the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

In the Book of Acts as well as in his own Epistles, Paul shares many important facts about his life before Christ. Together these passages serve as an autobiography of Saul of Tarsus who, as we know became the Apostle Paul. He tells us that he was “a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia” (Acts 22:3), he was a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (Phil. 3:5), he was the “son of a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6), and he was a “Roman citizen” (Acts 16:37; 22:25–28). His religious training took place in Jerusalem at the feet of the revered Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Saul was an extremely devoted Pharisee (Acts 26:4–5), concerning the Law, he was “blameless” (Phil. 3:6). Without question Saul of Tarsus was a rising star among the Pharisees in Jerusalem. He was on the fast track to becoming a prominent leader among the Jews. He said in Galatians 1:14 “I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.”