25 January – Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul |
Paul hated Jesus, helped stone one of His followers and determined to kill or imprison all the others.
All that changed when Jesus appeared to him from heaven and made him His minister!
Long before that, Paul says, he was separated unto the Gospel of God before he was born.
This learned Pharisee became the greatest missionary, teacher, and writer in Christian history.
Learn more about him in today’s article and celebrate his life.
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Saul of Tarsus* (5-67) was one of the men Caiaphas*(20 BC? - 40 AD) commissioned to destroy Jesus's followers.
An asterisk after a name means the person is in SPIRITUAL LIVES.
Saul was born and raised a Jew. In his own words, Circumcised the 8th day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee. -- Philippians 3:5
He was born in Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, located on what is now the southern coast of Turkey. Because of this, he was born a Roman citizen, which gave him the liberty to travel under the protection of Roman law. This is perhaps why he used the Roman name “Paul” rather than the Jewish “Saul” later in life.
But as a child, he was strictly educated in Jerusalem as a Jew;
I am verily a man who is a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel (?-52AD), and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. Acts 22:3
He did not, however, follow Gamaliel’s advice to let Jesus’ disciples alone:
And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. Verses 4-5.
But then everything changed:
And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth* (4BC -30AD), whom thou persecutest.
And they that were with me saw the light indeed and were afraid, but they heard not his voice that spake to me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord?
And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. Acts 22:6-10
God sent a disciple named Ananias to Paul to heal his blindness and tell him, “he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Acts 9:15-16
After this, Paul became the Apostle to the Gentiles, the one man most responsible for spreading the Gospel throughout the Roman world.
Nor was his Damascus Road experience his only GREAT revelation: some 14 years later, he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 2 Corinthians 12:4
Via these revelations and his ceaseless missionary activity, Paul formalized the teachings of Christianity and founded churches throughout the Eastern Roman Empire. Constantly persecuted himself, primarily by the Jews but later held by the Romans, Paul wrote 14 letters to the churches, and these epistles make up the largest portion of the New Testament and became foundational to all later Christian doctrine.
Much of Paul’s ministry and life as a traveling missionary is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles by Luke (1-16 to 84-100), his traveling companion and helper. Ever humble because of his active persecution of Jesus, Paul said of himself, For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 1 Corinthians 15:9
He goes on,
But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and the grace bestowed upon me was not in vain. However, I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Verse 10
Eventually brought before Caesar for trial, Paul finished his days in Rome, even leading some in the Emperor’s house to the Lord Jesus.
What a testimony he left us! What a wonderful summary of his life he gives:
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7
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Let all the Church acclaim St. Paul
And sing the glories of his call
The Lord made an apostle be
From one who was his enemy
The name of Christ set Paul afire
Enkindling him with great desire;
And higher these same blazes reached
When of the love of Christ he preached.
His merits are forever praised
For to the heavens he was raised,
And there, the all-mysterious word,
That none dare speak, by Paul was heard.
The Word, like seed sown in a field
Producing an abundant yield
Fills heav’nly barns whose stores of grain
Are tilled and grown on earthly plains.
The shining of the lamplight gleams
And drenches earth with heaven's beams.
The dark of error's night is past;
The reign of truth has come at last.
To Christ all glory, and all praise
To Father and the Spirit raise,
Who for the nations’ saving call
Gave us the splendor of Saint Paul.
Translation © 2008 Kathleen Pluth. Permission is given for parish use January 24-25, 2009. All other rights reserved.
About the painting
José Ferraz de Almeida Júnior (1850–1899)
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