From Persecutor To Persecuted

From Persecutor To Persecuted

God changes lives in unexpected ways!

A GROUP of Jews in Jerusalem in A.D. 35 made false accusations against Stephen, a deacon in the church. They successfully stirred up the people into an angry mob that seized Stephen and dragged him away to appear before the Sanhedrin. There a young Pharisee by the name of Saul witnessed both the false accusations and Stephen’s defense of his faith in Jesus the Messiah. Later when the Jewish mob dragged Stephen out of the city to stone him, they threw their coats at Saul’s feet for safekeeping as they picked up their stones to throw at Stephen (Acts 6:8–8:1). Saul not only supported Stephen’s murder but later became the chief persecutor of Christians.

Twenty-two years later, on June 2, A.D. 57, the tables were turned, and Saul was in Stephen’s shoes. Saul, by then known as Paul, was the one falsely accused in Jerusalem by a group of Jews from the Roman province of Asia. Finding Paul in the temple, they shouted, “Men of Israel! Help! This is the man who teaches against our people and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and he even defiles it by bringing Gentiles in!” (Acts 21:27-28). This time it was Paul who was attacked by a Jewish mob, and he then must give his defense (Acts 21:30–22:21).

Paul began his defense with the same words Stephen had used:

“Brothers and esteemed fathers, listen to me” (Acts 22:1; Cf. 7:2). Paul explained, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. At his feet I learned to follow our Jewish laws and customs very carefully. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just as all of you are today. And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, binding and delivering both men and women to prison. The high priest and the whole council of leaders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.

“As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

“ ‘Who are you, sir?’ I asked. And he replied, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’ The people with me saw the light but didn’t hear the voice.

“I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that you are to do.’

“I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led into Damascus by my companions” (Acts 22:3-11).

Just as Stephen’s defense had caused a riot, so did the words of Paul. “The crowd . . . shouted, ‘Away with such a fellow! Kill him! He isn’t fit to live! (Acts 22:22). And just as the men of Jerusalem had thrown off their coats at Saul’s feet before stoning Stephen, now they “threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air” in rage against Paul (Acts 22:23). Fortunately for Paul, the Roman soldiers saved him that day from being killed by the angry mob (Acts 22:24-30).

Paul’s encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ changed him from Saul the persecutor into Paul the persecuted.

Reflection

The change in Paul’s life brought persecution upon him. Have you ever been persecuted for your faith? If you have, how did you react to it? When persecution comes, how precious it is to know that God blesses the persecuted.

God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Matthew 5:10