What does Paul's persecution reveal about his understanding of God's will at the time? Paul’s Zeal Before Conversion • Acts 26:11 shows Paul “being extremely enraged” and hunting believers “even to foreign cities.” • He believed he was upholding God’s honor by silencing what he viewed as blasphemy (cf. Deuteronomy 13:6-11). • Philippians 3:6 – “as to zeal, persecuting the church.” For Paul, zeal = obedience to God. • Galatians 1:13-14 – he was “extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers,” convinced tradition equaled God’s will. What His Persecution Reveals About His Understanding of God’s Will • God’s will, in his mind, demanded purging perceived heresy. Christians were enemies of Scripture, so severe measures seemed righteous. • He equated loyalty to Moses and the temple with loyalty to God; the risen Jesus didn’t fit that framework (Acts 22:3-5). • He read the Law without seeing its fulfillment in Christ, so “zeal without knowledge” (Romans 10:2) drove him. • He fulfilled Jesus’ warning: “whoever kills you will think he is offering a service to God” (John 16:2). • His conscience felt clear (Acts 23:1); sincerity does not equal correctness. • Blindness was spiritual, not intellectual—“I acted ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13). Roots of the Misunderstanding 1. Misapplied Scripture: knew the letter, missed Messianic prophecies such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22. 2. Tradition Over Revelation: Pharisaic additions overshadowed God’s unfolding plan (Mark 7:8-9). 3. Absence of the Spirit: without new birth, even rigorous study led to error (1 Corinthians 2:14). 4. Nationalistic Lens: defending Israel’s purity eclipsed God’s global redemptive purpose (Genesis 12:3; Acts 1:8). The Damascus Light: Correcting His Theology • Confronted by the risen Christ, Paul discovers God’s true will: the promised Messiah is Jesus (Acts 9:3-5). • Persecuting believers = persecuting the Lord Himself—shattering his former assumptions. • The same zeal is redirected into worldwide gospel mission (Acts 26:19-20). Key Takeaways for Today • Zeal needs truth; passion minus revelation can oppose God. • Knowledge of Scripture must bow to the Person it reveals. • Tradition, culture, or personal conviction must be tested against the full counsel of God’s Word. |
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