Tarsus Pre-Conversion Experiences

Joe Michael Pleasant New Testament Survey January 29, 2016 Paul or Saul The man that was once known as Saul is one of my favorite bible characters in the whole bible. He was by far one of the most influential people in the book of acts, and all of the New Testament. Saul was the modern equivalent of a Islamic radical pushing his religious agenda. He was a monster. The lowest of the low in the scumbag world would be hands down Saul. On top of being the tool of extermination for Satan in Jerusalem, shortly after the death of Christ, he was also extremely religious. He was a Pharisee. While extremely well educated in the religious practices of Judaism, Saul was differently a hypocrite. He completely pushed is religious agenda while he completely

On the road to Damascus the Lord intervenes in Saul’s life (Acts 9: 3-6) and he is genuinely converted during that encounter with the Lord Jesus. Under the ministry of Ananias (a disciple) he was also healed and filled with the Holy Spirit. Saul now known as Paul from that moment on immediately began preaching Christ in the synagogues of Damascus. Paul’s preaching was very convincing and disturbing to the Damascus Jews to the point where they desired to kill him. Therefore, the other Christian disciples assisted him in his escape by night (Acts 9:22-25) that he may escape to Arabia. Paul’s missionary Journeys were defining actions of him, he usually set foot with other companions and he endured hardships on these voyages. He was imprisoned, lashed and stoned several times and almost murdered once (2 Cor. 11:24-27).

St. Paul, other known as Saul, never actually lived the life any of us would hope for. As a young child Saul learned to work with his own hands and create tents. Before his conversion to Christianity, he went out and arrested those who believed in Christ. While he was out arresting many, he also persecuted some of the Christians. Also, Saul was one person who approved the stoning of Stephen. Lastly, God appeared to him and he had a conversion of heart.

After that Saul was refered to as Paul. He left his old life and began his mission as a amasador of Christ’s message to all the world, or the world as it was known at that time. He left Jerusalem and began his missionary journeys, at least five of them. He went to Asia minor (modern Turkey), Syria, Greece, Italy, Spain even Britian.Paul trained Timothy and John Mark. He was so dedicated to the calling Jesus put on him that he paid for it spending five years or more in prison for his teachings and faith on multiple occasions. He was whipped bewaten and tortured on more than one occasion. He even lived through a stoning attempt and being shipwrecked. He paid the ultimate price with his life as a martyr at the hands of the Romans.

Acts 22:4-16; 26:9-18). This revelation converted Paul to Christianity. According to our text, God blinded Paul during his revelation, and he did not regain his vision until he arrived at Damascus. Once he reached his destination, a man named Ananias baptized Paul to make his new faith official. According to Paul, God also summoned Paul to become an apostle during his revelation to Paul. As Brittany Wilson points out in her journal article “The Blinding of Paul and the Power of God: Masculinity, Sight, and Self-Control in Acts 9”, the reason for God’s blinding Paul is to make him unmanly. Brittany Wilson also exploits the idea that not being in control was unmanly, and Paul was under the control of God. He was blind for three days on his journey and this blindness made Paul become dependent on others for

Paul was a faithful apostle, strong leader, and one of the most important figures in the New Testament. Before his conversion, he was known as Saul, and he was a Pharisee. He severely persecuted followers of Jesus in the area of Jerusalem. His conversion was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians. After he repented and was baptized, he began preaching to all who needed to hear God's word. He spread the gospel to others, was empowered by the Holy Spirit in his actions and words, and had persistent faith through difficulties.

Vernon McGee, Saul’s conversion to Paul, a believer in Christ, was not just an experience for that moment, but a life changing experience that continued for Paul’s lifetime. He now lives for Christ. His priorities and what he valued before Christ were no longer precious to him or foremost in his thinking. It was all trash now. It was dung and McGee goes further to say Paul does convert from Judaism to Christianity.

In Acts 9, after the stoning of Stephen, Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christians because the followers of Christ, even after the stoning of Stephen, went everywhere to preach the word of God such as the city Damascus; therefore, Saul went to Damascus to persecute more Christians. On his way there, a very intensified light that almost blinded him from heaven was shining on him and Jesus spoke to Saul asking him why he persecuted him and would soon Saul that he is Jesus, the promised Messiah who came down to this Earth for one reason and one reason: To save the entire world. Those words would eventually open up his heart and he would eventually realize that what he was previously doing was the work of the devil and that Stephen, the man he stoned, wasn’t speaking blasphemy and that he was spreading the word of God. After his conversation with Jesus, he had become blinded for three days and in those three days he did not eat nor drink; however, he began to get closer to God through prayer and reflection. After those three days passed, a disciple named Ananias was sent by God to Saul to heal him of his blindness and to baptize him. Saul had received both of those gifts and soon after

Of great significance is the fact that Saul’s conversion experience is recounted three times in Acts. Scholars note this as being an important fact regarding the writings. The imagery of blindness is brought to the forefront. Saul was so blinded with his zeal to persecute something he felt so grievously wronged God that he tried to eliminate all who practiced this newfound religion. God blinded him to show him how much he had failed to see. When his sight is restored,

Saul was born on 5 AD in Tarsus and died on 67 AD in Rome. He changed his name to Paul after he was baptized to reflect on his new persona and to begin travelling and preaching. He was a prosecutor that would punish people who were following Jesus and his new religion back then. Paul was changed into a follower and became one of Jesus’ Apostle(13th) by having a vision from God which blinded him(also known as the road to Damascus). He was then saved by the followers of God who also helped him, and made him better. Paul changed religions to Christianity after he got a vision from Jesus. This converted him into a follower of God and he started spreading the words of God instead of patronizing the religion and the people. Paul taught the Gospel of Christ to the first century world. He is one of the most important figures in the Apostolic Age. He ministered both Jews and Romans since he was appreciated by both groups. He is also known as the 13th apostle.

Saul was a murderer until he met Jesus. He converted from his evil ways and became one of the greatest saints. God’s love can change people from within, as shown in Thirth’s and Saint Paul’s story.

Paul was another intriguing biblical character who accepted a mission assigned by Jesus the Christ. Even though Paul thought that he was headed in the right direction, the encounter with Christ near Damascus, according to Acts 1:3, puts then Saul on another path. However, Christ informs Saul of his assignment and task visibly in Acts 1:6.

When, in the course of human events, the thoughts that become prevalent in some do not always resonate with others. When questioned on whether faith depends upon revelation or revelation depends upon faith, I immediately connected with the quote by Auguste Comte, “Everything is relative; and only that is absolute.” With that quote in mind, Paul’s excursion through Damascus employs a plethora of interpretations on whether faith precedes his revelation or faith succeeds his revelation. However, I believe that in Paul, a man of Jewish faith, had a revelation that preceded his faith in God. For example, Jesus speaks to Ananias directly stating that Paul is an evangelist of Christ, delivering the gospel to the Gentiles, their kings, and to the people of Israel. Paul, formerly Saul, was a merciless

The Apostle Paul (formerly Saul) is responsible for the spread of Christianity throughout the areas of Asia Minor and Greece. Through his 3 mission trips to the region Paul created a base of support for the Christian faith and implemented a support strategy for future growth. The time period for his journeys was 45 AD – 58 AD. The story of Paul is interesting from the perspective that the man best known as the author of most of the New Testament started out as a devout Jew and despised the Christian faith. After his conversion he made it his life’s work to spread the Christian message throughout the world. To this end, Paul made several mission trips to the area of Asia Minor and Greece.

Paul 's original name was Saul. Saul started out hating and persecuting Christians. Saul had a big conversion moment where he heard God talking to him and he was struck blind for three days. "Paul was on his way to Damascus when he had a vision that changed his life: according to Galatians 1:16, God revealed his Son to him. More specifically, Paul states that he saw the Lord (1 Corinthians 9:1), though Acts claims that near Damascus he saw a blinding bright light. Following this revelation, which convinced Paul that God had indeed chosen Jesus to be the promised messiah."("Saint") Paul then became a Christian and left his easy, comfortable life to become a preacher. Once Paul became a missionary he wanted to share the news of Christianity with everyone. "Paul’s great achievement was to take Christianity from Jerusalem throughout the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire and finally to the capital itself." (Johnson) Paul 's main goal was to spread the word that Christ is the Son of God. (Adcock)