Before Paul became a saint, he was a storm.
The first time we meet him, he’s standing in the shadows of a mob… young, sharp-eyed, and utterly convinced of his righteousness.
At his feet lie the coats of the men who have just stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
Saul watches it happen with cold approval. He doesn’t flinch. He believes he’s doing God a favor.
Luke tells us that “Saul was ravaging the church” (Acts 8:3).
The word “ravaging” paints the image of a wild beast tearing apart its prey. That’s who Saul was to the early Christians: a reaper.
He tore into the fledgling church with precision and fury, dragging men and women alike from their homes, locking them in chains, and bringing them before the authorities.
If you were a Christian in Jerusalem during those days, hearing Saul’s name was like hearing the rattle of a snake near your feet.
He was, in every sense, an unstoppable force.
So how did he become the most prolific of all the apostles?
Saul’s zeal was not born from malice but from conviction. He was the son of devout Jewish parents, raised in the city of Tarsus, a cosmopolitan hub of philosophy and trade. He was educated under Rabbi Gamaliel, one of the most respected scholars of his day.
By the time he was a young man, Saul was a Pharisee of Pharisees, fluent in Greek, trained in logic, steeped in Scripture, and burning with passion for the purity of Israel’s faith.
It’s hard to overstate just how dangerous that combination is: intelligence without humility, zeal without grace, and religion without love.
Saul’s fire was real, but it was misdirected. He was sprinting full-speed toward darkness, and no human force could stop him.
But heaven could…
Saul was on his way to Damascus, papers in hand, ready to arrest more followers of “the Way.” He was determined, unstoppable, burning with purpose.
And then the sky exploded.
A light brighter than lightning seared the desert, and a voice thundered from heaven: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4)
Saul, who had struck fear into thousands, fell trembling to the ground like dust.
At that moment, the unstoppable force met the Rock of Ages.
Jesus tossed him from his horse, revealed His godhood, and blinded Saul.
Saul had spent his life trying to serve God, but in his blindness, he had been fighting against Him. Now, in literal blindness, God began to open his true eyes.
For three days, he neither ate nor drank. Jesus sent someone to Saul. He heard the gospell and was baptized.
The persecutor became the preacher. The destroyer of the church became its builder.
The man who once made Christians tremble would soon tremble before kings for the sake of Christ.
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It’s difficult to exaggerate Paul’s impact on history.
His letters comprise a significant portion of the New Testament. His theology of grace transformed the world’s understanding of God.
But beneath all that brilliance is the heart of a man who never forgot who he once was. Paul called himself “the chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He knew what it meant to be wrong about God… and what it meant to be forgiven by Him.
His past didn’t disqualify him; it became the canvas for grace. Every church he planted, every letter he wrote, every life he touched flowed from one profound truth: the mercy of Christ is stronger than the worst of us.
