Saul vs Paul The Power to Change Through God’s Holy Spirit
Who Was Saul? He was an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11: 1). He was also a citizen of Rome. More specifically, a native of Tarsus, the capital city in the Roman province of Cilicia. We are first introduced to Saul in the scriptures beginning with Acts 7: 58, which depicts the time that Stephen (a disciple of Christ) was stoned to death.
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Saul Persecutes In Acts Ch. 8, we further learn that Saul had in fact consented to the death of Stephen. Saul played a major role in the persecution of God's church, causing the imprisonment of many of God's saints. In Acts. Ch. 9, Saul continues to threaten and seek the execution of God's disciples, working hand in hand with the high priests and elders. He even sought warrants that he could take to Damascus to the synagogues for the purpose of arresting more children of God.
Christ Calls for Saul It is in Acts Ch. 8 beginning at the 3rd verse that God shines a light on Saul, blinding him. God says..... "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?� When Saul inquires as to who he was, the Lord states that he is "Jesus, whom thou peresecutest?It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."
Kicking Against the Pricks The statement, “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks� is quite profound and requires further clarification. First, the ancient times depicted in the bible were largely agricultural, hence the frequent references to farming within the scriptures. Let us define a prick as used in the context of the quote stated above. A prick or goad, as it is often referred to, is a long handled instrument with a metal point. This instrument was used to ensure the ox would obey the commands of the plowman while plowing the field.
Plowing the Field The plowing of the field was critical for adequate preparation of the ground or soil to receive seed. The ox was a considered a beast of burden and labor but would sometimes rebel against the plowman by straying off path, stopping in the middle of work or kicking. When this would happen, the plowman would then prick the ox to continue on. The more the ox would resist or kick against the prick, the more this instrument would pierce into their flesh, which would cause them pain. This pain would therefore compel them to submit to the authority of the plowman by obeying his commands and completing the work he so desired.
Spiritual Meaning Now lets take this same scenario and apply it to Saul. Christ is represented by the plowman and Saul represents the ox. As we know, Saul did not always obey God’s laws. He persecuted and consented to the deaths of many saints. By doing so, he was like an ox that was rebelling against Christ who is our plowman. In other words, he was kicking against the pricks.
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Christ Exerts His Authority However, Christ continued to exert his authority by prodding Saul with the prick more and more until he eventually submitted. For example, Saul being blinded with the sun and hearing Christ’s voice was an example of him being prodded or pierced with the prick. As stated before, the more and more an ox kicks the more painful the piercing of the prick will be.
God Forgives God had forgiven Saul but he indeed judged him for his previous defiance and persecution of his children. Saul had to suffer a great deal in order to fulfill his bishopric of teaching the Gentiles and to prove himself worthy to the Lord. In fact, his past sins weighed greatly upon him and were like a thorn in his side; a painful reminder of what he had done. Let us move on to the next point in the scenario.
Planting the Seed Remember that the ground that is plowed represents the hearts of people. The Lord had chosen Saul to teach the Gentiles. He as an ox, under the guidance and direction of Christ, the plowman, was to prepare the hearts of the Gentiles. For what? To receive the good seed, which is represented by the word of God. Consider the parable of the sower and the seed.
Saul Repents Saul was made blind for three days, neither did he eat or drink. Christ humbled Saul. His physical blindness represented his spiritual blindness to Christ and his word. He initially could not see Christ or the truth for what it really was and is. Instead, he was blinded by envy, hate and malice, which comes from Satan. It is under the influence of Satan that he was willing to persecute the disciples of Christ and his church.
Fasting Saul also fasted for three days, abstaining from food and drink. This physical fast pointed to the spiritual fast that Saul was soon going to live. We have learned that fasting represents sacrificing the lusts of the flesh and to live a life free from sin. Physically speaking, a fast is not comfortable or pleasant. Your head might ache and your stomach may growl. When thinking in spiritual terms, when we live through a spiritual fast, it will not be a life filled with exclusive happiness and bliss. We will have sorrow. For the sake of the truth, we will have to make sacrifices that might be emotionally painful to us. It is over this course of time that Saul was going through repentance. It was necessary for him to be in a state of humility and sorrow before he could fully convert under the influence of the Holy Spirit
Receiving the Holy Spirit God could have easily restored Saul’s sight. We know that he is all powerful. However, the Lord chose for Saul to go to Ananias, a devout disciple of Christ who lived in Damascus and quite possibly a person that Saul was initially seeking to put in jail. God had appeared to him in a vision concerning Saul stating this “And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,” (Acts 9: 11-12)
Receiving the Holy Spirit Understandably so, Ananias was apprehensive given Saul’s reputation of persecuting the saints at Jerusalem. But as we have learned from the scriptures, this was the will of God to prepare Saul for his bishopric, that is, a teacher and disciple for the Gentiles. Ananias obeyed God. When he entered into the house of Judas and found Saul, he then placed his hands upon him and blessed him. Upon receiving his blessing from Ananias, scales fell from Saul’s eyes and his vision was restored. He also received the Holy Spirit. Saul was immediately baptized.
Spiritual Blindness Why was Saul made blind? Christ was reproving and humbling him. This physical blindness also represented the spiritual blindness of Saul before he was converted. A person that is spiritually blind is one that cannot or is not willing to see or understand the truth for what it really is. This truth, as we know, is founded upon the 10 commandments and testimonies of Jesus Christ. Individuals that are blind to the laws of God are living in darkness. But the light, which is Christ and his truth, shines in the darkness. It will direct you towards the straight and narrow path, which leads to salvation. Like Saul, there are other children of God that might be living in darkness today. They cannot see or hear the truth. Remember, that These people require the Holy Spirit who will remove the scales from their eyes and they will see God and his word clearly.
Spiritual Baptism We know that after Saul received the Holy Spirit and his sight, he was then shortly baptized. The physical act of baptism represents purification and our devotion to Jesus Christ. Not only that, it points to the death and burial of our old life of sin and the rising again of our new life of obedience in Jesus. The physical act of baptism is useless if we continue to remain in sin. We know that was not the case for Saul. After he had been baptized and ate food, he remained with some of God’s disciples in Damascus and began preaching of Christ in the synagogues.
Saul Begins to Preach Many of the people that heard him were astonished because they new of the old Saul. The one that persecuted and condemned the saints of God to death. But no matter the skepticism, Saul also known as Paul, became stronger through the Holy Spirit. From henceforth, Paul never turned back to his old ways and remained strong in the truth, even unto death.
Paul Becomes a Traveling Man Paul traveled to many places in the earth to preach the gospel of Christ, some including
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Arabia
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Antioch (ancient Greek city which ruins are near the current city Antakya, Turkey)
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Cyprus, (island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea)
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Thessalonica (2nd largest city in Greece)
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Corinth (is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece
Paul Becomes a Traveling Man • Ephesus (Ephesus was an
ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia)
• Galatia (an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey),
• Philippi (was a city in eastern Macedonia)
• Rome
Paul’s Literary Works Paul’s writings consist of letters that he sent primarily to Gentile churches. In these letters he gives powerful sermons, that exhort the truth as well as given encouragement and reproof all for the perfecting of the saints. Recall the books of Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians. These were Gentile churches he was writing to. This does not include the epistles he wrote to individual saints such as Timothy, Titus and Philemon. He also wrote the book of Hebrews, addressing the Jews. It is plain to see that Paul’s writings were quite extensive, writing more than all the other apostles. His works were inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore are the truth and law.
Stumbling Blocks However, his writings are stumbling block for the unlearned and those who do not seek the truth in its entirety. Peter, one of the 12 apostles, spoke of this in 2 Peter 3: 15-16, which states, “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.�
Life of Adversity Like Christ and other leaders of faith, Paul had to face much adversity while teaching the gospel. In 2nd Corinthians 11: 22-26 he depicts his trials and tribulations.... “Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as fool ) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;�
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Life of Adversity You see, Paul had to pick up his cross and walk on towards salvation, as is required of all the saints. This journey is not an easy journey. Just as Christ suffered, so must we and so did Paul. However, Paul was blessed abundantly with much skill, talent and faith. And as the scripture so perfectly states, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:� (Luke 12: 48)
Paul’s Death The bible does not describe Paul’s death. Paul however, knew that he would die and was prepared for it. In 2 Timothy 4: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 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.” Because the scriptures do not specifically discuss how Paul died, we do not know for certain. However, there are some literary sources state that Paul was beheaded with the sword in Rome. Given that he was a Roman citizen, this exempted him from other tortuous executions such as being crucified on the cross.
Conclusion What is most important, is that Paul indeed stood for the truth with great conviction and diligence. His story showcases the power to change who you are and what you do through the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus, bringing to life the scriptures that state.... “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” (Philippians 4: 13) “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts (Zechariah 4: 6) Like Paul, let us also fight the good fight and keep the faith, that we too may obtain a crown of righteousness and be joined with Christ and our heavenly family for all eternity. Amen.
Special Thanks
This presentation was developed by: Elisabeth C. Pointer
Questions?
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