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Writer's pictureAngie G

From dark to light

Recently, in my personal devotion time, I was reading about Stephen. Remember in Acts when the 12 disciples got together and decided that in order to really do the ministry justice, they should have more disciples. Stephen is one of the 7 that they recruited. And the first thing scripture says about him is he was “a man of faith and the Holy Spirit.”


But Stephen made a lot of enemies really fast because he was so on fire for God that the Pharisees hated him. They hated him so much that they got people to make up lies about him and then report him to the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin were basically their police and court system. And the Pharisees were the experts in the Laws of Moses (Old Testament) and they held a lot of political power.


So, he arrested and in Acts 7 Stephen is on trial for blasphemy, because people were saying that he was speaking against Moses and in so doing, speaking against God. And while pleading his case in front of the Sanhedrin, Stephen said that they claimed to worship the God who gave them their religious law, but in actuality they were fighting against Him and serving Satan. Well, that didn’t go over very well and they drug him out of the city and stoned him to death.


Act 7:51-60 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of their killing him.


My devotion was recognizing that just because a person is angry with you, “offended” by your words, or outraged by your arguments, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done or said anything wrong.


But my brain went to – wait a minute… Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. And Saul approved of their killing him. Saul/Paul’s story started there! Not on the road to Damascus, which is where my mind instantly goes. So, then I had to figure out why did some of them lay their coats at his feet?


Paul’s goal in life was to be the Pharisee of all Pharisees. He was born in Tarsus (now Turkey). He came from a wealthy family and was not only Jewish, but a Roman citizen because his father was a Roman citizen, and that was a birthright. So, his family’s wealth would have given Paul the best of educations. He would have studied Greek philosophy and would have been well versed in different languages. But because he was also raised in a devout Jewish home, in addition to his private education, at some point (probably as a teenager), he moved to Jerusalem and studied under a top ranking Pharisee. And because of that, he would have learned the most rigid version of Old Law or Old Testament law. Paul’s father had been a highly trained Pharisee and Paul strived to be the same. He was trained to be “a doctor of the Law.” He thought the Law was to be pure and respected. And he was respected as a Pharisee because of his knowledge of Old Testament law.


Paul became a very high-ranking Pharisee. And he sought out permission from the high priest or chief priests, to pursue, punish, and if necessary, execute Christians. He gained a reputation as a punisher of Christians. So much so that other Pharisees sought to please him.


So, when Acts 7 says, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul, they were honoring Paul and trying to make brownie points. They were saying – we did this for you!


That man – THAT Paul – is the same man that got so radically changed when coming face to face with Christ on the road to Damascus that he wrote 2/3 of the New Testament. The Paul that was honored for being ruthless to believers – that okayed the killing of a disciple – would someday be killed for preaching the gospel.


Paul is the perfect example of how God can not only change someone, but how he can use ANYONE! Paul’s story is the perfect example of God’s mercy and grace. That none of us are BEYOND saving and that we certainly don’t have to have our act together in order to come face to face with Jesus. It is our reminder that God loves ALL of us – no matter what our past looks like, and certainly not by our actions. Paul's story is a testimony of how God can reach out and grab us even when we think we have it all figured out. Thank you Jesus!


Acts 9: 1-4

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

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