Editor’s note: This post is part of a series featuring outstanding excerpts from student papers at the BibleMesh Institute, which offers affordable online training for local churches, schools, and ministries. The author’s name has been withheld for privacy and security purposes. She is a missionary overseas.
Saul was born to a Jewish family in modern-day south-central Turkey, far away from Jerusalem. However, he grew up in Jerusalem, studied Judaism under a very influential Jewish scholar, and joined a strict sect called the Pharisees. During the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were among those who plotted to kill Him.
When the church began to grow, the Pharisees were greatly alarmed and started to persecute the believers. Saul, as a zealous Pharisee, was at the scene guarding the garments of those who stoned Stephen, the first martyr. Then, Saul journeyed to Damascus to arrest more believers and imprison them. On the way to Damascus, however, something extraordinary happened. A great light came upon him and a voice came to him and said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). Saul was seized with fear, asked who was speaking to him, and was told that it was Jesus Himself. Perhaps due to the intensity of the light, Saul lost his eyesight. For three days, Saul did not eat nor drank until Jesus sent His disciple Ananias to return Saul’s eyesight and empower him with Holy Spirit. He immediately went out and testified about Jesus, changing his life’s direction. He spent three years in Arabia, met with other disciples of Jesus, validated his faith (some of the believers were still afraid of him), and started spreading the good news wherever he went.
Paul took three major missionary journeys starting from Jerusalem to Asia Minor and then to Europe. He preached the good news to both Jews and Gentiles whenever and wherever he had opportunity. However, he turned to preach more to the Gentiles as he received continuous rejection and persecution from his fellow Jews. Later he was known as the apostle to the Gentiles as he won many non-Jewish souls and built churches in Syria, Asia Minor, and Europe.
Paul faced countless sufferings during his missionary journeys, including beating, stoning, imprisonment, and danger on the roads. Nonetheless, nothing was able to stop him from preaching the good news as the love of Jesus and his passion for the unreached compelled him to keep speaking.
Paul’s life illustrates that God orchestrates everything beyond what we can imagine. It also proves that a man can indeed become a changed person when he meets Jesus. There was nothing in human power that could change this fervent Pharisee who was determined to destroy the church. But Jesus met Paul, and he changed from a Christian persecutor to one of greatest apostles of Jesus. There is nothing impossible for God.
Paul’s influence on the growth of the gospel among the Gentiles is significant. He indeed fulfilled the words of Jesus when He ascended to heaven, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7, NIV). Eckhard J. Schnabel explained, “Paul had to travel to the cities, towns, and villages where people live. Paul did not expect people to come to him: he went to the places where people lived.”[1]
Through his missionary journeys, Paul reached those who had never heard about Jesus. He was truly a missionary sent to the Gentiles, or more bluntly pagans. “They were idolaters, worshiping many gods who in fact were no gods.”[2] In other words, he was not preaching to those already familiar with the creator God. He was in completely uncharted territory. God, however, made Paul’s missionary journey successful, even at the mounting obstacles and challenges. His life serves as a reminder that we too should spread the gospel boldly, knowing God will not allow His message to be stopped.
[1] Eckhard J. Schnabel, Paul the Missionary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008).
[2] Frederick Fyvie Bruce, Paul and his Converts (Nashville, TN: Kingsley Books, 2017).