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Evidence ID: HIS-EV56
Evidence: Conversion of Paul
Summary: Because of Paul's encounter with the risen Jesus, Paul was fundamentally transformed from a Jewish prosecutor to a Christian apostle. His journey can only be explained by the appearance and direct revelation of Jesus.
Description: Unlike the disciples, Paul stood in direct opposition to the Christian movement. His chief aim was to eradicate the Christian movement by persecuting its leaders. He was the most formidable enemy of the early Christian church.
Paul's credentials are recorded in Philippians 3:5-6 and Acts 22:3.
Paul was educated by Gamaliel to zealously teach and enforce the Old Testament Law [REF-GAM01] [REF-GAM02]. He was a Pharisee, a circumcised Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, a Roman citizen, and fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. As a Pharisee, he was proactive in opposing heretical doctrines that threatened Judaism.
Paul considered himself a Hebrew of Hebrews. He claimed to be righteous and blameless under the Jewish Law. As a member of the Jewish elite, Paul had all the important credentials!
According to Acts 9:1-2 and Acts 22:4-5, Paul was granted permission from the high priest to arrest Christians in Damascus and bring them bound to Jerusalem to face charges of blasphemy.
Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1-2)
During his campaign to arrest and prosecute Christians, Paul approved the stoning of Christians. This is the case with Stephen in Acts 7:54-8:1 and Acts 22:20. Stephen was dragged outside the city of Jerusalem and stoned for his profession of faith in Jesus. In these passages we learn that Paul approved and oversaw the stoning of Stephen. The leaders laid their coats at Paul's feet acknowledging that Paul was the one in authority.
Because of the martyrdom of Stephen, a great wave of persecution began in Jerusalem. We learn from Acts 8:1-3 that:
Because of the letters from the high priest, we can assume that Paul enlisted a great number of church leaders in Damascus to arrest Christians. We can further assume that a great number of Christians were impacted by Paul's campaign.
On Paul's journey to Damascus, Jesus himself confronts Paul and accuses Paul of indirectly persecuting him (Acts 9:4-5).
Paul's confrontation with Jesus is recorded in Acts 9.
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. (Acts 9:3-7)
This account is also reiterated by Paul in Acts 22:6-11.
"As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. (Acts 22:6-9)
We learn from these passages the Paul was confronted by a great light and a voice. Paul was able to understand the voice as being the voice of Jesus of Nazareth. However, the men with him heard the voice, but could not understand what was being said. The men were astounded at what they experienced. It is clear from this account that both Paul and his companions witnessed a supernatural event.
After this confrontation with Jesus, Paul was taken to Damascus, and then later traveled to Arabia for intense training. For three years Paul was likely visited by Jesus (Galatians 1:17-18). Jesus revealed the Gospel to Paul (Galatians 1:11-12). Because he received the Gospel as a direct revelation from Jesus, as did the other disciples, he qualifies as an apostle of Jesus.
Paul's conversion was dramatic. He had a profound encounter with the risen Jesus. As a result, he completely reoriented his life around proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus. This represented a fundamental shift from being a Jewish Pharisee to a Christian apostle.
During Paul's ministry he suffered persecution from the Jews and the Romans (2 Corinthians 11:16-33, Acts 16:37, Acts 9:16). Paul willingly subjected himself to these sufferings because of his commitment to Jesus and the cause of the Gospel.
After years of serving the Christian church, Paul was martyred in Rome. His martyrdom is attested by multiple sources including [REF-HAB02]:
According to Tertullian, Paul was beheaded by Nero.
Paul is beheaded has been written in their own blood. And if a heretic wishes his confidence to rest upon a public record, the archives of the empire will speak, as would the stones of Jerusalem. We read the lives of the Caesars: At Rome Nero was the first who stained with blood the rising faith. (Scorpiace 15) [REF-CEL07].
Tertullian's account indicates that if there is any doubt regarding the martyrdom of Paul, people could check with in Roman archives for corroborating evidence.
Paul's journey from Jewish prosecutor to Christian apostle can only be explained by the appearance and direct revelation of the risen Jesus.
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