Great ‘Failures’ of the Bible (part 6)

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Title: Great ‘Failures’ of the Bible (part 6) ------------------- Date: 1/6/2003
Keywords: “Saul of Tarsus”
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Passages: Acts 7:58-60; 8:1-3; 9:1-2*

7:58. And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

7:59. And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

7:60. And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And having said this, he fell asleep.

8:1. And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

8:2. And some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.

8:3. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

9:1. Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

9:2. and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Questions

Note: You might want to read all of Acts 7 to find out about the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

1. In Acts 7, Saul of Tarsus was a young man witnessing the stoning death of Stephen. How does his activity level change in Acts 8?

 

2. What further progression does Saul make in chapter 9?

 

Practical help

Saul of Tarsus would have been a man for our times. Like noted terrorist groups of the late 20th and the 21st centuries, Saul wanted others to suffer for their beliefs. He had his own convictions and was willing to kill for them.

In one of the great ironic twists of history, God chose Saul of Tarsus to be His special instrument of blessing. God wanted all peoples to hear the Gospel of Jesus, so He entrusted that message to Saul (later the apostle Paul) who took it to southern Europe, as far as Rome (some say he even got to Spain!).

But notice the person God chose? A man who murdered Christians! He threw men and women into prison for no other reason than this: they believed in Jesus.

Yet God made Saul of Tarsus into a trophy of grace. By the end of his life, the transformation was complete. He no longer inflicted punishment. He willingly took it as a part of the price he needed to pay to take the Gospel to unevangelized people.

Saul, the failure, turned into a roaring success for the Lord.

EXXit readers often write of struggles to believe that God could ever use them in any significant, redemptive way. Past or current failures to break free from the web of porn leaves many believing that they are useless for the Master.

The message of the life of Saul is that if God could choose, transform, and then use a Christian-killing, cruel persecutor - He can surely transform and use a man (or a woman) who is trapped in the web of pornography.

Don’t despair! As you trust Him, God can and will transform you, and will increasingly use you to His glory.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."