Know: Identify the steps in the conversion of Saul.
Feel: Appreciate the responsiveness of Saul to the directions of God.
Do: Share the resoluteness of Saul in the service of God.
Learning Outline:
Know: The Steps in the Making of Saul
What were the primary motives directing the life of Saul before his conversion?
What made it possible to turn the life of a persecutor into the life of an apostle?
Feel: The Responsiveness and Obedience of Saul
What led to Saul’s responsiveness to God’s call?
What is the connection between God’s command, “ ‘Arise and go’ ” (Acts 9:6, NKJV) and Paul’s later declaration, “ ‘I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision’ ” (Acts 26:19, NKJV)?
How did Saul remain truthful to God’s declaration that he was His “chosen vessel” (Acts 9:15)?
Do: Serving God Resolutely
How can you be a chosen vessel for God in the community where you live?
What are some things you need to give up and other things you need to take on in order to experience true conversion?
Summary: The transformation of the most intense persecutor of Christianity into its most passionate advocate illustrates that total change is available to all of us.
Learning Cycle
Step 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Gal. 1:1, 1 Cor. 9:1.
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Paul was a man of great faith, assurance, and courage—all because of his unreserved commitment to Jesus, whom Paul encountered on the road to Damascus. That single incident had a lifelong impact on Paul. It made Paul the courageous and Spirit-filled messenger he was. So, Paul could write with confidence to the church at Corinth about the Source of his strength in the midst of conflict: “Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?” (1 Cor. 9:1, NKJV). Today’s lesson shows us that our Christian confidence and courage comes only from our obedience to the calling to be Jesus’ disciples.
Just for Teachers: Paul described himself as “the least of the apostles” (1 Cor. 15:9, NKJV). But no single person was as influential as Paul in taking the good news about Jesus to the world. This “least of the apostles” crossed the most frontiers to spread the gospel, established the most churches, and wrote the most texts in Christian theology. Paul testifies to his calling as “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father” (Gal. 1:1, NKJV). It was Jesus who, confronting Paul on the road to Damascus, changed Paul’s life forever. The making of that great apostle is the focus of our lesson today.
Discussion: Even though Paul excelled in so many areas of life and service, why did he describe himself as “the least of all the saints” (Eph. 3:8, NKJV)? What role does humility play in being effective followers and witnesses for Jesus? Think of someone who has left an indelible impression on you. How are you a better person because of it?
Step 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: “When Christ revealed Himself to Paul, and he was convinced that he was persecuting Jesus in the person of His saints, he accepted the truth as it is in Jesus. A transforming power was manifested on mind and character, and he became a new man in Christ Jesus. He received the truth so fully that neither earth nor hell could shake his faith.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 346.
Today’s lesson explores Saul the persecutor, the convert, and the apostle.
Bible Commentary
I. Saul the Persecutor (Review Acts 7:58; 8:1, 3; 26:9-11 with the class.)
The first four references to Saul in Acts trace his life as a persecutor of the early Christians. In the first reference, Saul stands guarding the clothes of the men who dragged Stephen off to death (Acts 7:58). Second, Acts 8:1 records that Saul gave consent to Stephen’s death—an act that led to his election as “a member of the Sanhedrin council.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 102. The search for power often begins with silent compromise and then speedily moves to embrace the path of self-promotion. One act of evil leads to another even more daring act. Each act of evil, step by step, leads to the sale of one’s conscience to the highest bidder. Third, in Acts 8:3, Saul makes his diabolic move in Jerusalem, making “havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (NKJV). Fourth, Acts 9:1 shows that Jerusalem was not enough to satisfy the young Pharisee’s oppression of the believers. Paul’s zeal for wiping out the church propels him to go to Damascus, where a sizable number of the followers of Jesus lived. His mission of death has now the seal of the high priest in Jerusalem (Acts 9:1). “For a time he [Saul] was a mighty instrument in the hands of Satan to carry out his rebellion against the Son of God.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 102. Then came that blinding vision on the Damascus road.
Consider This: Gamaliel was a leading Pharisee and a renowned teacher of Judaism. It was Gamaliel who restrained the Pharisees from their plot to kill the apostles by his sane advice that if Christianity “ ‘is of God, you cannot overthrow it’ ” (Acts 5:39, NKJV). Saul was Gamaliel’s brilliant student. What, then, caused Saul to go against his teacher’s counsel and pursue his death mission against Christians?
II. Saul the Convert (Review Acts 9:1-19, 22:1-10, 26:12-18 with the class.)
When God needs a person to fulfill a mission, He finds His chosen one. Hence Abraham out of Ur, Moses in the wilderness, Daniel in Babylon, Esther in Media-Persia, the Baptist in the wilderness, Peter from Galilee’s fishing trade. And Saul of Tarsus. The conversion of Saul from being the destroyer of Christianity to being its foremost evangelist and global missionary is of rare importance. The Jesus encounter and the blinding vision on the road nearing Damascus turned Saul from Christianity’s sworn enemy to its foremost advocate. The Damascus road swerved from becoming a pathway to murder to becoming instead an appointment with the risen Jesus. “ ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ” came the voice from heaven (Acts 9:4, NKJV). “ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ” the persecutor wanted to know (Acts 9:5, NKJV). The answer astounded Saul: “ ‘I am Jesus’ ” (Acts 9:5, NKJV). Jesus is ever the Interrupter in human life—from the life of Nicodemus the Pharisee, Jairus the synagogue ruler, the widow of Nain, the nameless woman at the Samaritan well, the centurion with a sick servant, Lazarus and his sisters, Simon the leper, Annas and Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate, to the life of Saul and innumerable others. Blessed is the one who yields to that divine interruption. Saul did yield to Jesus, asking that most important question in life, “ ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ ” (Acts 9:6 NKJV). Saul’s conversion was over, and in Damascus he was to be told of his future.
Consider This: The risen Jesus asked Saul the pointed question, “ ‘Why are you persecuting Me?’ ” (Acts 9:4, NKJV). The question’s implication is far ranging: any activity done or any word spoken against a person that diminishes that person is viewed by Jesus as done against Him. How does Jesus’ question to Saul inform the relational aspects of your life?
III. Saul the Apostle (Review Acts 9:26-30, 26:12-19 with the class.)
The transformation of Saul from being the most feared persecutor of the church to becoming its most passionate defender is a story without parallel. What happened after the Damascus road encounter with Jesus can be gathered from the accounts in Acts 9 and Galatians 1:15-24: (1) When Ananias utters those warm welcoming words, “ ‘Brother Saul,’ ” Saul the persecutor’s hostility against Christians collapses (Acts 9:17). Ananias baptizes Saul. (2) Saul preaches in Damascus convincingly about Jesus. (3) Saul goes to Arabia (Gal. 1:17) for prayer and reflection and for divine revelation on how best to serve his Lord. (4) Saul goes back to Damascus and ministers there for three years. (5) Saul returns to Jerusalem to join the disciples (Acts 9:26). (6) The apostles are not sure of Saul’s conversion, and it takes another convert—Barnabas—to declare to the apostles how Saul “had seen the Lord on the road . . . and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27, NKJV). (7) Saul stays in Jerusalem, preaching boldly, but the Hellenists are after his life. (8) Saul flees to his native place, Tarsus. (9) Perhaps Saul would have been the forgotten man of Christian history, except for the wonder of how the Holy Spirit works. The apostles, hearing of a marvelous, multicultural growth taking place in the Antioch church, sent Barnabas to investigate. Barnabas’s arrival further expanded the church, and Barnabas traveled all the way to Tarsus to recruit Saul to assist him at Antioch (Acts 11:25, 26). Soon the Saul-Barnabas team marched out on the first missionary journey of the church—a journey that still keeps circling the globe, awaiting the Master who promised to return when the “ ‘gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world’ ” (Matt. 24:14, NKJV).
Consider This: The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Take a few moments to discuss how the martyrdom of Stephen, and the persecution that followed, helped facilitate the fastest possible growth of the early church.
Step 3—APPLY
Just for Teachers: In the book of Acts, Luke uses the name “Saul” 25 times (NKJV) and “Paul” 129 times (NKJV). What is the significance of the two names? The apostle himself gives a clue in Acts 26:14: “ ‘I heard a voice speaking to me, saying in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ’ ” (NKJV). As a Pharisee, Saul was well versed in Hebrew (or the more common form, Aramaic), and in that language his name was Saul. But the Greek name is Paul. Given that his call is to be an apostle to the Gentiles, many of whom spoke Greek, the apostle seemed to have preferred to take the Greek form of the name. The apostle was a master in contextualization: “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22, NIV).
Thought Question:
What are some of the ways we can contextualize the preaching of the gospel?
Step 4—Create
Just for Teachers: After narrating his conversion story before King Agrippa, Saul laid out the compelling motto of his life since the Damascus road experience: “ ‘I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision’ ” (Acts 26:19, NKJV). This one brief sentence packages the entire life, witness, and martyrdom of the great apostle. Encourage each student to say or write down a single statement that summarizes his or her life and purpose as a Christian.
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Key Texts: Acts 26:8-19
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Know: The Steps in the Making of Saul
Feel: The Responsiveness and Obedience of Saul
Do: Serving God Resolutely
Summary: The transformation of the most intense persecutor of Christianity into its most passionate advocate illustrates that total change is available to all of us.
Learning Cycle
Step 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Gal. 1:1, 1 Cor. 9:1.
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Paul was a man of great faith, assurance, and courage—all because of his unreserved commitment to Jesus, whom Paul encountered on the road to Damascus. That single incident had a lifelong impact on Paul. It made Paul the courageous and Spirit-filled messenger he was. So, Paul could write with confidence to the church at Corinth about the Source of his strength in the midst of conflict: “Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?” (1 Cor. 9:1, NKJV). Today’s lesson shows us that our Christian confidence and courage comes only from our obedience to the calling to be Jesus’ disciples.
Just for Teachers: Paul described himself as “the least of the apostles” (1 Cor. 15:9, NKJV). But no single person was as influential as Paul in taking the good news about Jesus to the world. This “least of the apostles” crossed the most frontiers to spread the gospel, established the most churches, and wrote the most texts in Christian theology. Paul testifies to his calling as “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father” (Gal. 1:1, NKJV). It was Jesus who, confronting Paul on the road to Damascus, changed Paul’s life forever. The making of that great apostle is the focus of our lesson today.
Discussion: Even though Paul excelled in so many areas of life and service, why did he describe himself as “the least of all the saints” (Eph. 3:8, NKJV)? What role does humility play in being effective followers and witnesses for Jesus? Think of someone who has left an indelible impression on you. How are you a better person because of it?
Step 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: “When Christ revealed Himself to Paul, and he was convinced that he was persecuting Jesus in the person of His saints, he accepted the truth as it is in Jesus. A transforming power was manifested on mind and character, and he became a new man in Christ Jesus. He received the truth so fully that neither earth nor hell could shake his faith.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 346.
Today’s lesson explores Saul the persecutor, the convert, and the apostle.
Bible Commentary
I. Saul the Persecutor (Review Acts 7:58; 8:1, 3; 26:9-11 with the class.)
The first four references to Saul in Acts trace his life as a persecutor of the early Christians. In the first reference, Saul stands guarding the clothes of the men who dragged Stephen off to death (Acts 7:58). Second, Acts 8:1 records that Saul gave consent to Stephen’s death—an act that led to his election as “a member of the Sanhedrin council.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 102. The search for power often begins with silent compromise and then speedily moves to embrace the path of self-promotion. One act of evil leads to another even more daring act. Each act of evil, step by step, leads to the sale of one’s conscience to the highest bidder. Third, in Acts 8:3, Saul makes his diabolic move in Jerusalem, making “havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (NKJV). Fourth, Acts 9:1 shows that Jerusalem was not enough to satisfy the young Pharisee’s oppression of the believers. Paul’s zeal for wiping out the church propels him to go to Damascus, where a sizable number of the followers of Jesus lived. His mission of death has now the seal of the high priest in Jerusalem (Acts 9:1). “For a time he [Saul] was a mighty instrument in the hands of Satan to carry out his rebellion against the Son of God.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 102. Then came that blinding vision on the Damascus road.
Consider This: Gamaliel was a leading Pharisee and a renowned teacher of Judaism. It was Gamaliel who restrained the Pharisees from their plot to kill the apostles by his sane advice that if Christianity “ ‘is of God, you cannot overthrow it’ ” (Acts 5:39, NKJV). Saul was Gamaliel’s brilliant student. What, then, caused Saul to go against his teacher’s counsel and pursue his death mission against Christians?
II. Saul the Convert (Review Acts 9:1-19, 22:1-10, 26:12-18 with the class.)
When God needs a person to fulfill a mission, He finds His chosen one. Hence Abraham out of Ur, Moses in the wilderness, Daniel in Babylon, Esther in Media-Persia, the Baptist in the wilderness, Peter from Galilee’s fishing trade. And Saul of Tarsus. The conversion of Saul from being the destroyer of Christianity to being its foremost evangelist and global missionary is of rare importance. The Jesus encounter and the blinding vision on the road nearing Damascus turned Saul from Christianity’s sworn enemy to its foremost advocate. The Damascus road swerved from becoming a pathway to murder to becoming instead an appointment with the risen Jesus. “ ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ” came the voice from heaven (Acts 9:4, NKJV). “ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ” the persecutor wanted to know (Acts 9:5, NKJV). The answer astounded Saul: “ ‘I am Jesus’ ” (Acts 9:5, NKJV). Jesus is ever the Interrupter in human life—from the life of Nicodemus the Pharisee, Jairus the synagogue ruler, the widow of Nain, the nameless woman at the Samaritan well, the centurion with a sick servant, Lazarus and his sisters, Simon the leper, Annas and Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate, to the life of Saul and innumerable others. Blessed is the one who yields to that divine interruption. Saul did yield to Jesus, asking that most important question in life, “ ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ ” (Acts 9:6 NKJV). Saul’s conversion was over, and in Damascus he was to be told of his future.
Consider This: The risen Jesus asked Saul the pointed question, “ ‘Why are you persecuting Me?’ ” (Acts 9:4, NKJV). The question’s implication is far ranging: any activity done or any word spoken against a person that diminishes that person is viewed by Jesus as done against Him. How does Jesus’ question to Saul inform the relational aspects of your life?
III. Saul the Apostle (Review Acts 9:26-30, 26:12-19 with the class.)
The transformation of Saul from being the most feared persecutor of the church to becoming its most passionate defender is a story without parallel. What happened after the Damascus road encounter with Jesus can be gathered from the accounts in Acts 9 and Galatians 1:15-24: (1) When Ananias utters those warm welcoming words, “ ‘Brother Saul,’ ” Saul the persecutor’s hostility against Christians collapses (Acts 9:17). Ananias baptizes Saul. (2) Saul preaches in Damascus convincingly about Jesus. (3) Saul goes to Arabia (Gal. 1:17) for prayer and reflection and for divine revelation on how best to serve his Lord. (4) Saul goes back to Damascus and ministers there for three years. (5) Saul returns to Jerusalem to join the disciples (Acts 9:26). (6) The apostles are not sure of Saul’s conversion, and it takes another convert—Barnabas—to declare to the apostles how Saul “had seen the Lord on the road . . . and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27, NKJV). (7) Saul stays in Jerusalem, preaching boldly, but the Hellenists are after his life. (8) Saul flees to his native place, Tarsus. (9) Perhaps Saul would have been the forgotten man of Christian history, except for the wonder of how the Holy Spirit works. The apostles, hearing of a marvelous, multicultural growth taking place in the Antioch church, sent Barnabas to investigate. Barnabas’s arrival further expanded the church, and Barnabas traveled all the way to Tarsus to recruit Saul to assist him at Antioch (Acts 11:25, 26). Soon the Saul-Barnabas team marched out on the first missionary journey of the church—a journey that still keeps circling the globe, awaiting the Master who promised to return when the “ ‘gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world’ ” (Matt. 24:14, NKJV).
Consider This: The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Take a few moments to discuss how the martyrdom of Stephen, and the persecution that followed, helped facilitate the fastest possible growth of the early church.
Step 3—APPLY
Just for Teachers: In the book of Acts, Luke uses the name “Saul” 25 times (NKJV) and “Paul” 129 times (NKJV). What is the significance of the two names? The apostle himself gives a clue in Acts 26:14: “ ‘I heard a voice speaking to me, saying in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ’ ” (NKJV). As a Pharisee, Saul was well versed in Hebrew (or the more common form, Aramaic), and in that language his name was Saul. But the Greek name is Paul. Given that his call is to be an apostle to the Gentiles, many of whom spoke Greek, the apostle seemed to have preferred to take the Greek form of the name. The apostle was a master in contextualization: “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22, NIV).
Thought Question:
What are some of the ways we can contextualize the preaching of the gospel?
Step 4—Create
Just for Teachers: After narrating his conversion story before King Agrippa, Saul laid out the compelling motto of his life since the Damascus road experience: “ ‘I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision’ ” (Acts 26:19, NKJV). This one brief sentence packages the entire life, witness, and martyrdom of the great apostle. Encourage each student to say or write down a single statement that summarizes his or her life and purpose as a Christian.