Saul/Paul

"We must get rid of these Christians now!" Saul said.

"They are leading our people astray with their teaching about Jesus."

The Jewish leaders, including the Sadducees and Pharisees like Saul, agreed. "Over 3,000 people became believers in Jesus during our last Pentecost holiday! They must be stopped!"

"Let me go and find these Christians," Saul said. The leaders agreed. So Saul broke into houses and dragged men and women away to prison. Some ran away and spread the gospel in other cities. "Let me hunt them all down," Saul said. "If they won't take back what they have said about believing in Jesus, they must be killed!"

The leaders agreed with Saul. "Go and find the Christians. Take these letters to Damascus and warn our people against believing in Jesus. Then seize his followers and kill them.”

Saul looked forward to finding many believers in Damascus. But on the way there, he was shocked as a light from heaven flashed around him. Blinded by the bright light, he fell to the ground. “Saul,” a voice said from heaven. “Saul, why are you hurting me?”

Terrified, Saul trembled. “Who are you, Lord?”

“I am Jesus, whom you are hurting. But get up and go into Damascus, and you’ll be told what you must do.”

The others with Saul helped him get into the city and left him there. Saul prayed for forgiveness and waited. Three days later, a stranger named Ananias came to him. "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me so that you may receive your sight again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

The moment Ananias spoke, thin pieces of skin like the scales on a fish fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again! "Jesus is the Messiah!" Saul said. "He is the Son of God!"

Saul became known as the apostle Paul when he went out on his first missionary journey. He went from city to city, teaching about Jesus. He started churches everywhere he went. Many people believed Paul, learning to love and follow Jesus. But many others did not believe Paul. They hated him and often started riots when he spoke. Five times, he received 39 lashes with a whip! Once he was stoned and left for dead. But after Jesus' followers gathered around him, he was able to get up again. Three times, Paul was shipwrecked.

He worked hard as a tent maker in order to make a living and keep teaching. He travelled all across the Roman Empire and suffered from hunger, thirst, cold winters, and hot summers. He crossed rivers and mountains, and he faced robbers, angry Jewish leaders, and Romans who wanted to kill him. Everywhere Paul went, he lived in danger but still praised Jesus and trusted in Him.

In the end, Paul was put in prison for telling the truth about Jesus being God's Son. Paul knew finishing his life on earth. He called his life a race. He was glad he had run his race well, but now he was ready to live with Jesus in heaven.

After the day Jesus spoke to Paul on the road to Damascus, all that mattered to Paul was telling everyone who would listen to him to believe in Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God the Messiah, our Saviour and Lord!

 

 

Paul spent the first half of his life hunting down Christians and sending them to prison. Because Jesus spoke to him from heaven, he spent the second half of his life as a Christian himself. How do you think Paul's life would have been different if Jesus had not spoken to him? How do you think Paul felt about the way he had treated Christians? We know that God forgave him, but other Christians were afraid of him at first. Do you think it was hard for them to forgive Paul? Why or why not?

 

Maybe some people are unkind to you or make fun of you because of what you believe. How does that make you feel? We all want everyone to agree with us. Have you ever hurt or made fun of someone who believed something that you didn't? Is it ever right to be mean to someone who doesn't agree with you? Asking for forgiveness from God and the person you wronged is always the right choice. So is showing love to everyone.