Conversion and Labors of St.

Paul

Gian Parham

CHIST-214-514-Church History I: Early Christians to Middle Ages

Dr. Marie Nuar

December 6, 2020

There are instances throughout the story of salvation where God uses seemingly

undesirable men to fulfil His promises and build up the Kingdom on earth. Men like Moses, who
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committed murder, King David, who committed adultery and conspired to murder, and Peter

who denied Christ were all called to mission by God. Saul, who was also called Paul, would follow

suit. Saul was zealous in his love of God and as a result, persecuted Christians because in his

estimation Christians were blasphemers and enemies of Israel – God’s firstborn; His chosen

people. Despite his persecution of Christians, Paul was also called by God to the mission. The

climax of Saul’s life was the “blinding vision” which opened his eyes of faith in Jesus Christ, not

as a blasphemer, but as The Lord God whom he had given his life of service to. “After the

extraordinary event that occurred on the road to Damascus, Saul, who was zealous in his

persecution of the nascent Church, was transformed into a tireless apostle of the Gospel of Jesus

Christ.”1 St Luke the Evangelist informed the early Christian Church of Jesus’ proclamation that

“This man [Paul] is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and

to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Thus, Paul began this undertaking, embracing his call and

mission like his ancestors before him. St. Paul’s conversion leads to a profound act of reparation

which rippled through the ages by way of his writings, preaching, and his answering the call to

mission making Jesus known to the world.

St Paul is quite the character in the story of salvation and is surrounded by both admiration

and controversy in many circles of academia. It seemed that from his very beginnings, God carved

out his fate to become one of the most valiant promulgators of the Christian faith. In fact, “the

influence of Paul on subsequent Christianity has been incalculable. Not for nothing was he hailed a

century ago as ‘the second founder of Christianity’.”2 Although a lot of what is known about his

life is attributed to his own writings; his “autobiography” encapsulated by his epistles to the

churches. It is through the historian and Evangelist, Luke, that the early life of Paul is revealed.

Being born in Tarsus in Cilicia to a Jewish mother and a Roman father3, gave Paul a unique

1 Benedict XVI, Homily, Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, 25 January, 2012

2 James D.G. Dunn, The Cambridge Companion to St Paul (Cambridge University: Cambridge University Press
2005),
3 Acts 22:16-32, NIV
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position in his ministry. One that would allow him to have a foot into both worlds while labouring

for the Kingdom.

Paul’s call from a life of persecuting Christians to revering the Body of Christ was his way

of making reparation with God. Saul was a devout Jew and a Pharisee who closely followed the

law prescribed by Moses, but more importantly, he loved God above everything else. As a result,

he saw the followers of Jesus as a threat to God and the Law. As a result, he was determined to

eradicate them. Paul declared that if “someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in

the flesh, I have more:  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of

Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the

church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless” (Phil 3:4-6). Little did Paul know that God

change his life completely, in what could be one of the most ironic stories recorded in Christian

history. Paul, by God’s grace was knocked off his “high horse” ending his mission of persecution

and thus began the process of his conversion in preparation for a new mission.4 Paul’s experience

on the road to Damascus which led to his metanoia was precisely because he encountered the risen

Christ5 whom he was persecuting. Appearing to Paul, Jesus’ utterance, “Saul, Saul, why are you

persecuting Me?... I am Jesus whom you are persecuting” penetrated the debts of Paul’s heart and

there was no doubt in his heart that he encountered the risen Lord-the Messiah. Paul discovered the

purpose for his existence and becomes an Apostle to the Gentiles. “But when God, who set me

apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me

so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any

human being” (Gal 1:15-16). From this moment, Paul would unceasingly preach the love of God

and the resurrected Lord who saved him from damnation.

4 Acts 9:1-22, NIV

5 1 Cor 9:1; 15:8. NIV
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St Paul preached, wrote and established faith communities where ever he went to inculcate

the teachings of the Apostles given to them by Jesus Christ. Paul was no doubt an excellent

candidate to carry out the conversion of the Gentiles because of his educational formation. Trained

and educated under the notable Jewish Rabbi Gamaliel6, Paul would have been eloquent with

public speaking that would draw many to believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it reiterated

a message of hope of eternal life with the risen Christ. This mission entrusted to Paul was not easy

and caused controversy among Jews and Gentiles wherever he went. However, this did not deter

Paul. He served with his every fibre of his being that he, who was once the persecutor, becomes

the persecuted and was imprisoned. This allowed for him to prayerfully write to the Churches/faith

communities he would have established across the Roman Empire. In his travels, Paul would

become involved in many debates7 and would attract many people who would form faith

communities wherever he went. One example of his prowess to debate is recorded in Acts 17.

After his elocution, “Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was

Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others”

(Acts 17:34). Paul’s zeal for missionary work has inspired many throughout the years. Pope John

Paul II noted that he “sense an urgent duty to repeat this cry of St. Paul. From the beginning of my

Pontificate, I have chosen to travel to the ends of the earth in order to show this missionary

concern. My direct contact with peoples who do not know Christ has convinced me even more of

the urgency of missionary activity.”8

St Paul’s letters along with the Gospels have kept Christianity, even today, focused on the

“prize”, Jesus Christ, as we journey to the promised land. “Today, in the light of this, we can ask:

How do we proclaim this Gospel of reconciliation after centuries of division? Paul himself helps us

to find the way. He makes clear that reconciliation in Christ requires sacrifice” (Pope Francis

6 Acts 22:3, NIV

7 Acts 17:17, NIV
8 John Paul II. Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio. 1978, par 1
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Homily, 2017). Paul, through his own experience of encountering God’s love and mercy, was

determined to bring the Gentiles into right relationship with God. He desired that they too would

undergo a metanoia and receive salvation through the one Lord and God. “The universality of this

salvation in Christ is asserted throughout the New Testament. St. Paul acknowledges the risen

Christ as the Lord. … Paul reacts against the polytheism of the religious environment of his time

and emphasizes what is characteristic of the Christian faith: belief in one God and one Lord sent by

God”9 One reason Paul’s message was so transformative was that he preached the Resurrected

Christ and through Jesus death was defeated. This was a very appealing message for people Paul’s

time and even for us today. As Paul’s message and teachings are reflected upon in today’s

contemporary society, some of the core Christian beliefs and morality are visible as pointed out by

E.P. Sanders:

“In these and many other passages we see the emphasis of the Christian message:

(1) God had sent his Son; (2) he suffered and died by crucifixion for the benefit of

humanity; (3) he was raised and was now in heaven; (4) he would soon return;

and (5) those who belonged to him would live with him forever (Sanders, 150).

In Conclusion, Paul lived his full potential through the grace because of

his profound love for God. Apart from Jesus Christ who is the head of the Church

and founder of Christianity, St Paul is the greatest contributor to the precepts of

Christianity. He did not credit any of this for himself, but as he noted, "For if I

preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid

upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!" (1 Cor 9: 16) His life was

spent in reparation because he encountered the God of his fathers.

9 John Paul II. Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio. 1978, par 5

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Bibliography

Baur, Ferdinand Christian, Allan Menzies, and Eduard Zeller. Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ,
His Life and Work, His Epistles and His Doctrine: a Contribution to a Critical History of
Primitive Christianity. London: Williams and Norgate, 1876.
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Benedict. Saint Paul: General Audiences, July 2, 2008-February 4, 2009. San Francisco, CA:
Ignatius Press, 2017.

Dunn, James Douglas Grant. The Cambridge Companion to St Paul. Camridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2003.

Hahn, Scott. A Pocket Guide to St. Paul. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Pub. Division, 2008.

New International Version (NIV) - Version Information - BibleGateway.com. Accessed November

9, 2020. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/.

“Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990): John Paul II.” Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990) |
John Paul II, December 7, 1990. http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-
ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio.html.

“Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle - Celebration of Second Vespers (25
January 2017): Francis.” Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle - Celebration
of Second Vespers (25 January 2017) | Francis, January 25, 2017.
http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2017/documents/papa-
francesco_20170125_vespri-conversione-san-paolo.html.

Wright, Nicholas T. Paul: in Fresh Perspective. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2009.