Saul Becomes Paul

In Zion Saul went first to Christian brothers,
But they trusted not that he now believed;
Barnabas vouched for him to the others,
Telling how Christ appeared and was received.
The twelve apostles accepted; Saul preached
Boldly to Jews in synagogues, but soon
Their hatred for him the boiling point reached;
Again he escaped by dark of the moon!
Back home to Tarsus; where the Spirit led
Deep inside Arabia for years;
The gospel into his quick mind was fed;
He was ready, when Barnabas appears!
He readily heeded the Antioch call---
Pharisee Saul was now apostle Paul!

“I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that men made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my previous way of life in Jerusalem, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days.” (Galatians 1:11-18)

This was written by Paul in a letter to the churches he had established among the Gentiles in the region of Galatia. It is an account of his conversion when he was called by Jesus from heaven on the road to Damascus in the Book of Acts, Chapter 9. He is writing to chide them for allowing Judaizers to come into their fellowship and persuade them to become circumcized to become Christians saved by God. He emphasizes that when he first preached to them he was not teaching man-made doctrines but the actual truths revealed to him by Jesus from heaven. Since he had not been with Jesus any when He was on earth, he was establishing his credentials for being an apostle by telling his experience of Jesus’ appearance to him from heaven and his experience in Arabia, when the gospel was revealed directly to him by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

There is some confusion about just when he went to Arabia. It is not mentioned by Luke, the author of Acts. Paul says he went to Arabia “immediately” upon being called; that is, before proceeding on to Damascus. This is not mentioned in the account in Acts. There can be no doubt that he did go to Arabia; if not, where did he get his detailed knowledge of the teachings of Jesus that proves to be more accurate even that that of those who accompanied Him for three years on earth? This is proof to me of the existence and workings of the Holy Spirit.

For several years after Jesus left the earth, His apostles and disciples preached only to Jews. A few Gentiles were converted by being present in Jerusalem or in the places where they preached; they were mostly required to be circumcized and to be taught Mosaic Law, and to believe in Jesus as well. Even after Peter was especially called to the home of Cornelius and received his household into the fellowship, the church at Jerusalem had a strong group of Judaizers that were prejudiced toward Gentiles. It seems to me that Paul was called by Jesus specifically to establish the equality of all races in Christianity.

It is well to note the helpful role played by Barnabas in Paul’s discipleship. He convinced the believers, including the apostles, to accept him and trust him on his first appearance in Jerusalem after accepting Jesus Christ. Then again, it was Barnabas who went from the church at Antioch to Tarsus to call him to that church to begin his ministry. If Paul had a home church, it was Antioch. They sent him out as a missionary to the Gentiles.