Stephen’s face was not set
against the grim faces of the Sanhedrin, but up toward the face of the One who
loved him completely. Stephen’s face was
magnificently shining because he never took his eyes off the face of His
Lord. And, among all of the people to
witness the radiance of Stephen’s face in the face of his stoning, was Saul of
Tarsus. Saul stood by to make sure that
everything measured up to the Deuteronomic Code for stoning a blasphemer. Luke even tells us that those engaged in the stoning
Stephen laid their garments at Saul’s feet.
As the death blow hit, Stephen’s
prayer reveals to Saul the source of his power.
A chill must have run through the Pharisee’s heart as he heard the name
he had grown to hate so passionately, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” In the midst of his hatred, another emotion,
fear, must have emerged as he watched Stephen commit his spirit to Jesus, then
ask that same Jesus to forgive the sin committed against him by Saul and the
others.
But think of the reaction
of the church. What was the Lord
doing? How could he allow this to happen
to one as faithful as Stephen? Why
didn’t He stop it? Stephen was at the
height of his power as a witness. Why
snuff out so bright a flame? And by all
means, what can the church ever do to stop Saul from all of his ravages? By chapter 9 we have all of our answers.
Someone has said, “Paul is
the most important human being who ever lived.
He led the church into a worldwide movement, formulated its theology,
and shaped its destiny. Without Paul, or
someone like him, the infant church would not have grown into the spiritual and
intellectual maturity which changed the course of human history. And the only explanation of the dynamic of
his leadership and the immensity of his gifts was that he was a man in Christ.”
And while all of this is
true, it’s instructive to examine the nature of the transformation in Saul’s
life. How did the Lord save him? How did He open his eyes? How did He demonstrate the magnitude of His
love for him? How did He seize Saul with
the heart of a great affection? And how
in the world did he move Saul from a mortal enemy of the church to a beloved
brother? In short, He did it through a
clear dispensation of justice and loving kindness.
This week we will examine
in some detail the conversion of Saul and his integration into the body of
Christ in a message entitled, “Falling Scales”.
The principle text of the morning is Acts 9:1-8; 17-19 and our companion
text is Acts 26:12-18. In preparation
for Sunday’s message you may wish to consider the following:
1.
Why
was Saul going to Damascus?
2.
How
do you suppose the church of Jesus Christ had taken root in Damascus?
3.
What
do you think Saul’s attitude was as he traveled the miles between Jerusalem and
Damascus?
4.
Where
in the Book of Acts does Paul speak of his encounter with Jesus on the
“Damascus Road”? What details does he
add? (See Acts 22 & 26)
5.
In
Acts 26:14 Paul elaborates on Jesus’ question in verse 4. What do you think Jesus means when He speaks
of Paul’s burden?
6.
Why
does Jesus refer to Saul’s persecution as being against Him rather than against
His disciples?
7.
How
is Jesus demonstrating His signature of justice and kindness in His question in
verse 4?
8.
Why
does Jesus not effect a total change in Saul all at once? Why involve Ananias?
9.
What
do you make of the falling scales in verse 18?
What was the purpose of the scales?
10.
Why
do some commentators call verse 19 one of the greatest understatements in the
Scriptures?
See you Sunday!
