He Made His Mind Over

AT FIRST, Saul of Tarsus felt no regrets over his role in the murder of Stephen.a In fact, he went from bad to worse. Full of religious fervor, he was “breathing threat and murder against the disciples of the Lord” in Jerusalem. He had innocent men and women dragged off to prison. When Christians were on trial, Saul voted for their execution. He thus set off a wave of persecution that swept through the city, forcing many Christians to flee for their lives. But that was not enough for Saul. He asked the high priest for letters granting him permission to unleash the same kind of persecution in Damascus.

Letters in hand, Saul and some companions traveled northward for that famed desert city. He did not realize that Jesus was alive at his Father’s side in heaven. Jehovah and his Son knew all about Saul. Amazingly, they saw a potential for good in him. As Saul’s party neared Damascus, there was a sudden flash of light around them. It was “beyond the brilliance of the sun”! Saul fell to the ground, blinded.

A voice called out. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” The voice rebuked Saul for being like a stubborn bull that injures itself by kicking at the stick his master uses to guide it. Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The answer must have stabbed Saul to the heart. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Jesus directed him to stand and then told him about the work that lay ahead. He was to be a witness, testifying to the truth of all that Jesus had taught. Saul, now blind, was to open the eyes of unbelievers, turning people away from darkness and into the light.

The heavenly vision humbled that proud, hard man. Still blind, Saul had to be led into Damascus, where he waited until a Christian there contacted him. For three days Saul fasted. That was surely a sign of his sorrow, his crushed heart, and his deep repentance. No doubt he prayed long and hard to Jehovah. Saul now knew that he had been persecuting God’s own beloved Son! Jesus sent a Christian named Ananias to Saul. Though fearful at first, Ananias went; he laid his hands on Saul. Then, “what looked like scales fell from his eyes.” He could see! A humbler, wiser man, Saul “got up and was baptized.”

Now a Christian, Saul went to work. Instead of returning to Jerusalem, he did a most difficult thing. He went to the synagogues in Damascus​—where he was likely well-known. He surely prayed for courage. Imagine the faces of his audience as he told them that he had been wrong all along and that he was now a Christian! And he did not stop. He “kept on acquiring more and more power and was confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus, as he proved logically that this is the Christ.”

At some point while living in Damascus, Saul traveled to Arabia, perhaps the Syrian deserts. The Bible doesn’t say why, but it is easy to imagine him alone in the wilderness, deep in thought and prayer, contemplating the great mission that lay ahead. Saul never stopped studying and pondering the Scriptures. He truly made his mind over. Later, he encouraged his fellow Christians in Rome to keep doing that same thing.​—Rom. 12:2.

Saul never forgot the terrible things he had done in the past. Even years later, he recalled: “I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man.” (1 Tim. 1:13) He spoke regretfully about the death of Stephen. (Acts 22:19-21) Still, Saul knew this: He had been forgiven by Jesus and Jehovah, and they continued to bless him.

Saul had been in Damascus for some three years when persecution forced him to flee the city. After being lowered from the city wall in a basket, he headed for Jerusalem. Much of his journey as a Christian still lay ahead of him.

Read the Bible account:

• Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-25; 26:4, 5, 9-20

• Galatians 1:13-18

For discussion:

In what ways did Saul of Tarsus show courage in this part of his life?

Dig Deeper

1. 1. Why could Saul state that his hometown, Tarsus, was “no obscure city”? (Acts 21:39; w99 5/15 30 ¶1) A

   Your answer

   

   Todd Bolen/​BiblePlaces.com

2. 2. Why was Saul likely familiar with Jewish, Greek, and Roman culture? (bt 62, box ¶1-3)

   Your answer

3. 3. What did Saul mean when he said that Jesus appeared to him “as if to one born prematurely”? (1 Cor. 15:8; w22.09 27)

   Your answer

4. 4. What supports the accuracy of Luke’s account of Saul’s conversion in Damascus? (Acts 9:11, 24, 25; g03 2/8 24-26) B

   Your answer

   

   Photo by ROLOC Color Slides

Reflect on the Lessons

• Saul humbly accepted help from Ananias and other Christians. (Acts 9:17, 18; Col. 4:10, 11) In what situations should we accept help from others?

  Your answer

• Saul did not allow past accomplishments or past mistakes to distract him from his worship of Jehovah. (Phil. 3:4-8; 1 Tim. 1:12-16) How can we imitate him? C

  Your answer

  

• How else might you imitate the courage shown by Saul in this account?

  Your answer

Meditate on the Bigger Picture

• What does this account teach me about Jehovah?

  Your answer

• How does the account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?

  Your answer

• What did you learn about Saul in this account that makes you happy he was chosen to rule with Christ in heaven?

  Your answer

Learn More

See how a former persecutor, like Saul, made his mind over.

Love Convinced “the Saul of Sado” (5:50)

How does Saul’s example help us to have a good routine of study, to cultivate love, and to have a proper view of ourselves?

“Make Spiritual Progress by Following Paul’s Example” (w08 5/15 21-25)