Joel M Bradshaw

1And Saul approved of their killing [Stephen]. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.–Acts 8

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. (Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15, with emphasis)

1. Saul approved of the public stoning of a Christian.
2. Godly men mourned. It’s as if the writer, Luke, was reminding us that his travel companion, Paul (his Roman citizen name), wasn’t always godly.
3. Saul then did some things we would normally picture with Germany in World War II. Going house to house and dragging people to prison.
4. Humility and confession are the best responses to sin. Then the process of making amends (if possible) and living a life of repentance can begin.
5. Some have considered Paul the greatest gift to the church. Yet, he was once the church’s worst enemy.
6. Paul’s past didn’t define him forever. Revisit point 4 above. Live that way, and in faith, trust Jesus with your past.
7. Reread the Timothy verse above. Christ saved a sinner like Paul. Even Paul. You are not too dirty. If a sinner could be too dirty, Paul was.–JMB