The first passage is the account of the first martyr, Stephen, being stoned by the Jews. The second is the Apostle Paul’s profession of faith. The third is an astonishing account of the Apostle Paul after his conversion.
Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Acts 7:54-8:3
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer.
For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:14-16, 21
So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Acts 11:25, 26
For anyone who is willing to take a stand against Christianity that is not based on complete ignorance, he or she must find an explanation for the complete 180 degree turn around of Saul of Tarsus who went from persecuting the early church to writing a dozen books of the New Testament.
I have no reservation in saying that any explanation you can come up with will be foolishness compared to the truth.
The truth is that Paul met the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus (Acts 22) and his life was almost instantaneously altered from one bent on destroying the Christian faith to a life that just about every Christian who has followed wished they could approach in terms of zeal, obedience, and fruitfulness. To this day, Paul’s legacy lives and speaks to the hearts and minds of millions of people. That legacy could only be preserved by a supernatural power intent on displaying an undying love for creation.
There is no other explanation. You may try and conceive of one, but you will be found to lack any educated support. Why not just conclude what all of the evidence indicates? Why not take a real look at the historical events that surround the life of Jesus Christ and see if you can find reasonable evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was a liar and a fraud? You won’t find any evidence to that end. You’ll only find Christ.
Consider these final words of Paul to the Corinthians and decide for yourself if you will remain in ignorance or take a step of faith and find the Truth for yourself.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
Don’t stumble over Christ as if He were a Rock of offense. Don’t harden your heart because it seems impossible and foolish that He rose from the dead. If you don’t believe these words, believe the evidence. Believe the eye witness accounts of men who went on to be tortured and executed before they would denounce their allegiance to Jesus of Nazareth, a simple, humble son of a carpenter, who was also God incarnate and died for the sin of the world that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus lives. Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.
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