The Conversion of Saul and the Infinite Merit of Suffering

Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus is one of the most famous stories of the New Testament. Let’s look closely at some of the details. To do so first, we must go to Acts 5, where we read:

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

When they heard this they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamali-el, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a while.

We know from Paul’s other writings that he was one of the students of Gama-ilel, the rabbi mentioned in here. Paul very may well have been one of the ones that was “enraged and wanted to kill them”. Then we see in Acts 8 that Paul is present at the stoning of Stephen and approves.

And Saul was consenting to his death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the region 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. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

We also know that the writer of Acts is Luke, who was Paul’s travelling companion of many years. Thus, these passages are in a sense a confession of Paul to the crimes he committed before his conversion. Therefore, they tend to reinforce the credibility of the entire book.

With this background we ride with Paul on the road to Damascus. We know from history that Paul would have traveled to Damascus with an entourage. It simply wasn’t safe to travel alone and Paul was going to arrest people, thus Paul would likely have been traveling with soldiers. Further, the text says there are witnesses present. The passage states, “The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.” We’ll learn later that the only reason Paul is not convicted of treason is because so many witness testify that something happened on that road that the Sanhedrin decides to leave well enough alone and let Paul go.

Then we come to the moment of Paul’s conversion. Paul is riding his horse along the road. There is a blinding light. He is thrown off. He encounters the resurrected and glorified Jesus Christ. What the Jesus says to Saul?

Saul, Saul, why do you persecute ME?

Now we have no evidence that Saul knew Jesus before the resurrection. There certainly no evidence that he ever persecuted Jesus directly. Saul has only persecuted the disciples of Jesus. Yet Jesus says, “why do you persecute ME?’ For Jesus, there is no difference between Himself and his disciples.

This will become a major theme in Paul’s future writings. Paul will speak of Baptism incorporating one into the Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:13) Paul will speak of his no longer living but Jesus living in him. (Galatians 2:20) He will speak of members of the body of Christ being so closely bound together that they are the same as a person’s own hand to their own foot. (1 Corinthians 12:15) This is why Jesus says that “what you do to the least of these you do to me.” (Matthew 25:40). This is what it means when the Church is called the bride of Christ and we are taught that a bride and groom become “one flesh”.

This was the idea that changed the world – that Christ, his disciples and the Church are indistinguishable from each other. This was the concept that ended tribal divisions and made caring for the sick and poor the Christian way of life. Can one be racist if the subject of their hate is indistinguishable from the Lord? Can one step over a homeless person on the street if it is the same as stepping over Jesus on the road to Calvary? The reality of this truth is what we have largely lost today.

Finally, notice what Jesus wants from Paul.

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15-16)

This will become another theme in Paul’s writings. Suffering for the cause of Jesus is valuable. Suffering has merit. Why? It is because of how closely we are united to Jesus. We are so closely bonded with Jesus that our suffering is suffering through, with and in Jesus. The suffering Jesus suffered on the Cross was not just the pains of that day 2000 years ago. The suffering of the Cross was all the suffering there ever was and ever will be in the world. When we suffer, if we unite that suffering to the Cross through Jesus by prayer, our suffering can then be and is meritorious. We actually can participate in the work of salvation by uniting our sufferings to Christ. That is why Paul will write,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am make up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church… (Colossians 1:24)

How could there be anything lacking in Christ’s afflictions? They only thing that could possibly be lacking is our participation. When we direct are will to accept suffering and in prayer join it to the Cross we make up what was lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Since Jesus suffered these afflictions on the Cross for our salvation we are therefore participating in the work of salvation.

Finally, notice that from the moment of Paul’s conversion Jesus has Paul’s faith but what Jesus wants is Paul’s suffering. Why would a good God want suffering? Paul will do many great works for Christ. He will travel the known world. He will endure many sufferings including ship wrecks, beatings, and eventually martyrdom. But it will all be worth it because as Paul will later say, “we are God’s co-workers”. This is why Jesus wants Paul to suffer for him because through the Cross He has made suffering meritorious.