Paul arrived in Jerusalem, where the Jews, enraged by his ministry to both Jews and Gentiles, incited a mob to kill him. As they beat him, Roman authorities intervened, taking Paul to the barracks. Before being led away, Paul requested permission to address the crowd. Standing before them, he shared his testimony.
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of our ancestral law. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail, as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me.”
Paul recounted his past as a zealous persecutor of Christians, establishing common ground with his audience. He then described his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, where he intended to further harm Christ’s followers.
“I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’”
Paul shared how a blinding light and a voice from heaven transformed his life. In Damascus, a man restored his sight, and later, in a vision in Jerusalem, God called him to be a witness to all people, including the Gentiles—a mission the Jews would reject. Paul protested, believing his past as a persecutor would lend credibility to his testimony, but God insisted.
“He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
This declaration was more than the crowd could bear. Already furious that Paul had ministered to Gentiles, they erupted in rage upon hearing that Jesus had twice commissioned him for this purpose. Unable to handle the truth of God’s inclusive plan, they tore their clothes and threw dust into the air, prompting the Roman commander to take Paul into custody.
Paul’s testimony, though met with hostility, was a powerful witness. The Jews could not refute his words; they could only attempt to silence him through violence. God had prepared Paul as a scholar and zealous Jew, meeting him in his misguided passion and redirecting it for His glory. Paul identified with the crowd, showing them that he once shared their zeal, but Jesus had transformed him and called him to proclaim the gospel to all people—even the Gentiles.
Like Paul’s, our testimony holds power to reveal God’s transformative work in our lives. It may not always be well-received; some may reject the truth we share, just as the Jews could not accept Paul’s message. Yet, we are called to faithfully proclaim what God has done, trusting Him with the outcome.
Are we sharing our story of God’s grace in our lives, even when it is met with resistance? May we, like Paul, be unwavering in our witness, allowing God to use our testimony to draw others to Him.
