Paul’s Past and God’s Transforming Grace

Acts 26:9–11 (NASB95) 

9“So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10“And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. 11“And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. 

Paul recounts his past as a zealous persecutor of Christians, detailing how he imprisoned believers, cast his vote against them in their executions, and even sought to force them to blaspheme. His rage against followers of Jesus drove him to pursue them relentlessly, even to foreign cities. By sharing these details, Paul highlights the depth of his opposition to Jesus before his conversion, emphasizing that his transformation could only have been the result of divine intervention. This testimony serves to magnify the grace and power of God, who took someone so vehemently opposed to the Gospel and turned him into one of its greatest advocates. Paul’s honesty about his past also exposes the injustice and cruelty of his former actions, contrasting them with the mercy and truth he now proclaims. 

Paul’s testimony reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. His transformation challenges us to trust in God’s power to change even the hardest hearts and to never give up on praying for those who seem far from Him. It also encourages us to be honest about our own pasts, using our stories of redemption to point others to the hope and forgiveness found in Jesus. As the modern church, let us boldly proclaim the Gospel, trusting that God can use our testimonies to reveal His grace and draw others to Himself.