The Damascus Road

¹ And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, ² And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way^a, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. ³ And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: ⁴ And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁵ And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. ⁶ And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. ⁷ And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.  Acts 9:1-7

The Apostle Paul was a mighty man for God in His later life but at first he zealously persecuted the infant church of God. You see, his idea was that his religion was the true religion and that the Christians were apostates. Therefore he sought to correct the religious dissenters. 

What was the major contention in the Christian church that caused the row between the Jewish leaders and the Christians?  Jesus Christ the Messiah had declared "⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ⁷ If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. ⁸ Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. ⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?^"

The Saviour came not only to redeem mankind but also to reveal to His people and the universe the kind of person that God is, and thus win them to faith and trust. He presented a picture of God totally opposite to the one that was popularly held. When this message was presented it lead to his death. The followers of Jesus were found to be just like Him in character and hence their message was opposed by the rulers of the Jews.  

Paul  held the view that the Messiah would come and establish his kingdom by force, uprooting the Romans and setting the Jews in prominence again.  Thus when Jesus came and many went after Him he was strongly opposed to the new development, called the "way."

Based on His picture of God it was alright to imprison and even kill opponents for the "good" of the church. When Jesus was revealed to him on the Demascus Road a radical change had begun in the mind of the apostle. He was blinded by a light and before he could see he must learn anew about our gracious God.

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^a of this way: Gr. of the way