This lesson was taught in the Sunday School class at Liberty Baptist Church, Muncie, using the Striving Together Publications curriculum Stories of Grace.
Few stories in all of Scripture are as dramatic, as humbling, and as gloriously redemptive as the transformation of Saul of Tarsus into the Apostle Paul. This Bible record reminds us that no heart is too hard, no past too dark, and no sinner too far gone for the grace of God.
A Child Shaped by the Law
Saul was born in Tarsus, a prominent city in the region of Cilicia, into a devout Jewish family of the tribe of Benjamin. From his earliest years, he was steeped in the traditions of his fathers. He was circumcised on the eighth day, raised according to the strictest sect of Judaism, and sent to Jerusalem to study under the great rabbi Gamaliel — one of the most respected teachers of the Law in all of Israel.
"I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day." — Acts 22:3
Why He Persecuted the Christians
When the followers of Jesus of Nazareth began to spread their message throughout Jerusalem and beyond, Saul saw them as a dangerous threat to everything he held sacred. He did not merely disapprove of the Christians. He hunted them. He stood and watched approvingly as Stephen — the first Christian martyr — was stoned to death.
"And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem." — Acts 8:1
The Light on the Road to Damascus
But God had other plans. As Saul and his companions drew near to Damascus, a light from heaven — brighter than the noonday sun — blazed around him. Saul fell to the ground, blinded and trembling. And then he heard a voice.
"Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"
The answer shattered everything he thought he knew: "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." — Acts 9:4-5
Saul arose from the ground blind, led by the hand into Damascus, where he fasted and prayed for three days.
Ananias: The Man God Sent
The Lord appeared to a faithful disciple in Damascus named Ananias and told him to go find Saul. Ananias was afraid — but the Lord reassured him:
"Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." — Acts 9:15
And so Ananias went. In one of the most tender moments in all of the New Testament, this faithful disciple walked into the room where the feared persecutor of the church sat blind and broken — and called him brother.
"And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost." — Acts 9:17
A Lesson for Our Children: Two Kinds of Boldness
There are two kinds of boldness. The first comes from our own heart — from pride, from self-will. This is the boldness Saul had before Damascus. The second is the boldness that comes from the Lord — the boldness that filled Paul after he was filled with the Holy Ghost.
"And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God." — Acts 9:20
What This Means for Us
The story of Saul becoming Paul is a living testimony to the power of Jesus Christ to transform any life.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." — 2 Corinthians 5:17
Read the King James Bible Online
All scripture references in this post are taken from the King James Version. You can read the complete King James Bible online at KingJamesBibleOnline.org.
Explore More from Our Acts & Early Church Series
Barnabas, the Encourager: A Lesson in Faith, Courage, and Friendship
Ananias and Sapphira — The Danger of Half-Truths and Lying to the Holy Spirit
Go Deeper in God's Word
The Damascus Road encounter reminds us that God's Word has the power to stop us in our tracks and change everything. If this lesson has stirred your heart to study more deeply, these tools from Kinsman & Company were made for exactly that:
Spiritual Growth Journal | King James — Record what God is speaking to your heart as you study His Word
Bible Verse Highlighter Set with Sticky Notes — Mark key verses and capture insights right in your Bible as you read
Open your King James Bible, pick up your highlighter, and let the Word of God do what it has always done — transform hearts, one verse at a time.
