14th September 2025

Saul, ‘who was also called Paul’ (Acts 13:9), was, before his conversion, an Orthodox Jew: a Pharisee with status in the Sanhedrin, which was the governmental board of Judea during the Roman occupation. He was delegated by the Temple police to go out and squash this new sect of Judaism, not yet named ‘Christianity’, but called ‘The Way’. He says of himself, ‘…how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.’ (Galatians 1:13-14).

Luke tells us that ‘…Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem’ (Acts 9:1-2). The turning point came as Saul set out for Damascus, armed with these letters authorising him to arrest any followers of Christ he found. It was on this journey that the extraordinary occurred: “…suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do’ ” (vv.3-6).

This encounter was by no means gentle. It was blinding – literally and spiritually. The days that followed were marked by silence and blindness. Saul neither ate nor drank. He was plunged into darkness, a time of deep introspection and vulnerability. It is here that conversion often truly begins – not in the dazzling light, but in the quiet agony of grappling with truth. Often, transformation comes not through sudden revelation but through seasons of waiting, wondering, and wrestling with the implications of God’s call.

Eventually, Ananias extended the love of Christ to the very one who once sought to destroy him and Saul’s healing was complete, both physically and spiritually. Paul’s past is not erased but redeemed. His former zeal is now channelled into passion for Christ and the spread of the gospel. His letters are filled with humility, longing, and the persistent hope that others might know the grace that changed him. Let me suggest some lessons from that grace that transformed Paul:

1. No one is beyond the reach of grace. Paul’s story reminds us that God sees beyond our failings and can redeem even the hardest of hearts.

2. True transformation often begins in brokenness. The three days Saul spent in darkness were essential for his rebirth. It is in places of vulnerability that God often meets us most powerfully.

3. The past does not disqualify us: it can equip us. Paul’s zeal, knowledge, and experience became tools for his ministry. God uses all parts of our journey for divine purposes.

May we be attentive to the voice that calls our name, bold enough to step into the unknown, and faithful enough to carry the message of Christ wherever we go.

Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead 
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA

Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm

Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church

Word of Life contact:  
wordoflife@gracecom.church