The conversion of Saul of Tarsus was an amazing event. Saul loathed the very name of Christ. He blasphemed Him and caused others to be tortured so as to compel them to blaspheme that holy name. He led his nation and the world in rebellion against the resurrected, glorified Christ β the world which had already disowned and crucified the lowly Jesus.
But as Saul went to Damascus, still βbreathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lordβ (Acts 9:1), God did a wonderful thing. Rather than crush the leader of the worldβs rebellion, He saved him. Christ broke through the heavens to speak words of pity to His greatest enemy on earth. As a result, Saulβs rebellious spirit was broken and in one moment the pitiless persecutor became the docile, devoted follower of Christ.
More than this, Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor, became Paul the Apostle. To him the glorified Lord committed βthe dispensation of the grace of Godβ (Eph. 3:2) and βthe gospel of the grace of Godβ (ActsΒ 20:24). Now he went everywhere proclaiming grace, telling men how God loved them, how Christ had come into the world and had gone to Calvary to pay manβs debt of sin so that believing sinners might be saved.
βThe gospel of the grace of God,β found in Paulβs epistles, does not blame anyone for the death of Christ. Rather it presents the cross as good news. It declares that βwe have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His graceβ (Eph. 1:7). It says that βGod hath concluded them all in unbelief that He might have mercy upon allβ (Rom.Β 11:32) and that βwhere sin abounded, grace did much more aboundβ (Rom.Β 5:20). Thus the vilest sinner may believe and rejoice in the consciousness of sins forgiven. source
[β¦] almost constant suffering to which the apostle of grace was subjected naturally had its effect upon timid souls. Some, who saw the truth and the glory of [β¦]
[β¦] Apostle Paul, Godβs great apostle of grace, declares in Rom. [β¦]
[β¦] faith heβs talking about here, it must have existedΒ beforeΒ Paul was an apostle, and he wasΒ madeΒ an apostleΒ according to [β¦]
[β¦] the Apostle Paul wrote to believers in Thessalonica, he could praise them by saying,Β βyour faith groweth [β¦]
[β¦] the other hand, Paul, asΒ oneΒ apostle, represents the βoneΒ Body,β the Church of today (Rom. 12:5; I Cor.Β 12:13; Eph. 4:4). However, [β¦]