This is part of a Daily Devotional Orwell Bible Church prepares each week. You can get a copy from our Downloads and Literature page.

This is the first of four occasions when Paul told of the Lord Jesus’ work in and through him. Here Paul testified of his zeal for Judaism to the point of persecuting Christians as apostates from Judaism (vv. 1-5). He then described his trust in Jesus as the Son of God and promised Messiah when Jesus confronted Paul with his sin and Jesus’ deity, leading to Paul’s salvation (vv. 6-16). Having laid this foundation (that he was a faithful Jew the Lord Jesus appeared to and saved), Paul then explained his call to minister to Jews and Gentiles (vv. 17-21). Paul’s point in all this was that he never abandoned his Jewish heritage and that he went to Gentiles because the Messiah told him to do so.

Despite this the Jews rejected Paul and sought to kill him. Paul’s mention of “Gentiles” in a positive way was the last straw for these Jews. And yet Paul didn’t try to make them happy by telling them what they wanted to hear but endeavored to faithfully witness to what Jesus had done in him and what Jesus had called him to.

Truths to Nail Down and Meditate On

1. The Jesus of today is the same Jesus that confronted Saul. Jesus is in heaven, knows everyone’s heart, and will judge every unrepentant sinner in the last day. And Jesus is the same Savior today that he was then!
2. Faithful ministry for Christ is never affected or determined by circumstances. Paul was disavowed by his countrymen, beaten, and arrested, but still witnessed of Christ. Serve Christ faithfully!