3. PAUL’S LIFE- Acts 7:54-8:3/ Acts 9:1-16/Acts 26:14-18/Colossians 1:24-29/2 Corinthians 12:1-10

NOW WHEN THEY HEARD THESE THINGS THEY WERE ENRAGED, AND THEY GROUND THEIR TEETH AT STEPHEN.  BUT HE, FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GAZED INTO HEAVEN AND SAW THE GLORY OF GOD, AND JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.  AND HE SAID, BEHOLD, I SEE THE HEAVENS OPENED, AND THE SON OF MAN STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.  BUT THEY CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE AND STOPPED THEIR EARS AND RUSHED TOGETHER AT HIM.  THEN THEY CAST HIM OUT OF THE CITY AND STONED HIM.  AND THE WITNESSES LAID DOWN THEIR GARMENTS AT THE FEET OF A YOUNG MAN NAMED SAUL.  AND AS THEY WERE STONING STEPHEN, HE CALLED OUT, LORD JESUS, RECEIVE MY SPIRIT.  AND FALLING TO HIS KNEES HE CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, LORD DO NOT HOLD THIS SIN AGAINST THEM.  AND WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS, HE FELL ASLEEP.  AND SAUL APPROVED OF HIS EXECUTION.  AND THERE AROSE THAT DAY A GREAT PERSECUTION AGAINST THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM, AND THEY WERE ALL SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE REGIONS OF JUDEA AND SAMARIA, EXCEPT THE APOSTLES.  DEVOUT MEN BURIED STEPHEN AND MADE GREAT LAMENTATION OVER HIM.  BUT SAUL WAS RAVAGING THE CHURCH, AND ENTERING HOISE AFTER HOUSE, HE DRAGGED OFF MEN AND WOMEN AND COMMITTED THEM TO PRISON.  ACTS 7:54-8:3

BUT PAUL, STILL BREATHING THREATS AND MURDER AGAINST THE DISCIPLES OF THE LORD, WENT TO THE HIGH PRIEST AND ASKED HIM FOR LETTERS TO THE SYNAGOGUES AT DAMASCUS, SO THAT IF HE FOUND ANY BELONGING TO THE WAY, MEN OR WOMEN, HE MIGHT BRING THEM BOUND TO JERUSALEM.  NOW AS HE WENT ON HIS WAY, HE APPROACHED DAMASCUS, AND SUDDENLY A LIGHT FROM HEAVEN SHONE AROUND HIM.  AND FALLING TO THE GROUND HE HEARD A VOICE SAYING TO HIM, SAUL, SAUL, WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME?  AND HE SAID, WHO ARE YOU, LORD?  AND HE SAID, I AM JESUS, WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING.  BUT RISE AND ENTER THE CITY, AND YOU WILL BE TOLD WHAT YOU ARE TO DO.  THE MEN WHO WERE TRAVELING WITH HIM STOOD SPEECHLESS, HEARING THE VOICE BUT SEEING NO ONE.  SAUL ROSE FROM THE GROUND, AND ALTHOUGH HIS EYES WERE OPENED, HE SAW NOTHING.  SO THEY LED HIM BY THE HAND AND BROUGHT HIM INTO DAMASCUS.  AND FOR THREE DAYS HE WAS WITHOUT SIGHT, AND NEITHER ATE OR DRANK.  NOW THERE WAS A DISCIPLE AT DAMASCUS NAMED ANANIAS.  THE LORD SAID TO HIM INA VISION, ANANIAS.  AND HE SAID, HERE I AM, LORD.  AND THE LORD SAID TO HIM, RISE AND GO TO THE STREET CALLED STRAIGHT, AND AT THE HOUSE OF JUDAS LOOK FOR A MAN OF TARSUS NAMED SAUL, FOR BEHOLD, HE IS PRAYING, AND HE HAS SEEN IN A VISION A MAN NAMED ANANIAS COME IN AND LAY HIS HANDS ON HIM SO THAT HE MAY REGAIN HIS SIGHT.  BUT ANANIAS ANSWERED, LORD, I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY ABOUT THIS MAN, HOW MUCH EVIL HE HAS DONE TO THE SAINTS AT JERUSALEM.  AND HERE HE HAS AUTHORITY FROM THE CHIEF PRIESTS TO BIND ALL WHO CALL ON YOUR NAME.  BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, GO, FOR HE IS A CHOSEN INSTRUMENT OF MINE TO CARRY MY NAME BEFORE THE GENTILES AND KINGS AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.  FO RI WILL SHOW HIM HOW MUCH HE MUST SUFFER FOR THE SAKE OF MY NAME.  ACTS 9:1-16

AND WHEN WE HAD ALL FALLEN TO THE GROUND, I HEARD A VOICE SAYING TO ME IN THE HEBREW LANGUAGE, SAUL, SAUL, WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME?  IT IS HARD FOR YOU TO KICK AGAINST THE GOADS.  AND I SAID, WHO ARE YOU, LORD?  AND THE LORD SAID, I AM JESUS WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING.  BUT RISE AND STAND UPON YOUR FEET, FOR I HAVE APPEARED TO YOU FOR THIS PURPOSE, TO APPOINT YOU AS A SERVANT AND WITNESS TO THE THINGS IN WHICH YOU HAVE SEEN ME AND TO THOSE IN WHICH I WILL APPEAR TO YOU, DELIVERING YOU FROM YOUR PEOPLE AND FROM THE GENTILES- TO WHOM I AM SENDING YOU TO OPEN THEIR EYES, SO THAT THEY MAY TURN FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT AND FROM THE POWER OF SATAN TO GOD, THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND A PLACE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED BY FAITH IN ME. ACTS 26:14-18

NOW I REJOICE IN MY SUFFERINGS FOR YOUR SAKE, AND IN MY FLESH I AM FILLING UP WHAT IS LACKING IN CHRIST’S AFFLICTIONS FOR THE SAKE OF HIS BODY, THAT IS, THE CHURCH, OF WHICH I BECOME A MINISTER ACCORDING TO THE STEWARDSHIP FROM GOD THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME FOR YOU, TO MAKE THE WORD OF GOD FULLY KNOWN, THE MYSTERY HIDDEN FOR AGES AND GENERATIONS BUT NOW REVEALED TO HIS SAINTS.  TO THEM GOD CHOSE TO MAKE KNOWN NOW GREAT AMONG THE GENTILES ARE THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF THIS MYSTERY, WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.  HIM WE PROCLAIM, WARNING EVERYONE AND TEACHING EVERYONE WITH ALL WISDOM, THAT WE MAY PRESENT EVERYONE MATURE IN CHRIST.  FOR THIS I TOIL, STRUGGLING WITH ALL HIS ENERGY THAT HE POWERFULLY WORKS WITHIN ME.  COLOSSIANS 1:24-29

I MUST GO ON BOASTING.  THOUGH THERE IS NOTHING TO BE GAINED BY IT.  I WILL GO ON TO VISIONS AND REVELATIONS OF THE LORD.  I KNOW A MAN IN CHRIST WHO FOURTEEN YEARS AGO WAS CAUGHT UP TO THE THIRD HEAVEN- WHETHER IN THE BODY OR OUT OF THE BODY I DO NOT KNOW, GOD KNOWS.  AND I KNOW THAT THIS MAN WAS CAUGHT UP INTO PARADISE- WHETHER IN THE BODY OR OUT OF THE BODY I DO NOT KNOW, GOD KNOWS- AND HE HEARD THINGS THAT CANNOT BE TOLD, WHICH MAN MAY NOT UTTER.  ON BEHALF OF THIS MAN I WILL BOAST, BUT ON MY OWN BEHALF I WILL NOT BOAST, EXCEPT OF MY WEAKNESSES- THOUGH IF I SHOULD WISH TO BOAST, I WOULD NOT BE A FOOL, FOR I WOULD BE SPEAKING THE TRUTH; BUT I REFRAIN FROM IT, SO THAT NO ONE MAY THINK MORE OF ME THAN HE SEES IN ME OR HEARS FROM ME.  SO TO KEEP ME FROM BECOMING CONCEITED BECAUSE OF THE SURPASSING GREATNESS OF THE REVELATIONS, A THORN WAS GIVEN ME IN THE FLESH, A MESSENGER OF SATAN TO HARASS ME, TO KEEP ME FROM BECOMING CONCEITED.  THREE TIMES I PLEADED WITH THE LORD ABOUT THIS, THAT IT SHOULD LEAVE ME.  BUT HE SAID TO ME, MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.  THEREFORE I WILL BOAST ALL THE MORE GLADLY OF MY WEAKNESSES, SO THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME.  FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST, THEN, I AM CONTENT WITH WEAKNESSES, INSULTS, HARDSHIPS, PERSECUTIONS, AND CALAMITIES.  FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG. 2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-10