Evening star., 1925-05-23
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON

TcputdliOll DIS prosecutor diiu tiiS
story Of his remarkable conversion
made men anxious to hear him. His
penitence spurred him on to testify
that Jesus was the Messiah. His en-
ergy demanded that he give express
sion to his new faith. His love for
the glorified and risen Savior moved
him to proclaim the gospel. He told
his experience with power. He was
commencing to preach before he had
a message. Like all new converts,
his story of Gods grace was short.
The fruit of his testimony Is seen In
the statement that "all that heard
him were amazed"
While Sauls experience fitted him
to testify, he lacked the training
needed for his work as an apostle.
Abrupt. rapid and decisive revolutions
In spiritual history are usually sue
ceeded by a slow and gradual develop
ment. Paul faced difficulties and was
called upon to explain problems that
puzzled him. 1t was difficult for him
to grasp the gospel that he was
called upon to preach. He could not,
like Peter, add faith in Jesus to the
old Pharisaic religious belief, for they
had been completely destroyed by his
conversion. After he had tried to
preach the gospel for certain days he
tells us in his Galatian letter how
"Straightway l conferred not with
flesh and blood, but / went away into
Arabia" Moses was fitted for his
mission by his experience in the back
side of the desert. John the Baptist
found in it's solitude, silence and Sc
clusion the opportunity needed to fit
him for his life's work. Our Lord
sought the wilderness of Judea to
prepare in solitude for His public
ministry. The purpose of SauPs re-
tirement is not intimated. Saul evil
IDENTIFY desired to think through the
problems presented by his new faith.
During the best part Of three years
he lived in Arabia.
While authorities differ as to his
headquarters during his retirement,
one of the most natural places for
him to seek close communion with
God was Sinai where Moses received
the law. During his days In the sOli-
tude of Arabia, Saul found in prayer
a spiritual blessing to his soul and
gradually he recovered his moral
equilibrium. Having mastered the
teachings of the prophets concerning
Saul returned to Damascus with a
burning desire to preach the gospel.
Damascus Dangers Faced.
1t was not long before Paul found
that he had to reap what he
had sowed. He commenced to preach
In the synagogues, where they had
looked for him to eradicate the faith
of the Christians. He spoke with
authority and power. He sought an
immediate decision. He debated with
Jewish scholars championing the
rights Of the Lord Jesus. He insisted
ue<t the risen Savior was the off,
cial representative of Jehovah. He
claimed that the crucified Leader was
the Messiah. Utilizing his rabbinical
scholarship In way he never ex'
pected, and borrowing those very ar.
guments against which, when Stephen
used them in the Cilician synagogue
at Jerusalem, he had stoutly argued
Saul made his first efforts in Christian
exegesis of prophecy, that in later
years he was destined to attain great
success. 1t was not long before an
intolerant element, furious at the loss
of such an eminent leader, were plot
ting to destroy him.
The enemies of the brilliant cham
pion of the Christian faith secured
as we learn from II Corinthians, xi.32
the cooperation Of the representa-
tives of King Aretas, They were able
to secure the city gates against his
flight, whether by day or night, SC
the bold preacher was driven to the
humiliation of making his escape in
a basket lowered down from hole In
the city wall. 1t was the first OF
many "hairbreadth escapes" Look
ing back upon this episode in latter
years, the apostle considered it a
weakness. He probably thought that
he ought to have faced the trunlped
up charges courageously and not run
away from danger.
Jerusalem Journey.
He returned to Jerusalem for the
first time after his conversion. He
believed that 1t was a good time fol-
him to confer with Peter, the recog
nized authority, concerning our Lords
life and words. Doubtless his desire
for a conference with Peter related
not only to the historical facts OF
which Peter was the leading witness
but he also desired to confer with
him on matters touching his future
work and that of the church. In
stead Of an affectionate welcome, he
was compelled to face suspicion anC
distrust. An evil reputation dies
slowly. The apostles feared that ht
was hiding a scheme for further
persecution under the cover of a pre-
tended conversion.
Saul would have been barred from
the fellowship of the Jerusalem
Church had it not been for Barnabas
''one of the noblest figures in the
apostolic age" "a good man, and full
of the Holy Spirit and of faith" gen
erous in his sympathies and wei
| meriting his name, Son of Consola
| tion." Tradition tells us that the.
were associates while pupils unde
| the great Gamaliel. He examined
| Saul and became convinced Of th'
geuineness of his conversion, so tha
| he arranged for him to meet Pete
and James, the brother of our Lord
Saul spent Is days in the compan.
of Peter. He learned from tn
apostles lips the full story of Christ
| life and ministry. He stored up IL
his mind many of the words of tn
Master. He needed this knowledg
of the earthly career of the Christ t.
associate 1t with his vision of the ex
alted Christ. A good understandin,
was established between Saul ant
Peter that was destined to be teste,
in coming years by stress and strug
gle.
| Sauls passion for souls moved hin
to seek to win his old associates 70
Christ Jesus. He longed to confes
Christ in the very places where h
| had crucified Him, so he starte,
preaching in the synagogues of th
Hellenists. Saul soon faced the sam
sort of hostility that he had once pro
veked against Stephen. He was forcet
|