What Changed an Enemy Into an Apostle?
Month 12: On Mission & Finishing Well · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Acts 26:9-18 & Galatians 1:13-16
9 So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. 12 In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 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 an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’ — Acts 26:9-18
13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood, — Galatians 1:13-16
Memory Verse
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.”— Romans 1:16 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Philemon 1; Hebrews 1–3
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 347 of 365 — Jesus, greater than angels and Moses.)The Heart of It
Paul stands before King Agrippa and tells his story plainly. "I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus" (). He had hunted Christians. He had voted for their deaths. He had tried to make them blaspheme. Then he met the risen Christ, and everything flipped. In Galatians he insists he didn't get his message from a committee or a clever teacher. It came by revelation from Jesus Himself (). Here is one of history's most honest and traceable changes of mind. A brilliant, motivated enemy of the church became its tireless missionary. And he never went back.
So what's the best explanation? People don't usually trade comfort, status, and safety for beatings, prison, and eventual execution over something they made up. Paul gained nothing on earth by switching sides. He lost it all. The most reasonable explanation for such a costly, lifelong turnaround is the one Paul gives. He really did meet Jesus alive. That's why his story matters for us. Our faith isn't built on wishful thinking. It is built on real people, in real history, who staked their lives on the resurrection because they were convinced it actually happened.
Around the Table
Paul used to be against Jesus. But after he met Him, he loved Jesus forever!
Let's do it: Make a sad face for "before." Then make a big happy face for "after Paul met Jesus!"
Paul gave up an easy, important life to follow Jesus, even when it got dangerous. That's a clue his story is true.
Let's talk: Why would someone keep telling a story that only brought them trouble, unless it really happened?
A hostile witness who reverses course at great personal cost is strong historical evidence. And Paul is exactly that.
Let's go deeper: How is Paul's change different from someone just deciding to "be more religious"?
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever been totally sure you were right about something — and then found out you were wrong? What changed your mind?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "People believe whatever they want to believe," we can answer kindly. Paul wanted to destroy the church, not join it. Something flipped this determined enemy into a missionary willing to die. That isn't wishful thinking. It fits a real meeting with the risen Jesus. Like says, we give that reason gently, but we give it with confidence.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Skeptical scholars doubt much of the New Testament. But they often still grant two things. Paul persecuted the church. And Paul later suffered and likely died proclaiming Christ. That undisputed turnaround is one of the strongest pieces of the case for the resurrection. Even a hostile critic has to explain it. Tuck this away for the relative or coworker who says faith is just for the gullible. And let it steady your own heart on the doubting days. You didn't stake your family's life on a fairy tale. You're standing where Paul stood. You stand on the testimony of men who had nothing to gain and everything to lose.
Draws on: J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Christianity; McDowell & McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for changing Paul, and thank You for his story. Make us sure of the truth. And help us share it gently. In Jesus' name, amen."
A determined enemy became a faithful witness at great cost. That costly change points straight to the risen Christ.