Why was Paul's Damascus-road conversion meant to be the pattern for everyone who later enters the body of Christ?
Paul's Damascus-road conversion serves as the pattern because God saved the chief of sinners there, and all who afterward enter the body of Christ come the same way—not by Israel's Pentecost call to repent and be baptized, but by believing the gospel and trusting on Him for life everlasting.
Les explains that Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is laying out clearly that at the salvation experience on the road to Damascus, God saved the chief—or leader—of sinners. Paul does not say, as Peter did at Pentecost, “repent and be baptized”; Paul says, “Believe the gospel.” The scriptural pattern is “to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting.” So everyone who now comes into the body of Christ is patterned after Paul's conversion and follows Him.