What role did Saul of Tarsus play in Stephen's stoning?
Saul of Tarsus consented to Stephen’s death, but Scripture shows he was more than a casual onlooker. He was the driving force, the main leader of the rebellion against the Jerusalem church, and he persecuted the assembly of God. He later became known as the Apostle Paul.
Les explains that Saul of Tarsus, later known as the Apostle Paul, was consenting to Stephen’s death, but he was more than consenting. He was driving it and was the main force. Galatians 1:13 is cited to show that Saul persecuted the church, the assembly of God, beyond measure and wasted it—the Jewish church at Jerusalem. Les emphasizes that Saul was not a casual onlooker at Stephen’s stoning but the leader of it and the leader of the rebellion. He hated anything concerning Jesus of Nazareth because he was a religious Pharisaical Jew, a Pharisee of Pharisees, of the tribe of Benjamin.