What changed in God's way of working when Saul was converted?
When Saul of Tarsus met the Lord on the Damascus road, the Sovereign God brought a tremendous change in His modus operandi. Saul became a chosen vessel to bear God's name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel, and he would suffer greatly for that name.
Les explains that before Saul's conversion, Judaism had clout with Rome, and Saul and Israel's religious leaders moved to extradite and deal with renegade Jews who had followed Jesus, imprisoning and putting them to death. But when Saul of Tarsus met the Lord on the road to Damascus, that is where the tremendous change in the modus operandi of the Sovereign God occurred. The Lord said Saul was a chosen vessel to bear His name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel, and that he must suffer great things for the Lord's name's sake.