Why did Saul of Tarsus persecute the early church?
Saul of Tarsus, a zealous practitioner of Judaism, persecuted the early church because he saw the inroads Jesus of Nazareth and the Twelve were making into Judaism and sought to stamp it out. He sincerely hated Jews who had embraced Jesus, fighting the movement tooth and nail, though he was sincerely wrong.
Les explains that Saul of Tarsus was a religious practitioner of Judaism who saw the inroads Jesus of Nazareth and the Twelve were making into Judaism. He went into orbit, as we would say, and fought it tooth and nail, trying to stamp it out. He was sincerely wrong, but he was sincere in hating these Jews who had embraced Jesus of Nazareth. Saul himself later said, 'I persecuted the assembly of God, and wasted it.' This persecution targeted Jewish believers who had embraced Jesus as Messiah, the same message Stephen proclaimed before Israel's leaders.