Yes — according to Paul, the biggest persecutors of true believers are religionists: people operating in the name of religion.
Paul identifies this pattern in Galatians 4:29, where the one born after the flesh (Ishmael) persecutes the one born after the Spirit (Isaac), and says “even so it is now.” Les Feldick points to the same truth in Paul’s own life: Saul of Tarsus, a religious fanatic, breathed out threatenings and slaughter against Jewish believers. Religious zeal is therefore the most vicious source of persecution.
Galatians 4:29 — This verse explicitly names the one born after the flesh as the persecutor of the one born after the Spirit, and Paul applies the pattern to his own time: “even so it is now.”
Acts 9:1-2 — Here the Bible describes Saul of Tarsus, a religious zealot, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against believers before his conversion.
The apostle Paul gave the clearest biblical statement on this when, in Galatians 4, he allegorized the two sons of Abraham. In Galatians 4:25, Paul identifies Hagar with Mount Sinai in Arabia and says she “answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.” Then in Galatians 4:29 he writes, “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” Paul’s own history confirms the same truth. In Acts 9:1-2, Saul of Tarsus went to the high priest “yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,” and desired letters to Damascus so that if he found any of the Way, whether men or women, he could bring them bound to Jerusalem. In his defense before Agrippa, Paul confessed, “Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them” (Acts 26:10). He added, “And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities” (Acts 26:11).
Les Feldick draws the answer out of Paul’s allegory of Ishmael and Isaac. He explains that Ishmael, born of the flesh through the slave girl, represents the Law given to Israel through Moses—a system that, in its setting, usage, and practice, was fleshly and dependent on human activity, even though the Law itself was spiritual and perfect. By contrast, Isaac represents the child of promise, connected with the free woman and the heavenly Jerusalem. Les concludes that religionists—people acting in the name of religion—have always persecuted the true believer (clips 0, 2, 4). Les repeatedly stresses that there is nothing more cruel or inhuman than religious fanatics. He applies this to Paul’s own background: Saul of Tarsus, as a religious fanatic, took the lead in stamping out Jewish believers who recognized Christ as Messiah. He punished them in the synagogues, compelled them to blaspheme, gave his vote to put them to death, and dragged men and women off to prison (clips 1, 3, 5). Les also uses the same language for the Judaizers of the early church, whom he says were ready to kill anyone who opposed their Old Testament religion (clip 4). In his broader teaching, Les says “religion prompts hatred, religion precipitates war, religion takes people down the dark path of legalism,” while Christianity is never a religion—it is God reaching down in mercy and grace to a lost human race (clip 7).
Paul’s allegory in Galatians 4 contrasts two covenants. Hagar, the bondwoman, is linked to Mount Sinai and the present earthly Jerusalem, and her child Ishmael was “born after the flesh.” Sarah, the freewoman, is the mother of the child of promise, Isaac, who was “born after the Spirit.” Paul then states plainly: “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now” (Galatians 4:29). Les Feldick teaches that the fleshly side corresponds to the law system given through Moses—earthly, carnal in its setting and usage—while the free side represents grace and the heavenly promise. Thus the pattern of religious persecution is built into the allegory.
Yes. Before his conversion, Saul of Tarsus was a religious fanatic who persecuted Jewish believers in Jesus as the Messiah. Acts 9 describes him breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord and obtaining letters to Damascus to bring believers bound to Jerusalem. Paul himself later recounts that he shut up saints in prison, gave his vote when they were put to death, punished them in every synagogue, compelled them to blaspheme, and persecuted them even to foreign cities (Acts 26:10-11). Les Feldick points out that Saul did this because he was a religious fanatic—he thought he was protecting his religion from people who were ruining it.
According to Les Feldick, religion is always man’s attempt to please God, and it prompts hatred, war, and legalism. Christianity, on the other hand, is never a religion—it is God reaching down in mercy and grace to a lost human race. Les applies this to Paul: Paul was saved out of the Jewish religion, yet as a religious person he hated the very name of Jesus of Nazareth. This is why religionists, rather than open enemies of God, have historically been the most vicious persecutors of true believers.
The Law-Giving System as Fleshly
Les explains the allegory of Hagar and Ishmael: the Law given through Moses was fleshly and dependent on human activity, while the free woman represents the child of promise—setting up why the fleshly religious system persecutes the promise-believers.
Saul's Religious Persecution of Jewish Believers
Les shows that Saul of Tarsus, a religious fanatic, took the lead in stamping out Jewish believers who recognized Christ as Messiah because he thought they were ruining his religion.
Religion's Long History of Persecution
Les says that in the name of religion, religionists have always persecuted the true believer, and Christians have been the fodder of persecution for centuries.
Paul's Own Persecuting Activity
Les reads Paul's confession that he punished believers often, compelled them to blaspheme, was exceedingly mad against them, and persecuted them even to strange cities—showing the inhumanity of religious fanaticism.
Judaizers and Religious Viciousness
Les calls the Judaizers vicious and ready to kill anyone who opposed their Old Testament religion, and he notes Paul himself gave his vote when believers were put to death.
Saul Breathing Out Threatenings
Les draws on Acts 9 to show Saul, as a religious fanatic, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against believers and dragging Jewish men and women bound to Jerusalem.
Why Did Israel Miss the Messiah? Romans 9:25-33 Explained
I think this was the sum total of the true believers of Jews, at least in the area of Jerusalem and Judea. 120 after three years of His kind of a ministry. And then we wonder why our numbers today are small and getting smaller all the time. And if you don't know we're getting smaller in number, you don't really know what's going on, because the true believing element is getting attacked from every…
Religion Versus Christianity
Les pinpoints the danger of religion: it prompts hatred, war, and legalism, while Christianity is never a religion—it is God reaching down in grace to a lost race.
Galatians 4:25: For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
This verse identifies Hagar with Sinai and the present Jerusalem, the system Paul connects with the flesh-born persecutor.
Galatians 4:29: But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
This is the central verse where Paul explicitly says the flesh-born one persecutes the Spirit-born one, and that the pattern continues.
Acts 9:1-2: And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
This passage shows Saul's religious zeal driving him to persecute believers before his conversion.
Acts 26:10: Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
Paul confesses his own role as a religious persecutor, giving his vote when believers were put to death.
Acts 26:11: And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
Paul's own words demonstrate how far religious fanaticism drove him in persecuting true believers.
In Acts 9 and 26, Paul describes his own persecution of Jewish believers before his conversion. Les Feldick calls him a religious fanatic, one who was breathing out threatenings and slaughter and bringing men and women bound to Jerusalem.
No. Les says Christianity is never a religion—it is God reaching down in mercy and grace to a lost human race. Religion is man's attempt to please God, and it prompts hatred, war, and legalism.
Paul is referring to Ishmael, the son of Hagar, who was born according to the flesh. Les Feldick explains that in the allegory this represents the Law system, which was fleshly and dependent on human activity, whereas Isaac was born after the Spirit through the promise.
Watch the Teaching: Abraham, Sarah, and the Allegory of Law vs. Grace | Genesis 20-21