Yes—religious Jews, including Saul, rejected Jesus as the Christ because their religious zeal led them to see Him as an imposter rather than the Messiah.
Les Feldick teaches that the law, though spiritual and good, exposed the carnal condition of every religious Jew, including Saul. Saul's religious devotion caused him to hate Jesus and persecute those who believed in Him, thinking he was doing God a service by stamping out the movement.
Romans 3:20 — Shows that the law was never meant to justify but to bring knowledge of sin, revealing why religious Jews were still convicted.
Romans 7:14 — Reveals that even a religious Jew like Saul knew the law was spiritual while he himself was carnal and sold under sin.
Acts 9:1-2 — Records Saul's actual persecution of believers, demonstrating his religious rejection of Jesus as the Christ.
Romans 3:20 declares, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." This shows that the law exposed what was in the heart rather than making anyone acceptable to God. Romans 7:14 goes on to say, "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." Even a sincerely religious person could be carnal and in need of deliverance. The book of Acts records how this worked out in Saul's life: "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." (Acts 9:1-2). Scripture connects Saul's zeal with his rejection of Jesus, showing that his religious zeal drove him to oppose those who confessed Jesus as the Christ.
Les Feldick emphasizes that the law itself was good and perfect, but its role was to convict, kill, and show that everything old Adam did was contrary to the will of a holy God. Any good religious Jew knew that the law was spiritual, yet that same law revealed that he was carnal and sold under sin. Saul was a prime example—he was deeply religious, trained at the feet of Gamaliel, but he was a religious zealot who honestly believed Jesus was an imposter and blasphemer. Les teaches that Saul's religion prompted hatred rather than faith. He thought Jesus was trying to destroy the bulwarks of Judaism, so the only way he could do God a favor was to stamp out the believers in Jesus through persecution. Les contrasts this with true Christianity, which is not a religion but God reaching down in grace to a lost human race. He also notes that only a small percentage of Israel believed Jesus was the Christ; the majority cried, "Crucify Him!"
Les explains that the law compounded Adam's sinfulness by revealing that everything a person did was sinful and contrary to a holy God. A religious Jew knew the law was spiritual, but that same law showed he was carnal and sold under sin, so instead of making him righteous, it convicted him.
Saul absolutely hated Jesus of Nazareth. He viewed Jesus as an imposter who was destroying his whole religious system. He made havoc of the assembly, entering houses, hailing men and women, and committing them to prison. He later sought letters from the high priest to go to Damascus and arrest any believers who held that Jesus was the Christ.
Les stresses that Saul did all of this in the name of religion. Religion prompts hatred, precipitates war, and leads people into legalism. Saul was religious, but he hated the very name of Jesus of Nazareth. He thought he was doing his God a service by stamping out belief in Jesus.
Yes. Les says there were believing Jews who assembled as a called-out assembly, and Saul persecuted them. After his conversion, Saul himself went to the synagogues and preached that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God. However, the majority of Israel rejected Jesus; only a small percentage believed.
The Law Convicts Sin
Les teaches that the law was good and perfect but its purpose was to convict and kill the man, revealing that everything he did was contrary to a holy God.
Saul's Hatred of Jesus
Les shows that Saul hated Jesus with a passion because he considered Him an imposter who was destroying the bulwarks of Judaism.
Israel's Majority Unbelief
Les notes that only a small percentage of Israel believed Jesus was the Messiah; the majority rejected Him and cried for His crucifixion.
Saul the Religious Zealot
Les teaches that Saul, trained at the feet of Gamaliel, was a tremendously religious man who thought Jesus was a blasphemer and the best thing was to stamp out everything connected with Him.
Saul's Persecuting Rampage
Les describes Saul breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples and seeking letters to Damascus to arrest believing Jews.
Religion vs. Christianity
Les explains that religion prompts hatred and legalism, and Saul's religious devotion caused him to hate the name of Jesus.
Religious Jews Reject Paul's Message
Les says that when Paul later preached that the law, temple, and sacrifices were set aside, religious Jews thought he was nuts—showing their ongoing commitment to the law.
Persecution in the Name of Religion
Les reminds readers that Saul acted in the name of religion, believing he was serving God by persecuting believers in Jesus.
Romans 3:20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Les uses this verse to show that the law's purpose was to bring the knowledge of sin, not to justify a person.
Romans 7:13: Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Les refers to this verse to explain that sin, through the commandment, becomes exceedingly sinful.
Romans 7:14: For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Les points out that any good religious Jew knew the law was spiritual, yet the law declared him carnal and sold under sin.
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 is the biblical record of Saul's religious persecution of those who said Jesus was the Christ.
Yes. Les teaches that Saul was a tremendously religious man, taught at the feet of Gamaliel, and he did his persecution of believers in the name of religion.
Saul absolutely hated Jesus, thinking He was an imposter and a blasphemer who was trying to destroy Judaism. He believed the best thing for Israel was to stamp out everything connected with Jesus.
Yes. Les says there was a small percentage of believing Jews. Saul persecuted these believing Jews, but after his conversion he himself preached in the synagogues that Jesus is the Christ.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Law Can't Save You — Romans 7:5-14 Explained