Saul persecuted early Christians because he sincerely believed Jesus of Nazareth was an imposter and was zealously trying to stamp out what he saw as a dangerous heresy.
According to Les Feldick's teaching, Saul was a highly religious Pharisee who had been trained at the feet of Gamaliel. He genuinely thought that Jesus was a blasphemer and that the best thing for Israel was to eliminate all belief in Him. He considered these Jewish believers a threat to Judaism and believed he was doing God a service by persecuting them.
Acts 26:9-11 — Paul himself explains his former persecution, stating he thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus.
The Bible records that Saul of Tarsus, before his conversion, was a zealous persecutor of the early church. In Acts 9, we see him breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord and going to the high priest for letters to Damascus to arrest any followers of 'the way' (Acts 9:1-2). He was a devout Jew and a Pharisee, and he viewed the belief in Jesus as the Messiah as a dangerous heresy that threatened Judaism. He was 'exceedingly mad against them' and persecuted them even to foreign cities (Acts 26:11). His own confession in 1 Timothy 1:13 acknowledges he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious, but he also notes he did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Les Feldick teaches that Saul was a religious zealot who was sincerely wrong. He was not just a hateful man; he genuinely believed that Jesus of Nazareth was an imposter and a blasphemer. Because of his devotion to God and Judaism, he thought he was doing God a service by stamping out any belief in Jesus as the Messiah. He saw these Jewish believers as a threat to the Jewish religion and culture and was intense in his efforts, even going to Damascus to arrest them.
According to Les Feldick, Saul honestly thought that Jesus was an imposter and a blasphemer. He believed that the best thing that could happen to Israel was to have everything connected with Jesus stamped out and put out of memory.
Saul was doing all of this in the name of religion. He thought he was doing his God a service by stamping out any believing in Jesus of Nazareth.
Saul was a tremendously religious man, having been taught at the feet of Gamaliel, the greatest rabbi of the day. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees.
He persecuted the believing Jews who had recognized Jesus as their Messiah. He went after them, entering into their houses and committing them to prison, and even putting them to death.
Ekklesia in the Wilderness
Les explains the term 'Ekklesia' as a called-out assembly, showing that the Jewish believers in Jerusalem were a called-out assembly but not yet the Body of Christ.
Saul's Rampage Against Jewish Believers
Saul's persecution began against Jewish believers who had not yet separated from the Law, and he was doing it in the name of religion, believing he was serving God.
Saul as a Religious Zealot
Saul was a religious zealot who honestly thought Jesus was an imposter and a blasphemer, and he was intense on stamping out anyone following Jesus.
Persecution of the Heresy
Saul saw the belief in Jesus as the Messiah as the worst thing that could happen to Israel, and he tried to stamp it out by persecution, imprisonment, and death.
Religious Fanaticism
Saul was a religious fanatic who saw Jesus' movement as ruining Jewish culture and religion, so he took the lead in persecuting believers.
Purpose of Life
Saul saw himself as a servant of God and believed the best thing he could do was to stamp out anyone connected with Jesus, even putting them to death.
Motivating Power
Even though Saul was religious, his motivating power was fleshly and contrary to God, as he was stamping out those who recognized Jesus as the Christ.
Religious Convictions
Saul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees who hated the name of Jesus due to his religious convictions, thinking he was doing God's service.
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.
Shows Saul's intense persecution against early Christians, even seeking official authority to arrest them outside Jerusalem.
Acts 26:9-11: I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 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. 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 testimony about his former persecution, admitting he thought he should oppose Jesus' name.
1 Timothy 1:13: Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Paul reflects on his past, showing he acted in ignorance and unbelief, which helps explain his sincere but misguided zeal.
No, according to Les Feldick, Saul was not a hypocrite. He was sincerely wrong but believed he was right. He genuinely thought Jesus was an imposter and that he was doing God a service by persecuting believers.
The evidence does not mention Saul personally knowing Jesus before his conversion. It focuses on his beliefs about Jesus being an imposter and his religious background.
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul Persecuted the Early Church — Galatians Chapter 1