Saul persecuted the early church because he was a religious zealot who sincerely believed Jesus of Nazareth was an imposter and that stamping out His followers was a service to God.
Les Feldick emphasizes that Saul acted in the name of religion, thinking he was doing his God a service by wiping out the heresy that Jesus was the Messiah. Scripture records that he made havoc of the church, committed men and women to prison, and even gave his voice against believers when they were put to death. His persecution arose from deep religious conviction, not from a belief that he was doing wrong.
Acts 8:1 — Shows Saul's complicity in Stephen's death and the great persecution that arose against the church in Jerusalem.
Acts 8:3 — Describes Saul's brutal house-to-house arrests of believing men and women.
Acts 9:1-2 — Reveals that Saul sought authority to arrest believers in Damascus, showing his persecution extended beyond Jerusalem.
Acts 26:9-10 — Saul's own testimony confirms he acted from conviction against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
In Acts 8:1, Scripture records that Saul was consenting to Stephen's death and that at that time there was a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, scattering believers throughout Judea and Samaria. Acts 8:3 says, 'As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.' Acts 9:1-2 shows Saul 'yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord' and seeking letters from the high priest to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any of 'this way,' whether men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Paul later testified in Acts 26:9-10, '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.'
Les Feldick explains that Saul was not acting out of malice or a desire to do wrong; he was a religious zealot acting in the name of religion. Les says Saul thought he was doing his God a service by stamping out any belief in Jesus of Nazareth. To this good Jew, nothing worse could have happened to Israel than the 'heresy' that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, so he tried to stamp it out with persecution, imprisonment, and death. Les also teaches that Saul saw Jesus as an imposter and a fake who was destroying the very bulwarks of Judaism. Saul believed the best thing he could do as a servant of the true God of Abraham was to eliminate anyone connected with Jesus. Even though Saul was religious, Les points out that his motivating power was carnal and fleshly rather than pleasing to God, because he was stamping out those who had recognized Jesus as the Christ.
Scripture shows Saul consenting to Stephen's death and then leading a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). Acts 8:3 says he 'made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.' He was not satisfied to stop in Jerusalem; Acts 9:1-2 says he went to the high priest and requested letters to Damascus, desiring to bring any of 'this way' bound to Jerusalem. Paul later testified that he shut up many saints in prison and gave his voice against them when they were put to death (Acts 26:10).
Les Feldick stresses that Saul was a religious Jew doing everything in the name of religion. He thinks he is doing his God a service by stamping out any believing in Jesus of Nazareth (Clip 1). To this good Jew, nothing worse could have happened to Israel than the heresy that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, so he tried to stamp it out by persecution, imprisonment, and death (Clip 2). Saul viewed Jesus as an imposter and a fake who was destroying the bulwarks of Judaism, so the best thing he could do as a servant of the true God of Abraham was to eliminate anyone connected with Jesus (Clip 4, Clip 6).
Les identifies the targets as believing Jews who had recognized Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. They were Jewish believers assembling together, not a separate organization. Les says Saul's rampage began against these believing Jews in Jerusalem after Stephen's martyrdom, and then he wanted to go after believing Jews in Damascus (Clip 1, Clip 2). Paul's own testimony calls them 'saints' in Jerusalem (Acts 26:10), and Acts 9:1 calls them 'disciples of the Lord.'
Saul's Introduction as Persecutor
Les introduces Saul as the one consenting to Stephen's death and heading up a vicious persecution against Jewish believers.
Saul Thought He Was Serving God
Les emphasizes that Saul did everything in the name of religion, thinking he was doing his God a service by stamping out belief in Jesus of Nazareth.
Saul's Persecution of Believing Jews
Les says Saul was after believing Jews who had followed the 'heresy' that Jesus was the Messiah, and he tried to stamp it out through persecution, imprisonment, and death. Saul then sought letters to Damascus to expand his campaign.
Saul as a Religious Fanatic
Les compares Saul to despotic leaders who try to stamp out opposition; Saul saw Jesus as ruining Jewish culture and religion, so he took the lead in persecuting believers.
Saul Viewed Jesus as an Imposter
Les teaches that Saul hated Jesus with a passion, considered Him an imposter destroying Judaism, and believed the only way to do God a favor was to persecute the believers.
Saul's Carnal Religious Motivation
Les explains that although Saul was religious, his motivating power was carnal and fleshly, because he was stamping out those who recognized Jesus as the Christ.
Saul's Purpose to Stamp Out Jesus
Les says Saul considered Jesus a fake, and his purpose in life was to stamp out anyone connected with Him—putting believers to death quickly to wipe out any reference to Jesus of Nazareth.
Saul's Ruthlessness, in the Name of Religion
Les recounts that Saul made havoc of the assembly, entering homes and imprisoning men and women, yet everything he did was in the name of his religion, thinking he served the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Acts 8:1: And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
This verse places Saul at the center of the persecution that broke out after Stephen's martyrdom.
Acts 8:3: As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
This describes Saul's personal, violent role in dragging believers from their homes to prison.
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 shows Saul's persecution was not limited to Jerusalem; he sought official authority to arrest believers in Damascus.
Acts 26:9: I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Saul himself testifies that he acted out of sincere conviction against Jesus' name.
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.
Saul confirms that he imprisoned saints and even approved of their deaths.
Les Feldick emphasizes that Saul acted out of religious conviction, not from a desire to do wrong. He thought he was doing God a service by stamping out what he believed was a heresy about Jesus of Nazareth (Clip 1). Les describes him as ruthless in his methods, but always acting in the name of religion (Clip 7).
Saul persecuted Jewish believers in Jerusalem and Damascus who had recognized Jesus as the Christ. Les says these were believing Jews who were assembling as believers while still connected to the Law and temple worship (Clip 1). Scripture calls them saints in Jerusalem (Acts 26:10) and disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1).
Yes. Les notes that after his work in Jerusalem and Judea, Saul sought letters to Damascus to imprison believing Jews there (Clip 2). Acts 9:1-2 confirms he was breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples and wanted to bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Watch the Teaching: Introducing Paul: Why God Stopped the Prophetic Clock