The Gospel According to Paul
From Terrorist To Teacher

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” — Philippians 3:7

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU GOD CAN USE YOUR WORST CHAPTER?

Let me ask you something upfront.

What if your past doesn’t disqualify you—but qualifies you?
What if your most broken, shameful chapter is actually the one God wants to publish in full view of the world—to display His grace?

Let me introduce you to a man named Saul of Tarsus.
Brilliant. Zealous. Feared.

A man who made Christians disappear.

But somewhere on a dusty road to Damascus, the hunter became the hunted—and the persecutor became a preacher.

This is the story of the Apostle Paul—but more importantly, it’s the story of what God can do when He gets ahold of a human heart.

SAUL — THE RELIGIOUS TERRORIST

Before he was Paul, he was Saul.

Born in Tarsus, a Roman citizen, trained under Gamaliel, a Pharisee of Pharisees.
If religious pedigree were currency, Saul was wealthy beyond compare.

“...circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin... as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.” — Philippians 3:5–6

But with all that zeal came blood.

Saul became the religious world’s most feared weapon—a one-man wrecking crew against the Church.

“Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.” — Acts 8:3

He watched as Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned—and held the coats.

Let that sink in.

Paul was a religious terrorist.

But here’s the tension: he thought he was doing it for God.

Which should shake us. Because being sincere doesn’t mean you're right—you can be sincerely wrong and dangerously blind.

DAMASCUS — THE COLLISION OF GRACE AND PRIDE

Now here comes the suspense.

Saul is on the way to Damascus, papers in hand, permission to arrest more Christians.

Then suddenly—a light from Heaven.

“He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’” — Acts 9:4

The voice wasn’t angry. It was intimate.

He didn’t say, “Why are you hurting them?”
He said, “Why are you hurting Me?”

Because when you touch the Church, you touch Christ.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the voice said. “Now get up and go...” — Acts 9:5-6

And just like that, Saul—the feared one—was blind, broken, and led by the hand like a child.

He didn’t rise in power. He fell in grace.

THE ANANIAS MOMENT — TRUSTING GOD’S CRAZIEST ASSIGNMENT

Now here’s where it gets wild.

God speaks to a disciple named Ananias and says, “Go pray for Saul.”

Ananias says, “Excuse me… the Saul who kills people like me?”

But God responds:

“This man is My chosen instrument to proclaim My name to the Gentiles…” — Acts 9:15

And Ananias obeys.

Can you imagine? Laying your hands on the man who murdered your brothers in Christ?

But that’s what radical obedience looks like—loving your enemy before he becomes your brother.

He prays. Saul is healed. Baptized.

And the Church trembles.

“Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem…?” — Acts 9:21

Yes, he was.

But not anymore.

THE TURNAROUND — FROM MURDERER TO MISSIONARY

Let me ask you this:

How do you forgive yourself when your past includes blood on your hands?

Saul didn’t just receive grace—he became grace in motion.

He changed his name to Paul. And he didn’t retreat to the shadows. He ran into the very places he once sought to destroy.

He planted churches. He wrote letters—13 of them that now make up almost half of the New Testament.

He said things like:

“For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” — Philippians 1:21

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” — Galatians 2:20

This wasn’t religion anymore. This was revelation. This was resurrection.

THE SUFFERING APOSTLE — WHEN OBEDIENCE COSTS YOU EVERYTHING

But Paul didn’t have it easy.

“Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was pelted with stones.
Three times I was shipwrecked… in danger from bandits… I have known hunger and thirst…” — 2 Corinthians 11:24-27

Paul wasn’t famous. He was hunted.

He was whipped, chained, mocked, and forgotten. He was abandoned by friends and chased by enemies.

Yet he kept preaching.

Why?

Because he wasn’t building a ministry—he was burning with a mission.

And the deeper his suffering, the louder his testimony.

THE PRISON LETTERS — WORDS THAT STILL SHAKE WALLS

Fast forward to a Roman prison. Cold. Dark. Smelling of death.

Paul writes:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” — Philippians 4:4

Wait—what?

Paul is chained. Facing execution. Forgotten by many.

But he still rejoices.

Because chains don’t bind joy. And bars don’t silence purpose.

Some of Paul’s most powerful letters came from the pit.

That’s how the Kingdom works.
The enemy thinks it’s burying you… but God says, “No, I’m planting you.”

DEATH THAT DECLARES VICTORY

Eventually, Paul is beheaded under Emperor Nero.

But even in death, Paul wins.

Why?

Because he didn’t run from the finish line—he ran into it.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7

What a way to go out. Not in regret. Not in fear.
But in victory.

And here’s the beauty of it all:
Paul didn’t write his story. God did.

HISTORICAL INSIGHT: THE LEGACY OF PAUL

Secular historians like Tacitus, Suetonius, and Josephus confirmed the persecution of early Christians in Rome.

Ancient records show Paul’s name on execution orders.
Archaeology confirms sites where Paul preached, such as Corinth, Ephesus, and Philippi.

And to this day, his letters remain among the most widely read and quoted documents in human history.

God used a killer to write the blueprint for grace.

If He can use Paul… what's stopping Him from using you?

WHAT PAUL’S LIFE SAYS TO YOU

1. Your Past Is Not Your Prison

Paul killed Christians—and God still used him.

“Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” — Romans 5:20

Stop disqualifying yourself. God already qualified you.

2. Conversion Requires Collision

Paul didn’t gently evolve. He was blinded. Confronted. Wrecked.

True change doesn’t come from tweaking your habits. It comes from meeting Jesus face-to-face.

3. Obedience Will Cost You—but It’s Worth Everything

Paul gave up status, comfort, and safety.
But he gained eternity.

4. The Deeper the Pain, the Louder the Message

If you’ve suffered, struggled, or been broken—good.

Because those are the ones God uses to shake the gates of Hell.

PRAYER: FROM SAUL TO PAUL MOMENT

Let’s pray.

Jesus,
I may not have persecuted the Church,
But I’ve persecuted myself with shame, regret, and sin.
I may not have blood on my hands,
But I’ve had pride in my heart.
Today, I lay down my name like Saul did.
And I rise in the name You’ve given me.
Redeem my past. Use my pain. Set me on fire like Paul.
I don’t want comfort—I want calling.
Make me an instrument of Your grace.
In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

FINAL CHALLENGE: WRITE YOUR CHAPTER

You’ve read Paul’s letters.

Now God wants to write yours.

Will you let Him?

Will you say yes—even if it costs you everything?

Because there are modern-day Damascuses waiting for your voice.
There are chains to break. Churches to plant. Nations to reach.

You may feel disqualified. But that just means you’re exactly who God wants to use.

So get up. Leave the past. Pick up your cross.

And run like Paul ran—until your final breath echoes in eternity.