In today's text, several things are striking. (1) Paul's pre-Christian adult existence as a Pharisee who violently opposed Jesus and the new Christian movement is striking. (2) The fact that God's grace expressed in Jesus could forgive a violent man like Paul is striking. (3) Paul's affirmation that God's purpose in Jesus Christ is to save sinners is striking. (4) Paul's affirmation that he received God's mercy to demonstrate God's ability to save anyone is striking. Paul said his forgiveness stands as proof that God's mercy expressed in God's patience could extend to any form of resistance if there is repentance.
However, there is one statement Paul made in this text that goes beyond striking. It is astounding from every perspective in every consideration! The statement: ". . . I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief" (1:13).
To grasp the enormity of that statement, consider some of Paul's background. Was he present at Stephen's execution (Acts 7:58-60)? Yes! Was he in full agreement with Stephen's execution (Acts 8:1)? Yes! Did he begin or enter into a local [Jerusalem] violent persecution of Jews who believed Jesus was the resurrected Christ (Acts 8:1-3)? Yes! Did he extend the persecution efforts against Jewish Christians to a country outside of Israel (Acts 9:1, 2)? Yes!
Those things being true, then how could he declare he acted "ignorantly in unbelief"? Since his opposition against Jewish Christians included acts of premeditated violence, how did he act "ignorantly"?
To understand the "ignorantly" we need to connect it to the blindness of "unbelief" [as does the NAS, the KJV, the RSV, and the NIV]. Paul did not justify what he did before he believed in Jesus' identify. He, as a Jew who did not believe in Jesus' identity, was enraged at what he regarded a deceitful, destructive concept. Did the pre-Christian Paul believe in God? Passionately! Did he believe God acted in Israel's history? Without question! Did he view Jesus as destructive to God's purposes in Israel? Certainly! Was he willing to be violent in his defense of God? Without doubt! Even before becoming a Christian, Paul did what he was convinced God wanted him to do! His actions based on his faith in God knew no restrictions, no boundaries! He dared act on his faith in God in ways we would regard risky.
Did Paul change gods when he converted to Jesus Christ? No! The change was not in his faith in God, but in his understanding of God's purpose. There is a radical difference between thinking God's purpose is accomplished in restoring the physical kingdom of Israel and understanding God's purpose is achieved in a spiritual, eternal kingdom that includes Jews and non-Jews. Paul defended God in both concepts. He simply did not understand God's purpose included Jesus Christ as Messiah to the world until the last understanding. He was "ignorant" because he refused to see God's work in Jesus.
In his thinking before he was a Christian, God's purpose simply did not include a resurrected Jesus. Anything that threatened physical Israel and their law threatened God's purpose. His violent acts were not intended as a rebellion against God, but as a protection of God. As he then understood God's will, he was protecting God's will. In his protection, his passion knew no extremes! He did not commit acts of conscious rebellion against God, but acts of commitment to God's ways!
No form of blindness is so severe as the blindness of the mind! Before he was a Christian, Paul simply did not "get it". He was so sure of "how God worked" that he would not let God be God. That is a frightening state of mind! It is possible to be so convinced that "I know" that "I" cannot be taught.
Paul's actions were not weighed by God on terms of the effect of Paul's acts, but the motive behind Paul's acts. The Christians who were in jail were in jail regardless of Paul's motive. The Christians who were killed were just as dead regardless of Paul's motive. The disruption to God's spiritual kingdom was just as real regardless of Paul's motive. Yet, to God, Paul's motive mattered. The fact his acts of violence against God's eternal kingdom were acts of ignorance rather than acts of rebellion were significant to God.
How significant to God were Paul's motives? Significant enough to make this man God's apostle to non-Jews [gentiles]. That is an irony! The Jew's Jew became God's apostle to people who were not Jews! How could this be? Paul understood Jesus was God's intent, and he was gifted in explaining that truth/hope to people who were not Jews.
We Christians should be reminded of two statements Jesus made. The first was made at the time of Paul's conversion:
And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me' (Acts 26:14-18).
The second:
And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old" (Matthew 13:52).
When people of good motives understand God worked and is working through Jesus Christ, they will shutter at the blindness of their past motives and serve in the enlightenment of their new motives.
For Thought and Discussion:
Discuss Paul's adult background prior to conversion to Jesus Christ.
What caused Paul's ignorance?
How did God weigh Paul's violent acts against Christians?
What two statements from Jesus are we encouraged to remember?
Discuss the change that occurs when a person realizes God works through Jesus Christ.
Link to Teacher's Guide, Lesson 7