The Great Change: From Persecutor to Persecuted

Imagine the most feared teenager in your city. That name which, when spoken, makes Christians lower their voices and lock the door. That was more or less how the first followers of Jesus felt when they heard about a young Pharisee named Saul. He was not a common criminal. He was religious, studious, dedicated — and convinced that persecuting Christians was a service to God.

The incredible thing is that the Bible does not end Saul's story with him as the villain. It tells the greatest turnaround in the book of Acts: the church's number one persecutor becomes the greatest preacher of the Gospel, the "Apostle to the Gentiles". And he does not change because he read a better book or because someone convinced him in a debate. He changes because he meets Jesus personally, on the road to Damascus.

In this lesson we will follow three steps: who Paul was, what the encounter with Jesus was like and what call God had for him. And, along the way, one question will keep knocking: if God changed a man like Saul, what can He not do with someone who opens their heart while still in their teen years?

1. Who Was Paul?

Before becoming an apostle, Paul had a history — and knowing it helps us understand the size of the change God made in him.

The first curious detail is his two names. Saul was the Hebrew name, from his Jewish family; Paul was the Roman name, used in the Greek and Latin world (Acts 13:9). They are not two people: it is the same man, with a foot in each world.

Paul was Jewish, but born outside Israel, in the city of Tarsus (capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, today in the territory of Turkey). His parents were from the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). Tarsus was a large, commercial city full of culture, where Jews and non-Jews lived side by side. While still a teenager, Paul moved to Jerusalem to study under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), one of the most respected rabbis of the time. In other words: from an early age he was a young man who took his studies and his faith seriously.

With that training, Paul became a dedicated Pharisee (Philippians 3:5) — the kind of Jew who made every effort to obey the Law and tradition. He was also multilingual: he spoke Aramaic and Hebrew because he was Jewish, and Greek and Latin through contact with other peoples. And he had a trade in his hands: he made tents (Acts 18:3).

There is one more detail that will make a difference further on: Paul was a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:28). In the Empire, most people were slaves — estimated at around 80% of the population. Among free people, few held citizenship. Paul did. And that guaranteed him rights that others did not have.

🏛 Fun fact. Roman citizenship (in Latin, civitas) was a true "golden passport" of the time. A Roman citizen had the right to a fair trial, could appeal directly to the emperor (Caesar) and could neither be flogged without conviction nor crucified like a common criminal. Paul probably inherited this citizenship from his father. Later on, these rights would protect him in several situations and lead him to preach the Gospel even inside Rome. God prepared the "document" long before using the man.

❤ For your life. Notice that God was working in Paul's story long before his conversion — in his studies, in his languages, in the city where he was born, even in the rights he held. Nothing was wasted. Your teen years are also being used by God right now, even if you do not realize it. What you learn, the languages you study, the skills you practice: one day all of that can become a tool in God's hands. Do not waste this stage.

2. The Encounter with Jesus

Here the story takes its turn. Saul, driven by his zeal, persecuted the followers of Jesus (Acts 22:4-5). He did not think he was doing evil — on the contrary, he believed he was defending God.

The first big sign of this was the death of Stephen. Full of God's power, Stephen preached about Jesus in Jerusalem. Some took offense, accused him of blasphemy, and stoned him to death. And the Bible records a heavy statement: Saul approved of his death (Acts 8:1). From then on, many Christians fled Jerusalem, scattering to other cities.

Saul then asked for authorization to go to Damascus — a large city, about 280 km north of Jerusalem — with the goal of arresting the followers of the Way of the Lord (Acts 9:2). But, when he was almost there, the unexpected happened: a light from heaven surrounded him and a voice called him by name. He fell to the ground, without understanding, and asked who was speaking to him. The answer undid him: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting (Acts 9:5). Saul got up blind, and his companions had to lead him by the hand into Damascus (Acts 9:7-8).

Do you see the weight of this? Saul thought he was attacking deceived people. He discovered that he was persecuting God Himself. When someone hurts a Christian because of their faith, the one being insulted, deep down, is the Lord Jesus.

🏛 Fun fact. Some say that the Bible contradicts itself in Paul's conversion: Acts 9:7 states that his companions heard the voice, and Acts 22:9 says that they did not hear the voice. The explanation lies in the Greek word used, phonē, which can mean both "sound" and "speech". Everyone heard the sound; only Saul understood the words. And, for a Jew, a voice from heaven was never that of an angel — it was the voice of God Himself. That was when Saul's theology collapsed: he realized that Jesus is God.

🕊 Our reading. Saul was studious, sincere and religious — and even so he did not recognize the voice of the Lord when it called him. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. That is why, in the Pentecostal faith, we value so much a life of prayer, of reading the Word and of intimacy with the Holy Spirit: it is this daily fellowship that trains our ear to recognize the voice of God and obey at the right moment. Having religion is not enough; you need to have an encounter.

3. Paul's Call

Blind and in silence, Saul spent days waiting. And God did not leave him alone: He appeared to a disciple named Ananias, giving instructions to look for Saul, talk with him and pray for him (Acts 9:10-11). Ananias was afraid — after all, Saul was famous precisely for persecuting Christians. But God was clear about His purpose for that man, and this is where our Golden Text comes in:

"“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.”" (Acts 9:15)

Notice what God calls Saul: a chosen vessel. A vessel is an instrument — God set him apart to carry and proclaim His name to three groups: the Gentiles (non-Jews), kings (authorities) and the children of Israel (the Jewish people). No one was left outside the reach of that call.

When Ananias prayed for him, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit, regained his sight and was baptized (Acts 9:17-18). He wasted no time: right away he began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:20). Imagine the astonishment! The most feared persecutor was now proclaiming the faith he had tried to destroy (Acts 9:21).

The result was immediate. Some Jews were so bothered by the message that Jesus is the Messiah that they plotted to kill him. Saul had to flee Damascus, being lowered down the wall in a basket (2 Corinthians 11:32-33). From persecutor, he became the persecuted — and it was like that for the rest of his life. Saul, now Paul, went down in history as the "Apostle to the Gentiles" (the word "apostle" comes from the Greek and means "sent one").

🏛 Fun fact. Throughout this quarter we will pass through many cities and journeys. It is worth looking at a map: Damascus was hundreds of kilometers from Jerusalem, in an oasis surrounded by walls, cut through by a river and disputed by different peoples and kings. Ancient cities were walled precisely to protect themselves from attacks — the very wall that defended the city became Paul's "escape door" when he was lowered through an opening in a basket. Following the distances helps us feel the size of the effort Paul made to carry the Gospel.

❤ For your life. Paul's conversion tears down a very common excuse: "I have already done too many things, I am beyond help". If God transformed the man who approved of Stephen's death and persecuted the church, there is no past too big for the grace of God. What He looks for is not a clean résumé, but an open heart. Saul had that heart — sincere, willing to obey as soon as he understood the truth. And your heart — is it open?

Christ in the Lesson

At the center of this story is not Paul — it is Jesus. It was Christ who stopped Saul on the road, who introduced Himself by name, who chose him and sent him. The great change did not come from an effort by Saul to improve; it came from an encounter with the risen Christ.

And there is a beautiful detail. Jesus did not say "why do you persecute My followers?". He asked: why do you persecute Me? (Acts 9:4). Christ identifies Himself so closely with His church that hurting a Christian is hurting Him. He is the same Jesus who gave Himself for us on the cross, who remains at His people's side.

Paul understood this forever. Years later, he wrote that he did not deserve to be called an apostle, because he had persecuted the church of God, but that by the grace of God he was what he was (1 Corinthians 15:9-10). All of Saul's transformation has a single name: grace — the undeserved favor of Christ, who seeks the sinner before the sinner seeks Him.

Application

Beware of "zeal without knowledge". Saul was sincere, but sincerely wrong. It is possible to be very religious and, at the same time, be far from God. That is why having strong opinions about faith is not enough: you need to know the Word and truly know Christ.

No past is greater than grace. If you have already done things you are ashamed of, Paul's story is for you. God does not give up on those who have an open heart. The invitation still stands: surrender yourself to Christ today.

Steadfastness when they mock your faith. If someone makes fun of you for being a Christian, remember that, deep down, the one being insulted is the Lord Jesus — and He sees everything. Keep serving God with patience; the answer belongs to Him.

Your teen years count. The choices of this stage shape your character and your spiritual life. Just as the young Saul dedicated himself to his studies and his faith, dedicate yourself too: pray, read the Bible, serve in the church. God is preparing you right now.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You because Your grace is greater than any past. Just as You met Saul in the middle of the road and changed his story, meet me too and transform my heart. Teach me to truly know You, and not merely to know things about You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, give me steadfastness when they mock my faith and use me as a vessel in Your hands, even now, in my youth. In Jesus' name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria — Scripture governs; everything else, on its knees.

Teacher's Guide

Suggested class activity (based on the quarterly): use a map — printed or projected — and keep it in view throughout the whole class (and throughout the quarter, since there will be many journeys). Show the distance between Jerusalem and Damascus and explain that ancient cities were surrounded by protective walls. Ask a student to trace Saul's route with their finger while you tell the story: where he left from, where the light surrounded him, where he went blind, where he was healed and baptized, and where he escaped in the basket. Seeing the distance on the map helps teens feel the concrete weight of the story.

Additional idea: start the class by talking about Saul's formative years (study, languages, dedication in Jerusalem) and connect them with the stage the class is living through. Reinforce that doubts, mood swings and the search for friendships are normal in the teen years — and that this is precisely why cultivating faith and study right now makes such a difference.

Five questions for the class:

1. Why is Saul called by two names, Saul and Paul? What does each name represent?
2. Saul thought he was pleasing God by persecuting Christians. How can someone be sincere and wrong at the same time?
3. What did Jesus mean by asking why Saul was persecuting Him (Acts 9:4)? What does that teach about how Christ relates to His church?
4. In the Golden Text, God calls Paul a chosen vessel. What does it mean to be a vessel in God's hands?
5. If God transformed a persecutor like Saul, what does that say about what He can do with your life — while still in your teen years?