.....................................................................................................................................
Paul, the Pattern — His Conversion
by
Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
No conversion in sacred history is given so much attention as
that of St. Paul.
Besides the many references to it, we find three detailed
accounts of it in the book of Acts.
As Saul of Tarsus, the learned Pharisee, he had led his nation
and the world in rebellion against God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
St. Luke says: “As for Saul,
he made havock of the church” (Acts 8:3).
The believers at Damascus feared
Saul’s presence among them, saying: “Is not this he that destroyed them
which called on this name in Jerusalem?” (Acts 9:21).
Paul himself later testified: “Many
of the saints did I shut up in prison… and when they were put to death, I gave
my voice [vote] against them” (Acts 26:10).
“… beyond measure I persecuted
the church of God, and wasted it [laid it waste]” (Galatians 1:13).
There must have been an important reason why God saved this
rebel leader.
Clearly it was that He might make
Paul, not only the herald, but the living example of “the exceeding riches of His grace” to sinners.
Paul himself said:
“And I thank Christ Jesus our
Lord… for… putting me into the ministry; who was before A BLASPHEMER, AND A PERSECUTOR,
AND INJURIOUS: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
“AND THE GRACE OF OUR LORD WAS
EXCEEDING ABUNDANT…. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,
that CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS, OF WHOM I AM CHIEF.
HOWBEIT FOR THIS CAUSE I OBTAINED MERCY, THAT IN ME FIRST JESUS CHRIST MIGHT
SHOW FORTH ALL LONGSUFFERING, FOR A PATTERN TO THEM WHICH SHOULD HEREAFTER
BELIEVE ON HIM TO LIFE EVERLASTING” (I Timothy 1:12-16).
The Berean
Bible Society was
founded over seventy-five years ago for the sole purpose of helping believers
understand and enjoy the Word of God. Our Organization holds without apology to
all the fundamentals of the Christian faith and is evangelical, that is,
we believe that salvation is by grace through faith alone on the basis of
the shed blood of Christ.
We also
emphasize the importance of proclaiming the whole counsel of God in light of
the Pauline revelation. Insofar as Paul is the apostle of the Gentiles, it is
our firm conviction that in his epistles alone we have the doctrine, position,
walk, and destiny for the Church, the Body of Christ, during the dispensation
of Grace.
When did
the Berean Bible Society actually have its beginning? Interestingly,
it began in a two-room school house in Preakness (now Wayne), New Jersey. Here
a group of believers began to see the importance of understanding the
“the mystery” revealed to Paul, and the urgency of proclaiming the
unadulterated “gospel of the grace of God”. It was Pastor C. R. Stam’s
first pastorate: the Preakness Community Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment