Ngunit sinabi sa kanya ng Panginoon, “Pumunta ka roon, sapagkat pinili ko siya upang ipangaral ang aking pangalan sa mga Hentil, sa mga hari, at sa mga anak ng Israel. Ipapaunawa ko sa kanya ang lahat ng dapat niyang tiisin alang-alang sa akin.”

Mga Gawa 9:15–16

Saul was on a mission. As a law-abiding Jew from birth, he ticked all the boxes of what he thought who an ideal follower of the Jewish religion should be. Buo ang paniniwala niya na dapat pigilan ang pagdami ng mga naniniwala kay Jesus. In fact, he was intent on imprisoning the followers of the Way. The voice inside him said, “Punish them all to protect your religion.” But in the defining moment of his life, that voice was silenced by a louder Voice which said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

For three days, Saul lost his sight. Jesus told him to go to Ananias who then laid his hands on him, which miraculously restored his vision. Pero higit pa sa pagbalik ng paningin ang nakuha niya. From that time on, Christianity’s number one enemy gained a new identity. From killing the followers of Jesus, his personal mission was radically changed, a 180-degree turn. God used him to spread the gospel to the Gentiles. Lumagpas pa sa Damascus ang sakop ng impluwensya niya. Today, more than 2,000 years since then, people all over the world are still reaping the benefits of his obedience. Saul, later known as the Apostle Paul, wrote letters to churches, comprising 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament.

During his time, many followers were probably wondering, “Why did God choose him to do an important task?” The answer lies in who God is — the God who directs unlikely scenarios and impossible situations for His purpose and glory. If He can use a young boy with a slingshot to kill a giant, then He can definitely use the early church’s most rabid persecutor to become the greatest preacher of all time.