Saul the Prosecutor
Acts 7:58 KJV 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the
witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was
Saul.
Acts 8:1-4 KJV 1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that
time there was a great persecution against the church which was at
Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of
Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried
Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul,
he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men
and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were
scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
Acts 9:1-2 KJV 1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired
of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this
way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto
Jerusalem.
Introduction
We have seen previously that Saul was very fervent in his service to God, or so he thought. We do not have much information concerning the life of Paul after his education was finished. It is believed by many scholars that Paul/Saul was probably born in the same year that Jesus was born, yet it is practical to also believe that he did not know about the birth of Jesus since Jesus was born in Bethlehem and he in Tarsus. We should also note that Jesus began His personal ministry when He was around thirty years of age.
That is in keeping with the Jewish tradition of the priests entering into active service as a Priest at the age of thirty. A priest served for twenty years, age thirty to age fifty. The first thirty years were in preparation for the Priestly 23
Service, and after the period of service, the individual priest was considered retired as concerning the priesthood but was then active in training the new priests that were up and coming.
Thus, Jesus was in Nazareth for the first thirty years of His life, save the time of His birth, and the flight into Egypt to get away from Herod who wanted to kill Him. Jesus would not have come into prominence until He was at least thirty years of age. Otherwise, He remained in obscurity in Nazareth until His “coming out,” with the exception of the trip to Jerusalem when He was twelve years of age.
It is believed that Saul must have left Jerusalem in his early twenties. He returned to Tarsus, his hometown. It would have made sense that if he had remained in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus, he would have mentioned that and arguing against Him. Since there is no evidence that Saul ever had any contact with Jesus prior to His death on the cross, it stands to reason that He was never in the area of Jerusalem at the same time as Jesus. He never mentions his having been an eyewitness, which he surely would have if that had happened.
In Jerusalem
We cannot know for certain, but it would seem that Saul probably returned to Jerusalem in the first part of his thirties. We do not know just why he was there but most likely because he was serving as a local Rabbi or as a member of the Sanhedrin. My opinion is that he was connected in some way to the Sanhedrin is some type of capacity. It is believed however, that his return was after the crucifixion of Jesus and His Ascension.
The Stage is Set
Before we consider Saul’s reappearance in Jerusalem, let us consider the different groups that were prevalent and that played a part in the scene before the stoning of Deacon Stephen.
The Sadducee
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• The politically powerful sect of the Jewish leadership
• Disappeared in 70 A.D. with the fall of Jerusalem
• Did not believe in resurrection of any kind or in a personal Messiah
• Denied that oral law was binding or authoritative
• Interpreted Mosaic Law more literally than the Pharisees
• Attributed all to free will – God did not make things happen
• Rejected the idea of a spiritual world – angels and demons
• Only the books of Moses were canonical
The Pharisee
• Accepted oral tradition as well as the Mosaic Law
• Accepted both free will and the sovereignty of God as canceling each other out (?)
• Had a very complicated view of a hierarchy of angels and demons
• There was a future for the dead, immortality for the soul, and reward/punishment after death
The Essene
• A sect that separated from the Pharisees because the Pharisees did not follow strict enough observance of the purity laws of the Torah
• Many believe that this was the sect of which John the Baptist was a member
• Communal ownership of property
• Marriage not condemned but was avoided
• Attributed all that happened to fate
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The Zealot
• Only around between 6 B.C. (Herod the Great) and when the final remnant died at Masada in 73 A.D.
• Bore allegiance only to God – refused to pay taxes to a pagan emperor
• Held fiercely to Jewish tradition
• Opposed to the use of the Greek language in Palestine
• Prophesied a coming time of salvation1
1 The Man Who Turned The World Upside Down--A Study Of The Life Of The Apostle Paul, truehorizon.org, p. 8
The new church kept on growing. Many were saved and became members of the church because of the effect of the deaths of Ananias and his wife Sapphira lying about their gift to the church. This incident caused a great increase in the salvation of many and joining the church.
The Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus to death thinking that His death would put an end to this new movement that had arisen around Him in the last three years. A conspiracy comes about as recorded in Matthew 28:11-15.
This, honestly, was an admission that the tomb was indeed empty! After His Resurrection and then fifty days later, the gathering at Pentecost, the priest, the head of the temple guard and the Sadducees were alarmed at how the Apostles were preaching and teaching that Jesus had arisen and ascended into Heaven. Incidentally, the head of the Sanhedrin was a Sadducee! The very idea of Jesus being the Messiah was extremely repulsive to the combined leadership of the Jews. Jesus was only a cursed, convicted, common criminal. Surely this “movement” would cease to exist, only it didn’t. The Apostles were even more fervent in their efforts concerning the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus, the Messiah. The Jewish leadership could not stand this! The Apostles were jailed causing the Jewish leadership 26
to think that would put an end to it. To their dismay, those who were jailed were free and back to their preaching and teaching again! (Acts 5:17-25) They had been miraculously freed from prison.
Acts 5:17-25 KJV 17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were
with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with
indignation, 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the
common prison. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison
doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the
temple to the people all the words of this life. 21 And when they heard
that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But
the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council
together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison
to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, and found them not
in the prison, they returned, and told, 23 Saying, The prison truly found
we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors:
but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24 Now when the high
priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these
things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. 25 Then came
one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are
standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
Upon this news, the full Sanhedrin caused them to be arrested again and be brought to the high priest for him to question them.
Acts 5:27-33 KJV 27 And when they had brought them, they set them
before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we
straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold,
ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's
blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said,
We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised
up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted
with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to
Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these
things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that
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obey him. 33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took
counsel to slay them.
Many believe that Saul was either a member of the Sanhedrin or a lawyer or an advisor to it. Therefore, he would have heard this speech by Peter.
Acts 5:34-42 KJV 34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee,
named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the
people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; 35 And
said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend
to do as touching these men. 36 For before these days rose up Theudas,
boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four
hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed
him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37 After this man rose up
Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people
after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were
dispersed. 38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let
them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to
nought: 39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be
found even to fight against God. 40 And to him they agreed: and when
they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they
should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they
departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42 And daily in the temple,
and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
It might have appeared unbelievable to Saul to see and hear Gamaliel stand and caution against harming the Apostles. His speech and wisdom carried with the Sanhedrin. The Apostles were beaten, which was not uncommon, and warned to not preach or teach concerning Jesus ever again. We know that this did not faze these men because they kept right on doing what God would have them to do.
The Stoning of Stephen
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A dispute arose between the different factions of the church. The Apostles did not have enough time to really take care of the material matters that were brought up around the new church. Therefore, the Apostles advised the church to select seven men and ordain them to be deacons for the church.
This they did and set forth them to the Apostles. These seven were indeed a great blessing to the church.
Tension was indeed rising after these events, but what would happen later would forever change the course of the fledgling new church that was meeting in the Temple area because there was no other place big enough for them to meet.
There came about a great surge of people from all around Jerusalem coming to see and be healed by the Apostles. Again, many were saved, healed, and added to the church.
Acts 6:8 reveals to us that Stephen did great wonders and miracles among the people. Many of a certain synagogue composed of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians along with a number of them from Cilicia and Asia were greatly disputing with Stephen.
It believed that Saul was probably part of this synagogue because of the phrase in the Scripture “and of them of Cilicia and of Asia.” We could probably safely assume that Saul was a leader in this disputing. He seemed that he pursued Stephen vindictively, stirring up enmity, dissension, and jealousy all the while insulting and deriding Jesus. Stephen did nothing to retaliate. Those opposers could not resist the wisdom and the Holy Spirit that came as the result of Stephen’s preaching. This stirred the people up and that resulted in Stephen being brought before the Sanhedrin. False witnesses were produced and testified against him.
When Stephen’s turn came to speak, his lengthy message was filled with such power and conviction that his persecutors could only gnash their teeth.
Stephen was seized and brought outside of the city of Jerusalem. There the 29
majority laid their outer garments at Saul’s feet and began to hurl stones at the Deacon until he died.
Examining the Scriptures covering this account, Saul would have had to have been present at Stephen’s hearing. He may have been the lead prosecutor. Remember this young man had been trained to be a lawyer which would mean that he could have been the prosecutor or the defender.
We know that he was not the defender, so it stands to reason that he was the leader of the mob that put Stephen to death. He did not do any of the stoning himself but urged others to do it.
Just a Note: There is another reason to believe that Saul must have been Jerusalem after Jesus crucifixion and ascension is because the Greek word for “young” stood for a young man between about 24 and 40 years of age.
Saul could “fit” into that time frame.
Conclusion
There can be no doubt that all that Saul had witnessed and of which he had been a participant weighted on his mind and heart. He had heard the truth and witnessed it himself. He became very fervent in his quest.
In the next lesson we will look at Saul the Persecutor.
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