Question: What is the significance of Paul’s conversion in the book of Acts?
Paul’s conversion was/is of extreme importance; as he was given knowledge which most of the world do not want to know; basically because of the way the teachers refuse to teach it!
They refuse to take seriously the detailed account of Paul’s “blinding” and meeting with the Risen Christ Jesus, on the Damascus Road!
They ignore the serious statement “he is a Chosen Vessel”; which came from the Lord himself to Ananias!
It is important because on the correct answer, the pathway to understanding becomes logical and correct!
The main error strewn pathway started with the “Church Fathers”, and surrounds the important question of “who is telling the truth, Jesus or Paul”; and it was ably continued with the Roman Church and incorporated into its Doctrines under Constantine.
The fact that there is so much error in Church teaching over so many hundreds of years; in many cases sincerely taught by the Clergy, makes/made the correction process more difficult; but it has been unwinding in the last 100+ years, due to the sincere diligence and hearts of a few sincere Christians, all asking the same question!
With us, the question emerged in the true understanding of Acts 28:25–28; at a time we were struggling with Churches teaching on “gifts of the spirit”, as understood by the Church we were in at the time.
1&2 Thessalonians were written by Paul in approx. AD 53, and is approx.16 years after his Conversion Experience in AD37.
Paul had been working with the ‘new instructions and knowledge’ in obedience to “the Risen Lord Jesus”.
He and the Apostles had been meeting much resistance from the Jewish Authorities, and his writings to the “Churches” was in the form of encouragement and support.
This resistance continued for the rest of Paul’s life and work, until eventually he travelled to Rome, under the cover of being a ‘Roman Citizen’, when he was in danger of being treated as a “serf” (I.E. a person of no right’s of protective hearing by his peers and superiors) in AD61 and AD68 approx.
The first Roman journey was in approx. AD61 at the time corresponding with the Roman Synagogue witness, which produced the rejection by the Jewish Elders and Teachers of the Deity and Risen condition of Christ Jesus. That rejection also elicited the response from Paul of the prophecy of Isa. 6:9–10, at the time of Acts 28:25–28; which enacted the condition on the Jews of “Lo-Ammi” (not My people); a condition which will remain with them until the events of Zech.12:10, which is confirmed in Romans 9:24–33; which interestingly corresponds with Romans 11:25–27, the “FULLNESS” of the Gentile numbers re. “The Body of Christ Jesus”!
The only exception to the Jewish restriction re. Christ’s Body, are those who can see “through the Veil” imposed on their Minds by Almighty God!
From that time up to the present, the Jewish teachers, Rabbi’s, and Eminent Scholars have been teaching generations of children and people that “messiah has yet to come to Israel” and that he will be of human stock; which is why the “mourning” will be so great, when they realise that their Scriptures have been telling them all the way to Malachi; that they have been so wrong in their rejection of God’s Son; Who came to save them from themselves, which shows in Ezek. 39:21-29!
As shown in Ezek. 39 and elsewhere in the Bible, Almighty God saves Israel, despite themselves “for My Names Sake”. This is to show “Principalities and Powers” that God NEVER breaks His Word!
See:
Paul's Changing Mission! (Study)
Paul, the misunderstood and misquoted Apostle! (Study)
http://www.revelationsmessage.co.uk/Paul%20Progression%20from.htm
Paul's Travails, for "The Body of Christ Jesus"! (Study)
PAUL AND HEALING (Study)
Paul's Progress on from Christian Persecution to Apostle (Study)
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