f the situation were threefold: (a)
To seek to overturn the religion of the state constituted
an offense which was punishable by stripes and imprisonment;
(b) To rebuke men's sins and the evils of the times
stirred up bitter opposition on their part; (c) To proclaim
a crucified and risen Christ as the Messiah to the Jews,
when they expected a great conquering hero, often excited
and put them in a rage.

That Paul could preach Christ and establish churches,
under all the opposition that he encountered, shows how
fully and implicitly he believed in his Lord.

QUESTIONS

What impression has the man, Paul, made upon the world?
What was his work as an apostle? What his leading thought?
Where is the place of his birth? What can be said of his family?
How was he educated and trained, in the home, in school, and for
a trade? What was the political and religious condition of the
world as Paul saw it? What were the three difficulties in the way
of his work in preaching Christ?

I. PAUL'S PREPARATION

STUDY II

CONVERSION

ANALYSIS

+Paul the Persecutor+--Order of Events. The Inevitable Conflict.
Cruelty of the Persecutor.

+Conversion+--Cause. Effects (physical, mental and spiritual,
penalty, relief to the Christians, triumph of Christ, and estimates
of the results).

+Period of Waiting+--Retirement of Paul. Reasons. The Gospel
for the Gentiles. Paul Brought to Antioch.

I. PAUL'S PREPARATION

STUDY II

CONVERSION

PAUL, THE PERSECUTOR

+Order of Events.+--It seems to be quite evident, when
Paul finished his studies in Jerusalem, that he left the city
and engaged in work somewhere else, during the years
when John the Baptist and Jesus were preaching and
teaching. In all probability he did not return until after
the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Paul first appears in the narrative of the Acts, under
the name of Saul, at the martyrdom of Stephen, where he
takes charge of the clothes of the witnesses (Acts
7:58, 59).

From the Ascension of Christ to the martyrdom of
Stephen is an important period in the history of the infant
church. On and after the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) the
apostles and followers of the risen Lord assumed a very
bold attitude. They did not hesitate to speak openly in
the temple (Acts 3:12-16) of the crime of putting "The
Prince of Life" to death and asserted that He was risen
from the dead. The priests and Sadducees strongly
objected