Saint Paul's entire life can be explained in terms of a single experience: his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In an instant, he saw that all the zeal of his dynamic personality was wasted and his life changed right then and there. Perhaps he had never seen Jesus, who was only a few years older than him. But he had acquired a fanatical hatred for all that Jesus stood for, when he began to harass the Church: “…entering house after house, dragging out men and women, and handing them over to prison” (Acts 8:3b). Now he himself had “entered” possessed, all his energy focused on one goal: to be a slave of Christ in the ministry of reconciliation, an instrument to help others experience the one Savior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay It is an example that anyone, even the most hardened unbeliever or the vilest heretic, can be created anew by our loving Savior. Paul was educated as a Pharisee, making tents by trade, but was best known for his hatred of Christians. His actions could easily be justifiable because, being an ardent Jew, he believed that Jesus' teachings violated the Mosaic Law and zealously harassed, and even imprisoned, anyone who followed those teachings. The Impact of His Conversion Saul's sudden change confused those around him, for he was known as a Christian hater who sought them out to eliminate those individuals he sincerely viewed as violating Jewish law. He suddenly transformed from despising the followers of Jesus to fervently espousing the Gospel of that same Jesus. No one could have predicted this conversion; it is one of humanity's greatest miracles. Like the most fervent convert, Paul simply couldn't get enough of Christ. With faith and courage inflamed by the Holy Spirit, Paul spent the rest of his life going from town to town and city to city proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, organizing and encouraging Christians to be steadfast followers of Jesus and unbelievers to open their hearts to Christ, repent and be baptized. He became known as the Apostle to the Gentiles (non-Jews), and his travels, letters, and teachings changed the world. Often in trouble, Paul was confronted, imprisoned (although angels saved him), physically abused, and repeatedly endangered and harassed for preaching the message he had previously attacked. Despite all the dangers he encountered, Paul never wavered or disappointed his God. Ultimately, he would be taken to Rome as a prisoner and beheaded for his teachings. Why Paul? Why would Jesus choose people like Paul? There were certainly other devoted followers of Jesus available in those early days of the Church—followers ready to give their lives to proclaim Jesus Christ as the savior of the world. But Jesus chose and converted this Pharisee, known as Saul, saying, “This man is an instrument of mine to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the Israelites” (Acts 9:15). God chose this man who had a strong hatred for everything that Jesus represents, a man who would enter Christian homes and “drag out men and women” and then “put them in prison” (Acts 8:3). This man became God's chosen instrument to spread the message of Jesus throughout the Middle East and parts of Europe. Certainly the ways of the Lord are mysterious. A light from heaven flashed around Saul and he fell to the ground. He heard a voice calling out, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” It appears that Saul thought that an individual he had arrested, or was about to arrest, was dying.