Stephen's Crown

In Acts 7:58, one man among Stephen's persecutors is prominently named: Saul (of Tarsus). Saul would later on become the 13th Apostle. But before looking into that, let's take first take a look at the dark side of Stephen's Persecutor.

Saul was born in Tarsus in Cilicia around A.D. 1–5 in a province in the southeastern corner of modern day Tersous, Turkey. He was of Benjaminite lineage and Hebrew ancestry. His parents were Pharisees—fervent Jewish nationalists who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses—who sought to protect their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles. Anything Greek was despised in Saul’s household, yet he could speak Greek and passable Latin. His household spoke Aramaic, a derivative of Hebrew, which was the official language of Judea. Saul’s family were Roman citizens but viewed Jerusalem as a truly sacred and holy city.

At age thirteen Saul was sent to Palestine to learn from a rabbi named Gamaliel, under whom Saul mastered Jewish history, the Psalms and the works of the prophets. His education would continue for five or six years where Saul learned such things as dissecting Scripture. It was during this time that he developed a question and answer style known in ancient times as “diatribe.” This method of articulation helped rabbis debate the finer points of Jewish law to either defend or prosecute those who broke the law. Saul went on to become a lawyer, and all signs pointed to his becoming a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of 71 men who ruled over Jewish life and religion. Saul was zealous for his faith and this faith did not allow for compromise. It is this zeal that led Saul down the path of religious extremism.

Because of his extremism Saul was present for Stephen's stoning and death and many suggest that he held the garments of those who did the stoning (Acts 7:58). In Acts 5:27-42, Peter delivered his defense of the Gospel and of Jesus in front of the Sanhedrin, which Saul heard. Gamaliel was also present and delivered a message to calm the council and prevent them from stoning Peter. From that moment on Saul became even more determined to eradicate Christians as he watched the Sanhedrin flog Peter and the others. Saul became more ruthless in his pursuit of Christians as he believed he was doing it in the name of God. Arguably there is no one more frightening or more vicious than a religious terrorist especially when they believe that they are doing the will of the Lord by killing innocent people for their faith. This is exactly what Saul of Tarsus was, a religious terrorist. Acts 8:3 states, “He began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.”

Saul’s early life was marked by religious zeal, brutal violence, and the relentless persecution of the early church. Fortunately, the latter years of Saul’s life show a marked difference.