A man named Saul was determined to crush the church before it had a chance to grow, but God had other plans for him. One day as he traveled, Saul (also known as Paul) was struck blind, and Jesus asked why the man was persecuting Him. Saul’s vision was changed in a moment by Jesus, but it took great courage on Saul’s part to change his whole view of his purpose, his occupation, and who would be Lord of his life.
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
You may have heard some people say that Saul’s name was changed to Paul after he became a follower of Christ. But that’s not quite accurate. It was common during the time that Saul lived for Jewish people living in the Roman Empire to have both a Hebrew name and a Roman, or Latin, name. Saul was his Hebrew name and Paul was his Latin name. However, scholars suggest that Paul likely went by his Latin name after he became a missionary, as that would have been more familiar to the communities in which he was ministering.
Paul was from the Jewish tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the youngest of the twelve sons of Jacob (also known as Israel). Can you name the other eleven sons? Need a reminder? Look up Genesis 35:23–26. For bonus points, can you name the rather famous (or infamous) king and queen (not a couple) who also came from the tribe of Benjamin? (No clues this time!)
God, thank You for giving us the courage to change and become better followers of Your plan. Amen.