In Acts 22 Paul is giving his testimony of faith in Christ to his Jewish community. He reasserts that at one time he vehemently fought against the faith that he now embraces. In verse 4 he says, “I persecuted this Way [Christianity] to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women.” Paul was the foremost persecutor of the Jerusalem saints. He literally persecuted them “to the death” as seen in the stoning of Stephen, and for sure, countless others. Then scores of others Paul marched to prison. He was certain he was doing the will of God and was on his way to Damascus to further persecute the Church when all of sudden Jesus shows up!
It is highly engaging the words that Jesus first spoke to Paul. In verse 7 he recounts them, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Those words stopped Saul [Paul] in his tracks! They should give us great pause as well. Paul was not persecuting Jesus, the Nazarene individual. Paul was persecuting the followers of Jesus, His Church, His Bride....HIS BODY! Therefore, from Jesus’ perspective to persecute the Church of Christ, the Body of Christ, was to persecute Christ. This profoundly means that ANY action or word taken against or spoken against The Church is taken personally by Christ! Paul came to understand this and spent the rest of his life bringing people to Christ and building up the body of Christ. Have you given up on the Church? Have you negative attitudes toward the Church? Are you, as a professing believer, unwilling to join the local church? If any of these are true, remember dear one that the way you treat and think of The Church is the way you are thinking of and treating Christ. At least, that’s the way Jesus, your Savior, thinks about it! Loving the Church is loving Christ!
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