Sermon Tone Analysis

What happened to Paul, personally and convulsively, was what through the Messiah’s death and resurrection had happened to the world as a whole, as he says in Galatians 6:14, and more specifically to Israel as a whole, resulting in the mission to the nations.

God’s Israel-purpose was fulfilled, and was transformed in fulfilment.

Paul believed that this transformation, and this fulfilment, had been effected in him and was being effected through him.

And all this happened through the revelation of Jesus on the road to Damascus.

N. T. Wright

Then on the Damascus Road he was confronted with the living Christ.

And he saw that all of those works and all of those achievements not only did not make him right with God, they hindered him from being right with God.

And that he would have to abandon them all and receive Christ.

John F. MacArthur

Paul the apostle was radically different than that of Saul the Pharisee.

No longer did he view Jesus as an itinerant Galilean rabbi and self-appointed messianic impostor who was the enemy of Judaism.

Instead, he saw Him for who He really is, God incarnate, the Savior, the Lord of heaven, the true Messiah who alone fulfills all Old Testament promises and provides forgiveness for sin.

The transformation in Paul’s view took place in one blinding moment when he met the risen Lord on the road to Damascus.

And when his assessment of Jesus changed, so did his assessment of everyone else.

John F. MacArthur