St. Paul: The conversion

After the appearance of Jesus to Paul on the road to Damascus, Ananias visited the onetime persecutor and laid hands on him saying, "My brother, Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 9:17) Saul regained his sight and began at once to proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God. Paul says that he then departed to the regions of Arabia (2Cor 11:32) where he spent time in retreat, repentance and study under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. During this time God opened his heart to the fullness of the faith.

Following his conversion, there remains nothing of the previous anger, rancour and desire to persecute. There remains only the vision of Jesus Christ. All that was negative in him has been abolished by Christ, and, has been replaced with the truth – the truth of Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead. With Jesus, the perverse error of his ways and the ignorance of his leaders, becomes clear. Now he understands that in tormenting the followers of Christ, it was indeed Christ who was persecuted, and, the cries of those he made to suffer were indeed the very tears of Christ himself! Paul at last comes to realise that Christ dwells now within him, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal.2:20)

In today’s epistle taken from Galatians (2:16-21) Paul confirms that we come to justification and holiness only by faith in Jesus Christ. The law is necessary but it was given only for those who are weak in their faith, for those who do not live in God, for those who have not been crucified with Christ. Perhaps the best of Paul’s insights is indeed, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal.2:20)

Issam John Darwish BSO, DD

Eparch

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