Saul of Tarsus was a devout Pharisee who knew the Hebrew Scriptures inside and out, yet he believed he was doing God’s work by dragging believers from their homes and executing them. These acts of violence were committed in zeal for God. The same God who was the father of the one whose followers he persecuted. How messed up is that? Religious fervency and spiritual blindness put him severely out of step with the heart of God while operating on His behalf. Saul was so focused on defending the delivery system that he missed the Delivery—Jesus. What more evidence do we need to see to be convinced that a flat, literal reading of the Old Testament is not consistent with the God revealed in and through Christ. Jesus, Peter, Stephen, James, the writer of Hebrews, and Paul reinterpreted the Scriptures in their day. Is it possible that failure to see the progressive nature of the revelation contained in the Old Testament is a major hindrance to the current progression of genuine Christianity? Is God the cosmic judge ready to explode on people with wrath and judgment or is He the cosmic Father who was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting our sins against us? Saul, turned Paul, carried the heart of God which isn’t found in rigid rule-keeping, but in relationship, compassion, and humility.
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