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to death ☠️

Acts 22:4
"And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women."

We continue Epic Fails—God Prevails. Last week: Peter's denial of Jesus—an epic failure. Post-resurrection, Jesus showed how His suffering, death, and resurrection fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit ignited Peter's faith; he preached, and thousands believed. Peter established the Church and bravely endured torture and crucifixion under Roman authority.

We learn from faith heroes and seek to join God's plan. With Jesus' love in us, we're empowered to stand for Him.

This week: Saul of Tarsus's Damascus road conversion. It starts differently—Saul saw himself as a success. Born ~AD 5 in Tarsus, Cilicia, to a Jewish family; Roman citizen with rare privileges. Circumcised on the eighth day; from the tribe of Benjamin; a "Hebrew of Hebrews." Trained in Jerusalem under Rabbi Gamaliel (Sanhedrin member), mastering the Law—like a modern law degree.

Zealous, he persecuted Christians: arrested believers, approved Stephen's stoning (first martyr). By the Law's standards, he was "faultless."

Today's verse is his post-conversion self-description. We don't know the full story of his pre-conversion evil. We do know he was successful enough to require Jesus's intervention. 
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