Ford Lieghton once wrote of an archeological dig in the remains of a school for imperial pages in Rome. The Archeologists found a picture dating from the third century. It shows a boy standing, his hand raised, worshiping a figure on a cross. The figure looked like a man, but with the head of a donkey. Scrawled in the writing of a young person are the words, “Alexamenos worships his God.” Nearby in a second inscription: “Alexamenos is faithful.” Apparently, a young man who was a Christian was being mocked by his schoolmates for his faithful witness. But he was not ashamed; he was faithful.
The interpretation of a person’s life isn’t really complete until their life is complete. There was a man whom we all know about, his name was Paul. He was a changed man. A man who would have been called faithful by some, and a fool by the rest. We find his own mural on the wall in a few words in 1 Corinthians 15.
“For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Corinthians 15.9)
Paul said he “persecuted the church of God”. Persecuted is the greek word (diókó): to put to flight, pursue, by implication to persecute. In many cases it is used in the New Testament as one who aggressively chases, like a hunter pursuing a catch or a prize. It’s used in positive and negative usages throughout the New Testament. In this case, it is obviously used negatively. In a positive way it can be ‘earnestly pursuing someone or thing’. Negatively, it can be ‘to zealously persecute or hunt down’. In each case it means to ‘zealously’ do so or ‘with all haste’, as in a hunter earnestly desiring to overtake or apprehend a prey.
There is also a resulting affect and effect: ‘to put to flight’. The persecuted, hunted, or prey is put in a situation to run; as the hunter or persecutor is running swiftly in order to catch the prey. The implication is to harass, trouble, or catch, for the purpose of destroying the prey. In this case (1 Corinthians 15.9) it is an extended activity. He explains his zealously, extended pursuit, for a certain prey. In fact, it means literally: To pursue or follow after… in order to persecute. The goal is to catch and harm the prey.
This is the person Paul was. He was a hunter. He was a heat sinking missile against faith. He was on the run to catch himself a ‘christian’. He ran swiftly after them. He did this zealously. He wants to persecute. He wants to harm. He wants to tear to shreds the believers in these churches. He thinks he is doing it for God. Paul reflects here about what he had been before his salvation, and what he had become since. Paul had a real sense of his own insignificance. While he was a persecutor he had thought that he was acting for God, when in fact He was wreaking havoc to the precious churches of God.
But Paul’s story doesn’t end there. In fact the very next verse in 1 Corinthians 15.10 says— “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” His insignificance doesn’t take on any real significance outside of the Grace of Jesus Christ. He realized that when hunting, he was the hunted. When he was convinced of his plan, he was being plotted on. He, the zealous runner, was put on the run. In his effort to capture prey he was the prey. What a leveling feeling of being completely undone. He was on the road to Damascus with one goal in mind…destruction. On that same road he was destroyed. His pride crushed, his will desist, his old man deceased. He was without answers or excuses. Jesus even told him of his futile pursuit in Acts 9.5— “And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” In this, Jesus also explains the real persecution that was taking place— “…I am Jesus whom thou persecutest…” That was devastating to Paul. He was brought to an altar of the heart by the Jehovah he thought he was serving.
Later in Acts 9 we discover his continued undoing. Ananias was told by Christ what Paul would do in the future. He mentions his ministry to small and great in verse 15, but then in verse 16 he explains something unique— “For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9.16). A man whom persecuted others, would soon be persecuted himself. In his persecution, he will show forth the power of God. He will do what no one else will want to do, for the sake and name of Jesus Christ.
Paul lived a life after that salvation encounter that makes most of our ministries pale in comparison. He was a warrior for Jesus. He was broken. He was undone. He was a destroyer, who was willing destroyed. God help us in our safe holy enclaves of family and money. The lost world is in desperate need of a Savior, and we have the access they need, in the Gospel. May we crawl out of our bubbles of perceived safety and see the life that could be lived. If only we would allow God to undo us, like He did Paul on the road to Damascus.