Unstoppable! 'Intent on Destruction' — Acts 9:1-2

Saul* was passionate about his work as a rabbi. He zealously protected the holiness of God and the truth about God's Christ, the Messiah of Israel, as he understood them. He surpassed his peers in his passion for honoring God and protecting the holy things of Israel. Saul had helped oversee Stephen's execution by stoning. His involvement in Stephen's execution worked to inflame his anger for all those who believed in Jesus because he thought Jesus was a blasphemer. He considered all Christians his enemies, people he must stop. He was intent on the annihilation of the Jesus movement. Before his trip to Damascus, he didn't know that the Christian movement and message were as unstoppable as the Messiah!

* The story about Saul (later called Paul) in the first part of chapter 9 gives a hint of Luke's upcoming middle section of the book of Acts. The middle section transfers focus from Peter to Saul/Paul and away from Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria (Acts 1:8) to the rest of the Mediterranean world. Here is our approach to Luke's outline of Acts:
Spirit-Empowered Witnesses to the World
Jesus' Ongoing Work through the Holy Spirit to Accomplish Mission 1.8 (Acts 1:8)
- Growing into Mission 1.8: chaps. 1-9 - (Focus on Jerusalem) {Time of Peter}
- Deciding for Mission 1.8: chaps. 10-15 - (Focus on Antioch) {Time of Transition}
- Carrying out Mission 1.8: chaps. 16-28 - (Focus on Ephesus & Rome) {Time of Paul}