We come to the account of Paul’s defense before Festus and Agrippa in Acts 26 (you can read the chapter in its entirety). It’s often used as a template for one’s personal story of becoming a believer:

• Paul’s “before” – verses 4 – 11 – “I have lived as a Pharisee…opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth”
• Paul’s “how” – verses 12 – 18 – “I saw a light from heaven…I heard a voice…’I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…I am sending you…'”
• Paul’s “after” including a brief presentation of the gospel message – verses 19 – 23 – “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision…testifying both to small and great… that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

(By the way, the best and most detailed instruction on how to write an effective personal story is in the 2:7 Series, Book 2.)

Today I want to focus on something Paul said in his “before.”

I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. (Acts 26.9 – 11, ESV)

“Raging fury” seems to be the “coin of the realm” as we saw in the riots of Acts 21, 22, and 23. As I’ve written before, “outrage” appears to be the new sport in the US.

Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple…and as they were seeking to kill him…some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as [the tribune] could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. (Acts 21.30 – 34, ESV)

And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,… (Acts 22.21 – 23, ESV)

And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. (Acts 23.10, ESV)

Paul confessed that he had once been motivated by that same “raging fury” that was behind those three riots. I used to think that Paul, especially when he was first converted, just changed direction, keeping the same intensity he had before. Now I don’t think so. He was intense, no doubt, but he was no longer driven by raging fury.

For Christ’s love compels us… (2 Corinthians 5.14, NIV)

Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. (1 Thessalonians 2.7, 8, NIV)

From motivated in the wrong direction by raging fury to motivated in the right direction by love. That’s transformation!