NOTES ON SCRIPTURE 1895 NO. 46
NOTES ON SCRIPTURE 1895 [p. 95] NO. 46
There are three accounts of Paul’s conversion given in the Acts this, the general one; chapter 22, to the Jews; and chapter 26 to the gentiles. The gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the resurrection had been preached. Now it is [p. 96] the gospel of the glory of Christ. Saul was at the height of his reckless course, when a light out of heaven arrested him, and he fell to the ground. This is God’s work. The Lord reveals Himself to him - “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest”; he is blind because of the glory of that light. The beginning of every conversion is fear and distress; he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink. In those days he learned that through Christ’s death there was a way out of his own death, out of the judgment that lay on him. He had met Christ in glory, he knew that Christ was risen and in the presence of God, but now he knows that through the death of Christ he, Saul, is clear of the flesh in which there is no good thing, and hence he prays; he turns in confidence of heart to the One whom he had persecuted. He believes that He is, and that he can count on Him.
Now Ananias is sent, who tells him, “The Lord has sent me, Jesus that appeared to thee in the way in which thou camest, that thou mightest see, and be filled with the Holy Spirit”. Saul’s sight was restored in the power of the Holy Spirit. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in a special way was made known to him, he was the apostolic channel of it. Next we read (1 Corinthians 2: 2) that he determined to know nothing among them (the Corinthians) save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is often quoted as if it were Jesus Christ crucified, and thus the distinction between Him as He is and as He was is lost. If we turn to 2 Corinthians 3: 7 we learn there the gospel of the glory of Christ and the effect of seeing Him in glory. The great characteristic of this gospel is that it is in contrast to the law on mount Sinai; it is a ministration of righteousness from the glory. The law was a demand for righteousness from the glory; there is now a ministration of righteousness from a Man in glory. There is not only grace as in Isaiah’s day, but now the righteousness of God is from the glory, so that the nearer you are to Christ in glory, the more assured you are that through grace you are entitled to be there. I have heard of a landlord forgiving his tenants all rents due, but I never heard of greater grace than that, until I knew the gospel, which is that God has not only forgiven those who believe, but as it were He says to them, You are no longer tenants, I do not claim anything from you; you are sons, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.