Galatians 1:13-17 We Don't Know What We Don't Know

Observation: The Bible is full of varying accounts of different stories. It's like watching the same movie shot from different angles. What I find fascinating about this story from Galatians is that it's Paul's own first hand account of his conversion, and it predates the account from Acts 9 by at least a generation. Paul did not think of himself as "the bad guy" prior to seeing the Risen Christ: in fact, he was proud of his achievements in religious study and piety. He was utterly convinced he was in the right, and it was not by losing a debate that he changed course.

Application: This should be so, so obvious to us, but it's not. Part of being wrong is not knowing we're wrong. If we knew, we'd change course. In this very intense and divided time in our nation, the temptation is to see everyone else as a "Saul," in need of a dramatic turn-around, but to see ourselves as wise "Paul," who is already with the program, and spreading the good news.

(And you should know that this "Saul/Paul" thing was not so much about pre conversion vs. post conversion as that Paul went by different first names when he was among Gentiles and Jews, but just for shorthand I'm going to continue using that imagery).

But the funny thing about being "Saul" is that you don't know you're "Saul" until you've already been "blinded by the light" and had a dramatic conversion from God. Until then, you think you're right...In fact, it has been proven that when people are presented with iron-clad evidence to counter a deeply held belief, they hold more firmly to that belief than ever.

I think our response to this situation as Christians is twofold. First, we need to remember that it was divine intervention that changed Paul's heart, not an earnest haranguing from a well-meaning Christian. Changing hearts is God's job. Loving people where they are is ours.

Second, since Saul was completely convinced based on his experience that he was right, and yet he was dead wrong, we each need to be prepared for a "Saul moment." We are human. We're not God. And as such, it is entirely possible that something we believe right now, with all our hearts, just isn't so. And Jesus may come along someday and tell us so. But it'll be okay. We'll be better for it.

Prayer: God, may the scales fall from our eyes. May we be changed and converted for your glory, even when it's hard and scary. Amen.