Saul the Persecutor
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them, remained in the memory of the beholders, and testified to the
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truth of that which he had proclaimed.
There had been no legal sentence passed upon Stephen; but the
Roman authorities were bribed by large sums of money to make no
investigation of the case. Saul seemed to be imbued with a frenzied
zeal at the scene of Stephen’s trial and death. He seemed to be angered
at his own secret convictions that Stephen was honored of God at the
very period when he was dishonored of men. He continued to persecute
the church of God, hunting them down, seizing them in their houses,
and delivering them up to the priests and rulers for imprisonment and
death. His zeal in carrying forward the persecution was a terror to
the Christians in Jerusalem. The Roman authorities made no special
effort to stay the cruel work, and secretly aided the Jews in order to
conciliate them, and to secure their favor.
Saul was greatly esteemed by the Jews for his zeal in persecuting
the believers. After the death of Stephen, he was elected a member of
the Sanhedrim council, in consideration of the part he had acted on
that occasion. This learned and zealous rabbi was a mighty instrument
in the hand of Satan to carry out his rebellion against the Son of God;
but he was soon to be employed to build up the church he was now
tearing down. A Mightier than Satan had selected Saul to take the
place of the martyred Stephen, to preach and suffer for his name, and
to spread far and wide the glad tidings of salvation through his blood.
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