Abraham-Paul’s Mentor

This is part 1 of the series Origins of Grace, where we unpack the significance of Abraham’s life and make application to our own.

Can A Pharisee Be Saved?

Reading the gospel accounts we routinely encounter the religious class(primarily Pharisees); and it was customary for them to look to Moses and the Mosaic Covenant for instructions in faith and practice. So how could Paul, steeped in Pharisaical observances and exaggerations ever come to faith in the grace and mercy of God. I believe the answer lies in what he discovered about Abraham.

Up until that fateful day on the Damascus Road, Paul(aka Saul) was a respectable and upstanding Pharisaical Jew in first-century Israel. He was the epitome of a law-abiding Pharisee who fully believed his actions were aligned with serving the God of Israel. In reality, his choices were causing persecution for Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. Therefore, he was unprepared for the events that would soon unfold and set his life on a drastic new course.  

In Acts 9:1-22 and Galatians 1:11-20, Paul recounts his conversion experience, his preaching in the synagogues, and his subsequent alone time in the Arabian wilderness. From his comments in Galatians 1:15-19, it appears that Paul had no interaction with the existing apostolic leadership for at least 3 years. So his understanding of faith must have been revealed during his time in the Arabian desert as he searched the Hebrew scriptures. In other words, Paul found evidence in the Old Testament to support his Damascus Road experience.

Setting the Stage for Saul’s Conversion

Before Jesus revealed himself to Paul on the Damascus Road, Stephen, a well-respected early disciple, was martyred under his watchful eye. Stephen was being greatly used of God in both word and deed when followers of Moses confronted him and pushed him to defend himself before the High Priest and the Council. These accusers said Stephen was undermining the teachings and customs of Moses. Read their accusations in Acts 6:11-15 and Stephen’s defense in chapter 7.

At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel. This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you. So Abraham left…..Acts 6:15-7:2 (NLT)

Notice that Stephen, when making his defense against these accusations, begins with Abraham. His point was to highlight the redemption story, which began with Abraham. Stephen explained that Jewish history was intended to create a pathway for the coming of the Messiah. Notice a statement he made during his testimony.

This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. Acts 7:37-38 (ESV)

At the end of Stephen’s speech, we see Paul, as the Pharisee in charge, approving of Stephen’s death. These Jews were so focused on following Moses that they couldn’t hear Stephen’s defense (rooted in the call of Abraham, not Moses). And for that reason, Stephen had to be put to death.

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.  Acts 7:54-58 (ESV)

Later at Saul’s conversion on the Damascus Road, Jesus himself confronts Saul with the charge of persecuting the very God he claims to serve.

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Acts 9:3-5 (ESV)

The Lights Go On

After the Lord appeared to Paul, he then had to unpack what had happened to him and what it meant theologically. To understand the insight given to Paul, we must go back to Genesis and consider Abraham’s life. In his epistles, Paul repeatedly refers to Abraham, both directly and indirectly.  In fact, if we attribute the book of Hebrews to Paul, there are nearly 30 references to Abraham in his letters. Personally, I believe it was through this “Abrahamic lens” that Paul came to understand the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. 

This is very different from the twelve disciples. They benefited from living with the Messiah for three years, but Paul had no such mentor! He did not even meet the disciples until three years after his conversion (Gal. 1:17). But Paul did have a deep and rich understanding of the Hebrew scriptures. The stories about Abraham’s life were quite possibly the most valuable tools that Paul used to learn about salvation, faith, and grace. Perhaps this is why he continually refers to the patriarch in his letters.  Here are a few examples:

So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. Galatians 3:9 (NLT)

Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14 (NLT)

And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Romans 4:23-24 (NLT)

Conclusion

When we consider the scripture examples above and other references Paul makes to Abraham in his letters, I feel certain that Paul learned a great deal about faith and grace from his mentor, Abraham. He did not have Jesus or the disciples on earth to teach him. But he did have the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Hebrew scriptures, and the testimony of Stephen. So, the next time someone tells you that faith and grace are New Testament concepts and that the Old Testament is all about judgment…remember Paul’s mentor.

As a follow-up for further study, you may wish to look up references for Abraham in Paul’s letters. Then consider how Paul came to understand faith…from Abraham’s spiritual journey!

–Be Blessed!