Saul's Conversion

by George Whitefield

In this booklet George Whitefield gives an exposition of the biblical account of the conversion of Saul, who would later become the Apostle Paul. He focuses the attention of the reader on the grace of Jesus Christ to a persecutor of His church, Saul. This redeemed man who would be brought to conversion by Christ, who preached the very gospel which he had formerly persecuted, is a testimony to the truth that, in the words of Whitefield, "For all that we know to the contrary, some of those very persons, who are now persecuting, may be chosen from all eternity by God, and hereafter called in time, to edify and build up the church of Christ."

65 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 11, 2020

About the author

George Whitefield, also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican priest who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain and, especially, in the British North American colonies. He was one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally. He became perhaps the best-known preacher in Britain and America in the 18th century, and because he travelled through all of the American colonies and drew great crowds and media coverage, he was one of the most widely recognized public figures in colonial America.

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can God use the persecution of Christians for the good of bringing nonbelievers to Christ? Christians would know the right answer is yes yet many would not to be persecuted if they don’t have to be. In this booklet famous preacher and evangelist George Whitefield wrote us something encouraging and edifying with a look at Saul and how God changed this man that persecuted the church to become an Apostle and incredible Gospel preacher name Paul. While George Whitefield delivered us his words hundreds of years ago (he lived from 1714 to 1770) I think what he has to say is relevant for 21st Century believers as the world gets more secular and persecutions of Christians is on the rise worldwide.
This booklet was adapted from a sermon by George Whitefield. It is a message based upon Acts 9:22. It is meant to encourage Christians who are persecuted to realize that God uses our persecution including bringing persecutors to come to trust in Christ as Savior. The booklet looks at Saul before he was a Christian, how he was a zealous persecutor of the Church of Christ. Then it looks at Saul’s conversion experience. Finally it looks at Saul displaying fruits of a Christian and becoming the person we now know as the Christian Apostle Paul. The message end evangelically with a strong appeal to trust in Christ for salvation. I love that!
I appreciate Whitefield’s insights. I did not think much of what it was like for Saul during the three days he was blinded; how he must have been so tortured and convicted! I also thought Whitefield gave a great insight that we can sometimes think God cannot save evil people like Saul; but what a reminder of God’s amazing grace! The author sharing about how he’s been persecuted was without any details but it was a powerful reminder that famous Christians used by God in the past faced persecution as preachers. Whitefield’s awareness of the heart’s motivation to obey God must be driven by biblical truths was also evident and I thought it was pastoral. The overall motivation Whitefield gave for Christians to be Christ-like when they are persecuted is that God uses our experience of persecution to bring enemies of God to Christ. That is very power and the right focus (of course all things is for the Glory of God). I think as the 21st Century start becoming more post-Christian in the West, this booklet might be more relevant for Christian readers today!