We started our study by asking, “Have you ever known people who changed their reputation from bad to good?” A few were those who, like Saul, made a faith change for Jesus Christ. Some were those who had gone to prison and then left it determined to become “a new man.” Another was a sneaky daughter who grew to be a responsible and loving mother. Sometimes these changes happen gradually in life. Other times, they occur suddenly. We discussed how sudden changes in “who” a person is can create a lot of difficulties with those who know them.

In Saul’s case, the Christians in Damascus were very leery. Was he faking his conversion? Was he a spy? Was he just going through a temporary “phase”? Saul overcame many of these concerns by way of his bold proclamations of Jesus Christ - even in the synagogues. Of course, this change startled the traditional Jews every bit as much as the Christians. The Jewish reaction was different: They wanted him dead. Making significant changes for Jesus very often results in the sad sacrifice of relationships that were once close. Christ Himself said that He would be the source of divisions even within our homes (Matt 10:34-36).