Lessons from the Course of Saul
By Charles S. Robinson
THE following terse statement of some important truths, by Dr. Charles S. Robinson, are to the point. They are worthy of a careful reading:— 1. So we see that a young man can be thoroughly moral in general behavior, and yet be anything but a Christian. Please look up what Paul said of himself about this period of his life (Acts 23:1). Then read what he writes to one of the churches about his correctness and orthodoxy according to the standard of those times (Phil. 3:4-6). But he was not a converted man. 2. We see that a young man can be very conscientious and honest, and yet not be a Christian. Find what Paul told the Roman governor afterwards (Acts 24:16). If you study carefully what the Scripture records about this young Pharisee, you will be constrained to notice that conscientiousness was his especial admiration and pride. Everybody admitted that Saul of Tarsus acted up to his convictions. What he thought to be right, that he did swiftly and fearlessly. That is what he told the Corinthians (2 Cor. 1:12). So he explained to King Agrippa his zeal (Acts 26:9-11). But Saul was not then a Christian. 3. We see that a young man can be very zealous in religious activity, and yet do more injury than good. Saul was educated a Pharisee; and what our Lord thought of the Pharisees we perfectly understand; but even he never credited them with tameness or indolence. They had dreadful zeal at doing the wrong thing in their proselyting (Matt. 23:15). But Saul prided himself on being one of the "straightest" of them (Acts 26:4, 5). He gave this as his reason for persecuting (Acts 22:3, 4). There is a zeal, therefore, which is not according to knowledge; and it makes a vast difference what a man believes, even if he is sincere; for the more sincere he is, if he be wrong, the worse it is for him and everybody else if he begins to be active.