The conversion of Saul of Tarsus is the second-best piece of historical evidence for the resurrection, after the empty tomb. It is the conversion of a man who had every reason to reject the Christian claim, and who had nothing to gain by accepting it. His letters are the earliest Christian documents in existence, and they begin with his own account of what happened to him.
Saul Before Damascus
Saul was born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and was a Roman citizen by birth. He was a Pharisee, trained in Jerusalem under Gamaliel, one of the most respected teachers of the time. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, of the tribe of Benjamin, and he was zealous for the law of Moses.
When the Christian movement began to spread, Saul opposed it violently. He approved of the death of Stephen. He went from house to house in Jerusalem, arresting Christians and sending them to prison. He asked the high priest for letters of authorization to pursue Christians in Damascus, and he was on his way there when the risen Christ appeared to him.
The Conversion
Paul’s own account of the event is in Galatians 1:11–17, written around 48–55 AD, well before the book of Acts. He says that God “was pleased to reveal his Son to me” and that he did not consult with any human being, but went away to Arabia and then returned to Damascus. He also says that he met Peter in Jerusalem three years after his conversion (Galatians 1:18–19).
The fuller narrative is in Acts, which records three separate accounts of the event (Acts 9; Acts 22; Acts 26). Each account emphasizes the same core: Saul was confronted by a light from heaven, fell to the ground, heard a voice asking why he was persecuting him, and was blinded for three days. He was led into Damascus, where a disciple named Ananias was told to go to him, lay hands on him, and restore his sight.
Paul on his own conversion
“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.”
Galatians 1:15–16
Paul’s letters are the earliest Christian documents in existence. Galatians was written within twenty-five years of the crucifixion. It is not a legend.
The Historical Significance
The conversion of Paul is historically significant for several reasons.
First, Paul was an enemy of the church, not a friend. He had every reason to reject the Christian claim, and he had nothing to gain by accepting it. His conversion cannot be explained by wish fulfillment.
Second, Paul was a trained Pharisee, not a credulous peasant. He knew the Jewish Scriptures. He knew the arguments against the Christian claim. He was not a man who could be easily deceived.
Third, the conversion changed the course of Paul’s entire life. He gave up his position, his security, and eventually his life for the claim that Jesus was risen.
Fourth, the conversion happened within three to five years of the crucifixion. It was close enough to the events that Paul could have checked the facts with the original disciples, and he did: he spent fifteen days with Peter in Jerusalem (Galatians 1:18).
What the Conversion Does Not Prove
The conversion of Paul is not, by itself, proof of the resurrection. It is a historical fact that requires an explanation. The Christian explanation is that Paul saw the risen Christ. Competing explanations include a psychological crisis, an epileptic seizure, or a visionary experience.
None of these explanations has proven persuasive to the majority of historians, including many who are sceptical about the resurrection. The reason is that Paul was not in a state of crisis. He was confident, active, and committed to the persecution of the church. Whatever happened on the road to Damascus, it was not a crisis of faith. It was the shattering of the faith he had.
It is the middle of the day. Saul is on the road to Damascus, with a small party of men carrying letters from the high priest. The sun is high, and the road is dusty.
Then, in an instant, everything changes. There is a light. There is a voice. Saul is on the ground. He is blind.
His companions lead him by the hand into the city. He does not eat or drink for three days. He does not know what has happened to him. He only knows that he has seen something he cannot explain.
Why This Waypoint Matters
Saul became Paul. The persecutor became the apostle to the Gentiles. He would plant churches in Asia Minor, Greece, and eventually Rome. He would write letters that became part of the New Testament. And he would die, according to tradition, under Nero in Rome. The conversion of an enemy is not proof of the resurrection. But it is a historical fact that requires an explanation, and the earliest documents give us the explanation Paul himself gave.
