The Apostle Paul: How God Turned A Murderer Into A Saint!

By Roger Henri Trepanier

This book is a fresh look at the apostle Paul’s life, starting from the time he was still an unbeliever; then looking at his salvation experience; then his three gospel ministry journeys; then his two imprisonments; his sufferings; and also what God accomplished through His life, in turning a murderer into a saint!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roger Henri Trepanier
• Release date: Jan 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9798215087503

Roger Henri Trepanier

Roger Henri Trepanier is an evangelist, author, and counselor, who has been serving God on his field of service since 1999. One hundred and nine books have been published so far in five different series, all available in print format and as an eBook for any type of eBook reader. He is a widower with three adopted children, all now married.The author's two websites have been closed. To access the author's books, please type, "Roger Henri Trepanier, books" in any search engine. All the author's books are available in print and ebook formats for all devices.

Book preview

The Biblical Character’s Library

The Apostle Paul: How God Turned

A Murderer Into A Saint!

Copyright 2024 by Roger Henri Trepanier

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2024 by Roger Henri Trepanier

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. An exception is granted reviewer who wishes to quote a brief passage or two as part of a public review of this book

Scripture taken from

THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®,

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995

by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

This book is dedicated to all those human beings who might think that they are beyond hope. May they obtain from God what the apostle Paul obtained, which was mercy, as he gives testimony to at 1 Timothy 1:12,13, where we read, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief…’

1 Timothy 1:12,13

Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

The apostle Paul’s early life as Saul the unbeliever!

CHAPTER TWO

Saul’s early life as now a believer!

CHAPTER THREE

The FIRST gospel ministry journey of the apostle Paul to the Gentiles

CHAPTER FOUR

The apostle Paul’s first defense of the gospel, which meant a journey to Jerusalem!

CHAPTER FIVE

The apostle Paul’s second defense of the gospel, which involved correcting Peter at the local church at Antioch!

CHAPTER SIX

The apostle Paul’s second gospel ministry journey!

CHAPTER SEVEN

The apostle Paul’s third gospel ministry journey!

CHAPTER EIGHT

The apostle Paul’s journey from Jerusalem to Rome, as now a prisoner!

CHAPTER NINE

The apostle Paul’s sufferings during his time of ministry!

CHAPTER TEN

The apostle Paul’s unusual supernatural experiences during his time of ministry!

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A last word!

ADDENDUM A

The rise of the man-made religious system known as Judaism, which included Phariseeism!

ADDENDUM B

The relation of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherd/teachers to elders in the local church, both in the early church and to our own day!

ADDENDUM C

For those who may not as yet know God

The next book

End page

INTRODUCTION

God is leading His servant to start a new series, titled, The Biblical Character’s Library. When I asked God in prayer which character He wanted looked at first in the series, He immediately brought the apostle Paul to mind. One could easily have chosen other characters such as Moses, or one of the major prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel. Or one could have chosen Barnabas, who was my first choice. But God chose the apostle Paul, and one can readily understand why.

For as we will see in this book, God used the apostle Paul to write down for us most of the letters contained in the New Testament. God used the apostle Paul to plant more local churches than possibly any other believer who ever lived on earth up until now. The apostle Paul suffered more as a believer than any other believer has suffered, apart from God’s own dear Son, The Lord Jesus Christ. And the apostle Paul is possibly the most studied of all the Biblical Characters. Therefore, it is surely no coincidence that God led His servant to start with the apostle Paul for this new series!

We are also to note that the apostle Paul was called, Saul, before God started calling him Paul at Acts 13:9. And it is noteworthy that there are only two men called Saul mentioned in God’s word, the Bible, the first being Saul, the son of Kish, who became the first king of the nation of Israel, whom God mentions at Acts 13:21, as follows, Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. The other Saul in God’s word is the man who was later to be known worldwide as the apostle Paul, who is now the subject of this book.

And as for the title of this book, we are to see that an apostle is ‘one sent out,’ which would be by God for the purpose of gospel ministry. Apostles were only in existence in the first century AD, while God was giving mankind all the letters of the New Testament. When that had been done, such men were called evangelists, as they still are today.

Then we are to see that a murderer is one who commits, or is complicit to, the act of having someone put to death, who is both innocent and does not consent to that act! And then a saint in God’s word is one who has experienced God’s free gift of salvation and is now a child of God (noting 1 Corinthians 1:2), having been born spiritually by The Holy Spirit by virtue of having personally believed God’s good news regarding His Son, namely that He died for the sins of the human race, was buried, and then raised from the dead the third day by God, before ascending to God The Father’s right Hand in Heaven again!

There is an Addenda at the back of the book with three sections. In Addendum A, we have a presentation regarding the religion known as Judaism, including the sect of the Pharisees. In Addendum B, we have a presentation of the relation of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherd/teachers to elders in a local church. And then in Addendum C, we have a presentation of the gospel, which is the good news that God has given in His word regarding His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, for any reader who might not have as yet this vital personal relationship with God, through faith in His Son.

What should also be mentioned before closing this Introduction, because we are all somewhat curious by nature, is that after completing 21 years of formal education and then spending almost 28 years working in Project Engineering and Management in the Corporate offices of two large utilities, God called His servant as a non-denominational evangelist in early 1999, and then sent him out over two thousand miles, away from family and friends, to the place of service God assigned, which is where His servant has been, and is still serving Him, as evangelist, author, and counselor. The author is a widower with three adopted children, all now married with a family of their own.

Since the author’s two websites are no longer active, one may access the books, and places to purchase, by typing Roger Henri Trepanier, books in any search engine. This book, and all the author’s books, are available for purchase in print format or as an eBook on all major distribution channels.

And now my prayer is that God will richly bless you as you read this book, and greatly minister to every need in your life, as only God can! To Him be all praise, honor, and glory, with thanksgiving, both now and forevermore! Amen.

Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.

Acts 8:1 in part

CHAPTER ONE

The apostle Paul’s early life as Saul the unbeliever!

Saul’s early life at his place of birth, which is at Tarsus in Cilicia

Saul, who later became known as the apostle Paul, tells us by his own admission at Acts 21:39 in part, I am A JEW OF TARSUS IN CILICIA… Tarsus was the capital city of the Roman province of Cilicia, which was situated at the northeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. The fact that he was a Jew meant that he was a descendant of those of the Southern kingdom of Judah, who were exiled to Babylon in 586 BC. The Southern kingdom of Judah was comprised of the tribes of Judah and of Benjamin, and had its capital city at Jerusalem. Those that God then brought back to Jerusalem with Ezra to rebuild the temple seventy years later were called Jews. We learn from Philippians 3:5 that Saul himself was from the tribe of Benjamin.

At Acts 22:3, he repeats the above information and gives us additional information regarding his early childhood, I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, BUT BROUGHT UP IN THIS CITY, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today. The city in view here was Jerusalem, since this statement was made while Saul was there at Jerusalem! What this means then is that Saul was brought up in Jerusalem, which further means that his parents must have moved there when he was still at a young age.

From Acts 22:38, we learn that the apostle Paul, as yet Saul the unbeliever, was actually born a citizen, there speaking of the fact of being A ROMAN CITIZEN, which further means that his parents themselves would have been Roman citizens.

Then at Acts 23:6, we further hear him say, I AM A PHARISEE, THE SON OF PHARISEES…, and then adding at Acts 26:5, I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. What he meant by our religion here is JUDAISM, which was the religion of those of the nation of Israel in unbelief! Addendum A has been added at the back of the book for those who may not be familiar with Judaism and the sect of the Pharisees. It would be beneficial to read this material before resuming here.

We were also told above at Acts 22:3 that Saul, as yet an unbeliever, was not only brought up in the city of Jerusalem, but also told there that he was EDUCATED UNDER GAMALIEL… This Gamaliel was the most famous doctor of the Law in his day, which meant that Saul, as an unbeliever, received a superb education in the teachings of the Old Testament, but unfortunately without knowing The God Whose Scriptures he would have daily studied! When standing before Festus, the Roman governor of Judea, as we see at Acts 26:24, we hear Festus say to him, Your great learning his driving you mad. This learning about the Law of God is what Festus would have meant.

And the fact that Saul, as an unbeliever, was educated by Gamaliel, no doubt meant that his father was himself a prominent member of society there in Jerusalem. It also most likely meant that Saul’s family were well off financially. At Philippians 4:12, the apostle Paul there shares with others, I know how to get along in humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity. He would most likely be referring to his earlier life as Saul the unbeliever in talking about days of prosperity, and then speaking of his time after becoming a believer and an apostle, when he speaks of humble means!

How God describes Saul and what he did while still an unbeliever!

Let us note what God has to say of Saul at Acts 7:58, while he was still an unbeliever, which is here the first mention of him in God’s word, When they had driven him out of the city (that is, a believer named Stephen), they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of A YOUNG MAN NAMED SAUL, and then further reading at Acts 8:1 in part, SAUL WAS IN HEARTY AGREEMENT WITH PUTTING HIM TO DEATH.

Then let us note what God further says of Saul at Acts 9:1,2, [1] Now SAUL, STILL BREATHING THREATS AND MURDER AGAINST THE DISCIPLES of the Lord, went to the high priest, [2] and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, HE MIGHT BRING THEM BOUND TO JERUSALEM. In other words, Saul was so enraged against the believers that he sought them out wherever he could find