So, I Was On My Way To Damascus...

"But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'  And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' (Acts 22:6-8 NASB)

Paul had faced mobs all over Asia and Europe, and now, as he faces this one in Jerusalem, he gives his "defense" as he calls it.  We would call it a "testimony".  It's typically made up of what our lives were like before submitting to Jesus, how we did that, and then what our lives were like after.  He's giving what is probably a common story for him to tell.  He's done it in nearly every Synagogue from Judea through Greece.  Here he includes some local flavor, his return to Jerusalem and vision in the Temple, and so on.  But he never gets to finish.

As soon as he mentions God sending him far away to the Gentiles the mob starts up again.  The funny thing about this is that earlier, in Chapter 21, the commander couldn't get any consistent story from the crowd about what Paul had done to spark such a riot.  They seem pretty clear that it has to do with Gentiles, regardless of what other details they don't know.  What sparked the riot was the claim that Paul had brought Gentiles into the Temple by some Asian Jews.  That much seemed to be known by all or most.

The problem with Paul's testimony is that God includes Gentiles.  That's a real cultural and political problem for Jews.  Their survival has been based on being the Chosen People.  If God is also choosing Gentiles, then their standing before God is endangered, or so they think.  The problem is that they have turned a corner in their relationship with their Master.  They have "possessed" God rather than being possessed by Him.

This is a problem I see in my own life.  I am very skeptical of most religious ideas, practices, and people.  I've had these told to me all my life, only to find that the Scriptures weren't so pat and tidy.  The ideas, practices, and people of my religious youth were not always like what I read in Scripture for myself.  It tainted me, and I became cynical about church, religion, and practice.  I saw it segregating groups of people along racial lines, denominational line, social lines, and even educational lines.  It was not what I saw in Scripture, or at least what I saw was taught against, used as negative examples; what not to do.

But the problem was, I became my own "group".  One of the practices I saw and with which I should have disagreed I embraced instead.  I was proud of my viewpoint.  Those that differed in my view of Scripture I held in contempt.  I became those of whom I was cynical.  I became exclusive, not by telling others they couldn't be a part of "my group" but being rude to those who didn't.  My group was my group.  I missed out on being in my Master's group.

I think that I am in a much better place, theologically, than when I was raised, but all of us should be, and most are (if you think about it, even new adult believers are).  The other problem with these unscriptural viewpoints around which I was raised is that they were also exclusive.  The problem that the Jewish mob had that caused them to stop listening and throw cloaks and dust in the air, that was my problem too; and sadly still is sometimes.

Lately, in the last several years, I have intentionally chosen fringe and unpopular views of Scripture, all within the bounds of conservative Biblical views, but out there.  I know they are not all right, but I'm waiting for the discussion on the topic.  Because on the other side of it are a few things I really want.  One of the minor ones is clarity.  It's over rated with God, since He's Holy, but it's nice to gain a bit more clarity when possible.  Another one is perspective, which is something I can never gain on my own with just my own view through my knot-hole.  But two other important ones are the most often missed.  I gain fellowship with those involved in the discussion, and therefore with my Master who pulls us all together.

I have discovered that when I cast my cloak and throw dust, I'm pulling away from a relationship with my Master, and possibly some of His other servants.  Not every viewpoint is derived from Scripture, and not every viewpoint derived from Scripture handles Scripture correctly.  But with the bounds of rightly-handled Scripture there is much room for viewpoints and discussion.  If I can let go of my fear, pride, and resentment I'm pretty sure I can find a lot of fellow servants with whom to fellowship.