The impact of Stephen’s words
If the people who heard Peter at Pentecost were "pricked in their hearts" (Acts 2:37), how must this young man have felt as he listened to Stephen’s discourse? No doubt all we are given are the main points of Stephen’s argument, but that’s enough to see its power. It’s hard to imagine the effect on Saul, the acknowledged expert in the law who was so familiar with all its details: how it must have "burned his heart." Yet, such is human nature that we find it hard to give credence to someone less educated than ourselves, especially when we are considered to be "experts in the field." Our natural tendency is to dismiss the words of another who obviously could not be at our level of understanding.

No doubt Saul must have struggled with this. While in the back of his mind, his natural honesty and genuine love for God had to acknowledge the truth and potency of Stephen’s argument, his previous education vigorously asserted this man must be a blasphemer and teacher of false doctrines. Here was one who subverted the people and led them away from God’s word. Just the same, Saul must have felt some disturbing twinges as he listened to Stephen’s defense.

When Stephen arrived at his accusation, "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart...," the people reacted. They were not just "pricked" in their hearts, they were "cut" to the heart. (Strong’s Concordance defines "pricked" to mean to pain the mind sharply, to agitate it vehemently, esp. of the emotion of sorrow while "cut" means to be sawn through mentally, i.e. to be rent with vexation.) They stopped their ears, unable to tolerate any more truths, and ran upon Stephen. Was Saul feeling "pricked" or "cut?" Could he have been experiencing both at some level?

A persecutor of the brethren
In order to drown out the nagging voice that pricked at his conscience, with unrelenting zeal Saul threw himself into the task of destroying this movement. "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and hailing men and women committed them to prison" (Acts 8:3). So driven was Saul in his all-consuming desire, he was on his way to Damascus in the scorching heat of the noon day sun (Acts 22:6), when most men would gladly have taken shelter.

At this point he was suddenly stopped in his mad rush. "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 22:7). Saul’s question, "Who art thou Lord?" was almost redundant. His heart must have known, but his mind still could not acknowledge the reply he knew would come to his question: "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest."

When our Lord added, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks," Saul knew exactly what Jesus meant. He needed no further explanation. Finally the madness was stopped and Saul stood on his feet, physically blind but spiritually on the way to full sight.

Why this way?
We all know the rest of the story of the conversion of this brilliant young lawyer. In thinking about this episode, there are a couple of questions which surface:

1. If Paul was chosen of Christ, why did our Lord wait until this point in Saul’s career before revealing himself. Why not bring Saul into the fold earlier, maybe even at Pentecost?

2. Why allow Stephen to be martyred and others tortured and cast into prison?

There can be many valid answers to these questions, but a look at the consequences gives a clear message. We need to consider:

a) The effect on the ecclesia.

b) The effect on Paul himself.

The significance of a) is clear directly after the record of Stephen’s burial (Acts 8:4). "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere, preaching the Word." Thus God’s word was scattered beyond the confines of Jerusalem and surrounding cities.

The answer to b) is evidenced over and over in the life and letters of the apostle Paul (Saul). He had much to learn, not the least of which was humility. Here was one supremely confident in his rightness. He had to learn not to rely on himself but to rely wholly on God’s grace. The moment Christ stopped him, he started to learn that lesson. He hadn’t been willing to listen to the still small voice of his conscience which had been troubling him, suggesting perhaps Stephen could have been right. Now, having been smitten with blindness, he was completely helpless. His servants led him slowly, by the hand into Damascus. He had expected to storm into the city as an avenging angel, but instead found himself entering totally helpless.

Paul learned his lesson
How well Paul learned his lesson is clearly documented in his speeches and writing. Words such as, "the very least of the apostles," "not worthy to be called an apostl," "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" show he never forgot his former life, his arrogance and his murderous fury against the faithful. How often must Stephen’s words have burned in his brain! He even quoted Stephen on more than one occasion. Here are two examples:

"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 17:24).

"At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge" (II Tim. 4:16).

Wouldn’t you love to be there when our beloved apostle Paul meets the gentle Stephen in that great day? What joy there will be then. If Stephen had known of Paul’s future conversion, doubtless he would have taken the same approach that Joseph took with his brethren (who could not claim any godly motivation in their wicked deed): "Now therefore be not grieved, or angry with yourself" for God was at work to preserve life and further His great purpose to fill the earth with His glory.