Bible Verses About Religious Zeal: Exemplified by Paul

Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”

All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,

but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.

One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who spoke to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.

So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.

Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!

The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land.

He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness.

And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.

All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.

Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them forty years under Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin.

After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’

From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.

Before the arrival of Jesus, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

As John was completing his course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But He is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.

The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.

And though they found no ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.

When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.

But God raised Him from the dead,