One of the most fascinating aspects of the resurrection of Jesus is the conversion of the church persecutor Saul of Tarsus (he later changed his name to Paul).
Paul was an up-and-coming Jew in the Pharisaical tradition. He was the brightest student under Gamaliel and was extremely zealous for the Jewish teachings and traditions of his ancestors. Paul was not only head and shoulders above his peers when it came to his training, but he also had the distinct advantage of having dual citizenship being born a Jew as well as being a Roman citizen based on the town that he was born in. Because of this he was able (and adept) at navigating both societies rather well.
So how does a strict, zealous Jew convert to Christianity? Paul was so wed to the Jewish belief system and ideas that he persecuted, imprisoned, and put to death Christians. He found them to be quite heretical and dangerous to the Jewish faith and against the God of Israel and his fathers. Yet, he essentially converts over night.
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Multiple, Independent Sources
There are multiple sources that record Paul’s conversion: Luke in Acts, Paul in his own writings in a couple of different letters.
Embarrassing Testimony
Paul, a staunch champion for the Jewish faith not only converts to Christianity, but then goes on to be an Apostle and evangelist to the Gentiles! The one who was doing the greatest harm to the church in the early part of the 1st century AD goes on to be one of the biggest defenders of the Christian way. Further, he does not shy away from talking about his former way of life and using that as a source of teaching.
Eyewitness Testimony
Paul confesses that he encountered the risen Jesus in a glorified state on his way to Damascus in order to harass and imprison Christians who had fled from Jerusalem. This is shortly after he had just been in charge of overseeing the death of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, in Jerusalem.
Early Testimony
Paul’s testimony comes just a couple of decades after the resurrection event and after he had been preaching during the majority of that time. We have this in some of his earliest letters from that time which most likely date from the mid-50s.
So what would cause a vehement, highly educated persecutor like Paul to convert? The only reasonable explanation is that he actually had an encounter with a resurrected and glorified Jesus of Nazareth.