To the Honorable Gamaliel, am sending this message to acquaint you with an incident that recently took place just outside Jerusalem, at the doorway of the Damascus market. I know you will recall the recent meeting the Sanhedrin council had with a group of heretics who supported the executed criminal named Jesus. When these stubborn blasphemers refused to stop their heresy, most Pharisees in the room wished to execute them.
After all, if those people support a convicted criminal who claimed to have had the authority of God. The man, Jesus, implied he was speaking for a divine ruler – and these fools who support Jesus still believe his alleged divine authority.
You taught me well, Honorable Rabbi. You taught me that the Truth is pure and must be obeyed if citizens follow the Law. When the heretics brazenly refused to stop spreading their lies, those of us who are Pharisees wanted to kill them. We proposed that if we uproot those vocally spreading their blasphemy, we could perhaps persuade those who follow them to stop their futile protestations.
You disputed our decision, honored teacher. You counseled us to wait to carry out our death sentence. You suggested that if these heretics are truly wrong, their cause would soon die out, but if it is of God, it would not be extinguished.
Many of us disagreed, but you held firm in your decision. I honored you, my teacher, with my reluctant assent.
But yesterday, I had to oppose your decision.
One of the most vocal of the heretics was facing the Sanhedrin yet again. This man – named Stephen – was rumored to have performed miracles in the name of God. This Stephen knows the Scripture as well as I do and can cite the works of God and any Pharisee. Yet, by the end of his perfect recounting of God’s Word, he accused the Pharisees of not obeying the God we have served all our lives.
He then gazed skyward and claimed to see a vision of an open heaven, where God was supposedly seated in the sky - with this Jesus.
How could we remain silent and allow someone like this to continue spewing his heresy throughout the land? The man knew just enough theology to convince gullible citizens to follow him. We had no choice but to act.
You may still have considered this deranged fool a harmless detractor, yet the Pharisees who joined me that day agreed we had no choice.
You know that I have studied the faith my entire life. I am proud of my Jewish heritage. I am a Benjamite. When I trained under your leadership, you helped me to understand my academic knowledge better. I respect your wise counsel, but I could no longer do so.
When I stood at the gate of the Damascus market, I watched the council of men cast their stones at this heretic named Stephen. I do not regret my decision. Men like that must be silenced if the voice of Truth reigns in our land.
Yet, I will never forget the look in that condemned man’s eyes as he raised his face aloft. Just before the final stone was cast, his face showed not one ounce of fear. It was filled with joy and trust, and he once again claimed a vision of God seated in heaven next to Jesus.
The poor man was deluded. Honorable Gamaliel, even you must agree with our conclusion.
And, if the God of our Fathers wishes to convince me otherwise, He can surely speak through His mighty spirit to convince me that I was wrong.
Let Him convince me. I am ready to be convinced.
Your humble student, Saul of Tarsus