So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.“I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
3 sermons cite this verse
… Right? Jesus Christ has changed our lives. But Paul's story was pretty unique. So he shares it now. Acts 26 verse 9. Speaking of Herod Agrippa. I used to believe I ought to do everything I could to oppose the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Authorized by the leading priest I caused many of the believers in Jerusalem to be sent to prison. I cast my vote against them and they were condemned to death. Many times I had them whipped in the synagogue to get them to curse Christ. It shows how hard Saul then called was. He would whip people to get them to deny their faith and curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them, Paul says, I hounded them in distant cities of foreign land. So one day I'm on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. About noon, your majesty, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. We all fell down and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It's hard for you to fight against my will. …
You ain't always been in church. Some of y'all are barely here today. Let me let that sink in for a moment. You ain't always been reading the Scripture. You ain't always dressed holy. Come on, holler back at me for just a second. You ain't always been where you are today. Paul is testifying, here's where I was. I persecuted the church. I killed Christians. I locked them up in jail. I voted against them. That's where he was. He says, I was a religious person doing unreligious things to people who claim the name of Jesus Christ. Y'all ain't always been in church. Some of y'all fresh out of the club. Is that where y'all go? Is it the club? Oh, now y'all gonna get quiet on me. Let me go back here to the people back here. I don't know, maybe I shouldn't come back here because y'all probably are late every day because you just got back from the club. Let me go back down here. …
I. I am going to speak, first, upon THE NAME WHICH IS USED CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST AS THE FORERUNNER. Our Lord is sometimes spoken of as the Master, the Messiah, the Son of Man and so on, but here He is simply called Jesus. "Where the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus." I do not pretend to know why this title was selected, but at least it may be suggested that Jesus is the name which His enemies despise—Jesus of Nazareth, "the Nazarene," as His fiercest foes cry to this day. About the name, Christ, there is always a measure of respect, for even those who do not believe Him to be the Christ, yet look for a Christ, a Divinely-anointed One, a Messiah sent from God. But, "Jesus," is the personal name of Him who was born at Bethlehem, the Son of Mary, to whom the angel said before His birth, "You shall call His name JESUS." It is "the Nazarene" who is "the Forerunner, even Jesus," and it is that name of Jesus that has caused His enemies to gnash their teeth and speak and act against Him, even as Paul confessed to king Agrippa, "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." It is by that name which His enemies abhor that He is known within the veil! They speak of Him there as the Savior, the Joshua, the Jehovah-Jesus of His people—and by that name we know Him as our Forerunner. …