Now, let’s think about that for a moment. When Paul was persecuting “the church of God,”who was he persecuting? What was happening? And, can we know the people involved as the recipients of this persecution? Well, the text says that he “persecuted the church of God.”

Now, there’s another statement in Paul’s writing about this same persecution. This time, Galatians, chapter 1, verses 22 to 23. Paul indicated that after his conversion he had come to Judea, and he said that he was “…unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea [Judea] which were in Christ: 23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.”

“Now, what were you doing here, Paul?”

“Well, I was persecuting the churches of Judea, which are in Christ.”

“Now, are those the same as persecuting the church of God?”

“Well, No. That’s not at all the case. They were completely and totally different. And so, I would persecute one a while, and go across town and persecute the other a while.”

Oh, no. That won’t do.

Notice also, he said that there are some people in these churches, there are some folk in these churches, which are in Christ in Judea; and they know what went on! They know that somebody named “Saul” was doing the persecution. Paul said, “They’d never seen me. They didn’t know me by face.” But they knew that a man by the name of “Saul” was the leader of the persecution against the churches!

Now he says, “They know something about me now. They know that I am now preaching what I once went about to destroy.”

“Well, what was that?”

“Well, it was the faith, the system of Truth that was revealed from God, AND I strove to destroy that.”

“How did you do that?”

“I persecuted the churches which are in Christ AND the church of God.”

Now, think about that further. Look in Acts 8:1. In Acts 8, and verse 1, “…there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem…” So, we have a church in Jerusalem. In verse 3, Saul [Paul] made (the King James says) “havoc of the church.” Then again, in Acts 9, and verse 2, it was said of Saul [Paul] that “if he found any of this Way,” he would “bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” This Way—the church—the churches.

Again, in Acts 22, and verse 4, “I persecuted this Way unto death.” This Way.

In Acts 26, and verse 10, “…and many of the saints did I shut up in prison.”

Well now, what have we got here?

“Paul, who were you persecuting?”

“Well, I was persecuting people of the Way—this Way. I was persecuting saints. I was persecuting churches. I was persecuting the church.”

Now, how could Saul know who to persecute? There was something that made it possible for him to know who to persecute. He certainly did not go out persecuting Pharisees. Now, why not?

“You’re a persecutor, Saul [Paul]. Now, do you aim your persecution?”

“O, no! I just persecute anybody!”

“Well, try persecuting a Roman soldier!”

“No. I direct my persecution.”

“Well, how do you direct it?”

“I direct it to the people of this Way, to the saints, to the church, to the churches!”

“How do you know them, Paul [Saul]? How can you tell?”