I want to try out something new.
Something I didn’t create, but rather, Paul.
It’s called before/how/now.
It’s a method of framing and describing your personal account about your journey with Christ.
1 - BEFORE – What was your life like before Christ?
2 - HOW – How did you come to know Christ?
3 - NOW – What is God doing in your life today?
The scene takes place around 60 CE in Caesarea, the Roman administrative capital of Judea.
Paul has been imprisoned for two years following riots that broke out in Jerusalem when Jews from Asia accused him of defiling the temple.
During this time, Paul has appeared before two Roman governors—Felix and his successor Festus.
When Festus suggested moving Paul's trial to Jerusalem (where Paul feared he would not receive justice), Paul exercised his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar.
Shortly after this appeal, King Agrippa II and his sister Bernice arrive in Caesarea to pay their respects to the new governor.
Agrippa, though a vassal king under Rome, has authority over the temple in Jerusalem and is knowledgeable in Jewish affairs.
Curious about Paul's case, Agrippa requests to hear him personally.
The next day, in a formal audience before the king, the governor, high-ranking military officers, and prominent citizens of Caesarea, Paul is brought in chains to present his defense—not so much to determine his innocence or guilt (since his appeal to Caesar had already been granted), but to help Festus formulate the official charges that would accompany Paul to Rome.
The scene goes like this:
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Paul’s Before/How/Now
BEFORE: Paul built his identity on religious achievement and status.
As Saul of Tarsus, he was a Pharisee of Pharisees - educated under Gamaliel, circumcised on the eighth day, of the tribe of Benjamin, and blameless according to the law.
His zeal for Jewish tradition made him a rising star among religious leaders.
This religious devotion manifested as violent opposition to the early church.
Paul actively persecuted Christians, dragging them from their homes to prison.
He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, giving his approval to the first Christian martyr's execution.
His hatred was so intense that he obtained special permission to pursue believers even in foreign cities like Damascus.
Paul's "before" stage represents someone completely convinced of his own righteousness while actually opposing God's purposes.
He embodied religious zeal without spiritual understanding, believing his persecution of Christians was service to God.
HOW: The Damascus road experience dramatically altered Paul's life trajectory.
While traveling to arrest more Christians, a blinding light from heaven knocked him to the ground.
The voice of Jesus himself confronted Paul directly: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
This encounter showed Paul two things:
1 - Jesus was truly alive, confirming the resurrection claims of the Christians he persecuted
2 - By attacking believers, he was directly attacking Christ himself
The physical blindness Paul experienced for three days symbolized his spiritual condition. Through Ananias's ministry, Paul regained his sight, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and was baptized - showing complete transformation.
This "how" moment wasn't just an emotional experience but a complete reversal of Paul's understanding of God, salvation, and his own identity.
NOW: Following his conversion, Paul's life was completely redirected.
The same passion he once used to destroy the church now fueled his mission to build it.
His education and knowledge of Scripture became tools to explain how Jesus fulfilled God's promises.
Paul embraced suffering for Christ rather than status.
He endured imprisonment, beatings, shipwrecks, and constant danger to spread the gospel.
The man who once imprisoned Christians now wrote letters from prison, encouraging believers to stand firm.
Standing in chains, Paul boldly proclaimed the message of Christ to the very political and religious authorities he once sought to impress.
His primary concern was no longer gaining approval but seeing others experience the same grace that rescued him.
In his "now" state, Paul viewed his impressive religious credentials as "rubbish" compared to knowing Christ.
His identity was completely redefined - no longer based on heritage, achievement, or status, but on being in Christ.
His writings repeatedly emphasize this new identity: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."
How I interpret this.
1 - No one stands beyond the reach of God's grace. If the "chief of sinners" who actively persecuted Christians could become Christianity's greatest missionary, there is hope for everyone.
God specializes in impossible cases.
2 - Our past mistakes don't disqualify us from future purpose.
Paul's knowledge of Judaism and the Law became valuable tools in his ministry.
God doesn't waste our experiences – even the painful or shameful ones.
3 - A new life in Christ isn't about self-improvement but surrender.
Paul didn't simply modify his behavior; he died to his old identity entirely.
True change comes not through trying harder but through yielding completely.
Why is this important?
When others hear how God transformed someone's life—especially from a difficult "before" state—it creates hope that He can do the same for them.
Paul's testimony continues to inspire people today because it demonstrates that no one is beyond God's reach.
This gives anyone the ability to simply tell their personal story—something everyone can do—in a way that highlights God's work in their lives.
It communicates not just information about God but demonstration of His character and power through changed lives.
Where can I write mine?
Through this form, you are guided through questions that will walk you through crafting your personal testimony.
I want to compile these stories anonymously to be able to share what God has done in your life.
I want to give you the platform to:
share your story.
change a life.
share the grace that saved you.
If we all do this together, we can impact so many lives.
People who need saving, but it has to be done together.
That’s why I ask for the ability to share your story with the world.
Not your name - we never need that information, just your story.
What you’ve been through.
How Jesus saved you.
What He’s doing in your life now.
You can offer living proof that God still changes lives today.
This gives glory to God by acknowledging His work in your life, fulfilling the call to "declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9).
Your story, no matter how ordinary it might seem to you, is a powerful tool God can use to draw others to Himself.