The stoning of Stephen was one of these incidents. With perfect calm and an inner peace of mind, Stephen knelt down and prayed that those who were casting the stones might be forgiven. It was perfectly evident that these Christians possessed that which Paul desired more than anything else: the peace of mind that comes with a clear conscience and a deep conviction that they are living in harmony with the will of God. Paul came to realize that there must be some connection between these persons' faith in Jesus and their manner of living. No doubt this conviction was growing upon him for some time, but the climactic turning point in his career came while he was journeying to Damascus. Convinced now that Jesus was a righteous man and that his death on the cross was not the just punishment of a criminal but rather that of a martyr who died for a noble cause, Paul was ready to give himself to that same cause, which was more alive than it had been before Jesus' crucifixion and which pointed the way to a salvation that could not be achieved by obedience to a set of laws that were contrary to human desires.
Paul's decision to cast his lot with the members of the Christian community did not make him a missionary all at once, for about fourteen years passed before his work as a leader in the movement received any general recognition. During this time, Paul had ample opportunity to rethink his religious conceptions, systematize his understanding of the meaning of Jesus' career on earth, and formulate plans for spreading Christianity throughout the world. Eventually, he was invited by Barnabas to come to the church at Antioch and assist in the work being done there. After serving this church for a brief period, Paul began a series of missionary journeys to spread the news of salvation offered through Jesus' physical death. While engaged in these missionary activities, he wrote the letters that are preserved in the New Testament.
