St. Paul: The Man from Tarsus

Two boys step into the Imagination Station... and only one of them meant to. When Sam tests Eugene's new program about the early church, Rodney Rathbone is hiding behind the machine - and lands in ancient Jerusalem as a temple guard. Sam serves alongside Stephen, a bold believer, while Rodney takes fifty pieces of silver from Saul of Tarsus to speak lies against him. But when the mob demands that Rodney throw the first stone, the game suddenly turns deadly real. Stephen dies forgiving his attackers, and Saul sets out for Damascus to arrest more believers - until a blinding light from heaven stops him in the road, and the church's fiercest enemy hears the voice of Jesus himself.

Found on Twists and Turns Album 23 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0298 I Want My B-TV! When Odyssey's TV station loses its children's show, an unlikely janitor rallies the town's kids to build a homegrown program of their own.

0299 The Truth about Zachary A school reporter's assignment to profile Odyssey's newest student becomes a battle of wills with a boy determined to keep his past a secret.

0300 Preacher's Kid When her father becomes the church's interim pastor, teenager Donna Barclay struggles under the congregation's watchful eyes - until one forbidden night out with friends puts everything her family has to the test.

0301 The Good, the Bad, and the Butch When his estranged childhood best friend suddenly wants to reconnect, Sam must decide whether the friendship is real or a setup by the gang his friend now runs with.

0302 Share & Share Alike When Kids Radio's first Share-a-thon puts a homeless shelter's big bonus on the line, the Whit's End team spins stories of sharing - while the toughest lesson may land closest to home.

0303 All the Difference in the World Danny discovers that being the only kid with rules might matter more than he ever imagined.

0304 St. Paul: The Man from Tarsus A test run of the upgraded Imagination Station drops two very different Odyssey kids into first-century Jerusalem, where one befriends the early church and the other falls in with its fiercest persecutor.

0305 St. Paul: Set Apart by God A blinded persecutor waits in Damascus, and the one man sent to help him is a follower of the very faith he came to destroy.

0306 A Victim of Circumstance A prank gone wrong lands Whit's End in court when an opportunistic lawyer convinces the Rathbones that Rodney is the real victim.

0307 Poetry in Slow Motion A struggling student who can't make sense of his class's poetry unit will try almost anything to avoid admitting he needs help.

0308 Subject Yourself While young Lawrence chafes under his orthodontist's strict rules, his mother must decide whether to challenge a flawed new school curriculum - even if it costs her career.

1 of 3 0309 The Perfect Witness When a bookstore robbery goes wrong, the thieves take a blind girl as the "perfect" hostage - never suspecting how much a witness can learn without seeing.

2 of 3 0310 The Perfect Witness A detective must piece together a blindfolded witness's memories of sounds and smells before the kidnappers' trail - and their hideout - disappears forever.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 13 more roles

2 featured characters

Sam Johnson Kyle Ellison Jesus Christ Brian Cummings

11 supporting roles

Peter (Biblical) Will Ryan Man in the crowd #1 Bob Luttrell Man in the crowd #2 Phil Lollar Peter Will Ryan Saul Pete Reneday Woman in the crowd Lynn Luttrell Stephen Corey Burton Ananias (b) Townsend Coleman Barnabas Brian Cummings Timon Phil Lollar Sanhedrin Councilmember Will Ryan

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Phil Lollar Writer · Director Bob Luttrell Sound Designer · Producer Dave Arnold Producer Paul McCusker Producer Chuck Bolte Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 3 min

Jason has helped Eugene modify the Imagination Station so that a traveler becomes a recognized character inside an adventure. Sam Johnson eagerly volunteers to test a program about the first-century church in Jerusalem. Neither he nor Jason realizes that Rodney Rathbone is hiding from Eugene behind the machine's partition. When the program begins, both boys are carried into the adventure. Sam becomes Samuel, a disciple of Jesus, while Rodney becomes Reuben, a temple guard.

Sam quickly finds himself distributing food with Stephen and Barnabas. Rodney is less interested in the strange clothes and ancient city than in finding a way home. When Stephen and Barnabas welcome him as a possible believer, Rodney rejects their faith and complains that he has to hear about Jesus in Odyssey too. His loud protest catches the attention of Saul of Tarsus, a fierce defender of the law who accuses Stephen of blasphemy. Stephen insists that Jesus has fulfilled the law and is the promised Messiah, but Saul turns the crowd against him. Sam tries to intervene when Stephen is seized, while Rodney enthusiastically joins the shouting.

Saul recognizes Rodney's character as a temple guard and asks him to testify before the ruling council. Rodney hesitates until Saul offers him fifty denarii, the equivalent of fifty days' wages. For that reward, Rodney boasts, "I'll be Ricky Ricardo if you want." As Sam warns Peter and the believers, Rodney gives false testimony that Stephen has threatened the temple and the teachings of Moses.

Stephen answers the charges by reminding the council that God had revealed himself to Abraham and Moses beyond Judea and that the Most High does not live in houses made by people. Then he turns the accusation upon his judges, declaring that they have resisted the Holy Spirit, persecuted God's prophets, betrayed the Messiah, and failed to keep the law they claim to defend. When Stephen says that he sees heaven open and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand, the council erupts into a mob.

Outside the city, Saul orders the witnesses to remove their coats and lay them at his feet. Because Rodney is the chief witness, the law requires him to throw the first stone. The violence is no longer a game to him. Pressured by Saul, he throws but deliberately misses. The mob continues without him, and Stephen is killed while asking Jesus to receive his spirit and forgive his attackers.

News of Stephen's death reaches Peter, Barnabas, Sam, and the other believers. Their grief deepens when they learn that Saul has vowed to destroy the church and is leading house-to-house searches. Men and women are being dragged away and imprisoned. Peter recognizes that Jesus had warned his followers about persecution. He and the apostles remain in Jerusalem, but he sends the others out to spread the gospel in other towns. Sam travels with Barnabas to Damascus, where the believers take shelter with Ananias.

Rodney, meanwhile, accompanies Saul and the temple guards toward the same city. Saul carries authority to arrest followers of Jesus there. Rodney expects more excitement, but Saul insists that breaking up homes and imprisoning people is a grim necessity demanded by the law. Near Damascus, a brilliant light from heaven knocks the travelers down. Rodney hears only a noise, but Saul hears Jesus ask why Saul is persecuting him. Jesus tells Saul to enter the city and await further instructions. When the light disappears, Saul reaches for Rodney's hand and confesses, "I am blind."

At Ananias's home, Barnabas mourns Stephen and struggles not to hate Saul. Ananias encourages him to pray for those who persecute them. Then Ananias falls into a vision. The Lord directs him to find Saul at Judas's house on Straight Street. Ananias knows what Saul has done and fears the authority he carries, yet he submits. When the vision ends, he tells his startled friends that he must go to the persecutor.