Paul's probatio (body of proof section) offers four scenes from his conversion and its aftermath. They provide evidence, substantiated by witnesses, that his life of Jewish piety and his calling to preach the universal gospel are compatible.

Scene one portrays Paul as the persecutor of the followers of the way. The extent of his persecution (women as well as men) and the outcome (sometimes death—7:58; 8:1; 26:10) proved Paul's zeal for the Jewish God (Phil 3:6). They were also a silent witness to his sin and rebellion against God. Luke consistently portrays sinful ethnic Israel as the persecutors and murderers of God's true apostles and prophets (Lk 11:49; Acts 7:52; compare Lk 21:12). Paul never recovered from the shame of what had been for him a badge of honor (1 Cor 15:9; 1 Tim 1:13-15).

At this point Paul simply wants his audience to know his zeal, and he appeals to the records or the memory of high priest and Sanhedrin as testimony to the fact. One of the most exasperating things about self-righteous rebellion against God is that it can appear in the guise of zeal for God.