A PERSECUTOR TURNED PREACHER
ACTS 9:1-22
NASB
1 Now [a]Saul, still breathing [b]threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the [a]voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he [a]could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen [a]in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your [a]saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen [a]instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened.
Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, [a]saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the [a]Christ.
9:1 [a]Later called Paul [b]Lit threat 9:7 [a]Or sound 9:8 [a]Lit was seeing 9:12 [a]A few early mss do not contain in a vision 9:13 [a]Or holy ones 9:15 [a]Or vessel 9:20 [a]Lit that 9:22 [a]I.e. Messiah
NLT
1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.[*] So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them —both men and women —back to Jerusalem in chains.
3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
10 Now there was a believer[*] in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord!” he replied.
11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”
13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers[*] in Jerusalem! 14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”
15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.
Saul stayed with the believers[*] in Damascus for a few days. 20 And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”
21 All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”
22 Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.
[9:1] Greek disciples. [9:10] Greek disciple; also in 9:26, 36. [9:13] Greek God’s holy people; also in 9:32, 41. [9:19] Greek disciples; also in 9:26, 38.
There is no one more persistent than God when He decides to save someone. And few can appreciate God’s persistent, pursuing love more than Francis Thompson. By almost any measure of success, Thompson was a failure. He failed to become a Roman Catholic priest. He failed to become a medical doctor. He lasted only two weeks as a surgical instrument maker and two months as an encyclopedia salesman —during which time he read the entire work and sold nothing. He lasted a short time in the military before failing the physical exam, most likely due to his severe addiction to opium.
Eventually, he left home to make his own way in London, hoping to become a successful writer. But, as one biographer put it, “It had been his habit to obey the command of the drug by the disposal of his books and medical instruments.”[67] In a short time, he was destitute, wandering the streets of London in filthy rags and broken shoes, unable to keep work when fortunate enough to find it, and then reduced to selling matches to keep from starving. But within the shirtless vagabond beat a heart that God had claimed for Himself.
After reading Thompson’s poetry, Wilfrid and Alice Meynell, editors of the magazine Merrie England, rescued Thompson from the streets. They gave him a place to live and brokered his first book deal, which made him an instant celebrity. He later wrote —in the words of many critics —the greatest English ode ever put in print: “The Hound of Heaven,” a mystical poem about God’s relentless pursuit of His beloved.
I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat —and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet —
“All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.”[68]
Many can appreciate Francis Thompson’s story because it mirrors their own desperate flights from the grace of God. Thanks to the Lord’s persistent, pursuing love —and despite their own efforts to reject His gracious gift of freedom —they now enjoy the kind of life none could have imagined.
Seventeen centuries before Thompson lived, another man ran from God. He wasn’t a vagrant, but a scholar. He wasn’t a drug addict, but one of the most religious and devout men of his time. He wasn’t a failure, but one of the keenest minds in all the Middle East —brilliant, persuasive, dogmatic, obnoxious —immensely successful by all the standards by which his peers measured achievement. Nevertheless, he was running. While Thompson consciously ran away from the Lord, this zealous Jew conscientiously ran toward God. At least he thought so.
Saul of Tarsus became a one-man army against what he considered to be the most dangerous heresy of his day —Christianity.
— 9:1-2 —
Luke’s description of Saul’s hatred for Christians drips with foreboding. Earlier, the narrative indicates that Saul had supported the plot to arrest, convict, and stone Stephen (7:58; 8:1). Saul then began a reign of terror in Jerusalem, “ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison” (8:3). Saul’s persecution may have lasted as long as three years. But instead of destroying the church, his efforts sent the gospel farther, faster.
Some Christians fleeing Jerusalem found refuge in the desert villages east and south of the city. Others relocated to cities north of Galilee, in Syria, beyond Jewish political influence. Damascus would have been a popular location because it offered the protection and conveniences of a sizable city —not to mention plenty of opportunities for spreading the gospel in a major metropolitan area and its surroundings. Besides all this, the refugee Christians would be protected from the fires of persecution in Jerusalem . . . or so they thought.
When Saul discovered the community of Christians huddling in Damascus, he planned to expand his persecution, but because of the political climate he required help from the temple. The high priest wrote letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus encouraging them to support Saul in his quest. He planned to extradite these Jewish followers of Jesus to face trial before the Sanhedrin. Luke used the term “the Way” to describe those who believed in Christ, most likely because Jesus called Himself “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
— 9:3-4 —
Damascus lay 140 miles to the northeast of Jerusalem, at least a six-day journey on foot. The context of the story suggests that Saul and his contingent of the temple guard were no more than a day’s journey from Damascus when a bright light surrounded them (26:13). The adverb “suddenly” (9:3) indicates the event came upon them quickly and unexpectedly. The preposition rendered “from” is ek [1537], which usually has a spatial aspect when referring to something visible. In other words, ek indicates both source and direction; the light appeared like a beam or column “out from” heaven. The verb translated “flashed” suggests the idea of lightning; the intensity outshone the sun, illuminating everything in the area. According to Saul’s later account, this occurred around noon (22:6).
The light that accompanied Jesus’ appearance to Saul is an example of a theophany, a visible manifestation of God. Throughout the Old Testament, the Lord indicated His presence in the form of a supernatural light, later called the shekinah. This light appeared in a bush to Moses (Exod. 3:1-3), led the Israelites through the wilderness in a pillar (Exod. 13:21-22), and settled on Mount Sinai in front of the Israelites (Exod. 19:18; 24:17). When the tabernacle —and later the temple —was constructed, the shekinah hovered over the ark of the covenant behind a thick veil in the most holy place (Exod. 25:22; 40:35; Lev. 16:2). The Lord did this for the benefit of His people, to affirm His presence among them as their one and only God. Here, Saul benefits from this revelation.
Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice indicting him for persecuting “Me” (Acts 9:4) —not “them” or “the church” or even “My church,” but “Me.” Such an odd choice of pronoun might have confused Saul. He had earnestly pursued a course he thought righteous —he wanted to stamp out a heresy. Some of his Jewish brethren were calling a dead man the Messiah, which violated everything he knew about the Hebrew Scriptures.
From Christ’s point of view, “the Way” wasn’t a theological perspective, but a living part of Himself. The church is, to Christ, His own body. The people that Saul had been beating and killing? The Holy Spirit had been baptizing them into Christ, making them one with Christ, just as Christ is one with the Father and the Spirit (John 17:18-21). Collectively, we the church are the visible representation of Jesus Christ in the world! To persecute the church is to assault the Son of God.
— 9:5-6 —
Saul’s question, “Who are You, Lord?” (9:5), does not itself imply that Paul regarded the voice he heard as belonging to God or Jesus. (The NASB capitalization reflects the reader’s point of view, not Paul’s.) His use of “lord” was respectful and could be understood as “sir” (e.g., Gen. 18:12; 19:2; Matt. 13:27; 27:63; John 4:11; Acts 10:4). However, given the supernatural aspect of the event, it seems evident that Saul thought the voice belonged to God or one of His angels. Imagine Saul’s astonishment when the voice identified Himself as “Jesus whom you are persecuting” (9:5).
The Greek term for “persecute” (diōkō [1377]) carries the idea of “forcing,” “pressing,” “impelling,” “pursuing,” or “zealously engaging,” usually for the sake of a particular cause. Unlike the English term “persecute,” this Greek word (and the Hebrew or Aramaic wording it represents) has connotations that often correspond with “pursue vigorously” and are not strictly negative. For example, we find the Greek word diōkō translating the Hebrew radap [H7291] in the admonition of Psalm 34:14 to “seek peace and pursue it.” And Saul would later write “I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12).
Therefore, Jesus’ reference to “persecution” in His exchange with Saul was not an unreserved and unequivocal condemnation. While Saul’s vigorous pursuit of Christians was clearly wrong in the eyes of God, he nevertheless pressed his cause with right motives, albeit “ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Tim. 1:13). Saul earnestly opposed the Christians because he honestly thought they opposed God. Consequently, Saul “was shown mercy” (1 Tim. 1:13) in response to his sin. Rather than strike Saul dead or allow his own sin to consume him, the risen Christ pursued the unrighteous pursuer and confronted him with his sin.
Jesus instructed Saul to continue his journey to Damascus, but with a different agenda, which would be disclosed later. Many years later, when recalling this encounter before Agrippa (Acts 26:12-21), Saul would compress the events of the next several days to summarize everything he had heard from the Lord.
PAUL’S ENCOUNTER WITH THE RISEN CHRIST ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS
As Told by Luke in Acts |
Paul’s Defense before the Jews in the Temple in Acts |
Paul’s Trial before Agrippa II in Caesarea in Acts |
As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (9:3-4) |
“But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’” (22:6-7) |
“While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” (26:12-14) |
And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” (9:5) |
“And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’” (22:8) |
“And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.’” (26:15) |
“But get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” (9:6) |
“And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’” (22:10) |
“‘But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’” (26:16-18) |
The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. (9:7) |
“And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.” (22:9) |
|
Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. (9:8) |
“But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.” (22:11) |
— 9:7-9 —
The men with Saul saw no one, but they saw the light and heard the sound of the voice without comprehending the exchange (9:7; 22:9). Saul, on the other hand, plainly understood the message from the risen Christ. During the encounter, he was literally blinded by the light, so his companions led him as he continued on to Damascus, where he sat in his own personal darkness for three days, fasting and refusing water (9:8-9).
According to Saul’s recollection of this entire episode before Agrippa, he spent those three days in communication with the Lord. Saul summarized what he heard during those three days in Acts 26:16-18 (see chart on the facing page). During that time, he also received a vision reassuring him that he would regain his sight through the ministry of a Christian in Damascus (9:12).
— 9:10-16 —
Meanwhile, across town, the Lord prepared a “disciple at Damascus named Ananias” who was “devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there” (9:10; 22:12). The Lord gave Ananias the name and address of the house where Saul waited (9:11) and assured him that Saul knew he would be coming (9:12). All that was left was for Ananias to “get up and go” (9:11).
Of course, Ananias expressed concern, not only for his own safety, but also in the interest of justice. The Lord didn’t reveal His entire plan or even that Saul might be on the cusp of conversion; He merely told the man to seek out Saul and lay hands on him. It probably seemed to Ananias that a blind Saul benefited the church. Restoring sight to an enemy of the Christians seemed counterproductive. It was a valid concern. Ananias didn’t object or refuse to obey; he simply wanted to understand.
The Lord doesn’t always explain Himself, and He’s under no obligation to do so. Still, He honored the earnest response of His servant. The Lord revealed to Ananias what Saul discovered during his three-day fast: that He had pursued the proud, violent, zealous Pharisee from Tarsus to save him and to give him a critical role in His redemptive plan for the world (9:15). The Lord spoke in terms that emphasize His sovereign choice of Saul. “Chosen” means “[made] a special choice based upon significant preference, often implying a strongly favorable attitude toward what is chosen.”[69] In other words, this was no dispassionate, pragmatic choice; God’s choosing of Saul came from a place of love.
“Instrument” (skeuos [4632]) literally means “vessel.” Vessels are generally crafted to serve specific functions. A vessel for storing wine looked very different from a vessel designed to contain household utensils. God had made Saul a certain way and had directed his steps for a purpose. Saul was a highly trained Jew with a first-class education under the great Gamaliel, and he had been reared near the famous Greek academy in Tarsus; he would thus be the ideal ambassador of a Jewish King to Gentile cultures. This Hebrew scholar with Roman citizenship could speak with authority in both worlds.
Saul of Tarsus, who would become Paul the apostle, had a destiny. He would become a witness to the Gentiles, to kings, and to his fellow Jews. Moreover, just in case anyone is worried about justice, Saul would suffer greatly for the sake of the gospel he once tried to stamp out (9:16).
— 9:17-19 —
Ananias wasted no time obeying. He departed his residence and entered the house where Saul lay blinded, the home of a man named Judas (9:11). He greeted Saul as “Brother Saul,” showing no hesitation in embracing Saul as a genuine believer and co-worker in the cause of Christ (9:17). His greeting also demonstrated his complete knowledge of what Saul had experienced without first hearing it from him; the Lord who had appeared to Saul on the road had also appeared to Ananias in Damascus. Ananias’s pronouncement implies that Saul received the Holy Spirit when he regained the use of his eyes (9:17).
Luke describes “something like scales” that fell from Saul’s eyes (9:18). The Greek word lepis [3013] denotes something thin and flaky like the scales of fish or snakes. While a physical phenomenon accompanied Saul’s restored sight, this was a supernatural healing. Scales fell from his eyes and the Spirit filled his body; his eyes received sight and his soul received vision. Even before Saul broke his fast, he submitted to water baptism (9:18). Then he ate (9:19).
— 9:20-22 —
Saul wasted no time; he “immediately” began declaring in the synagogues that Jesus is “the Son of God” (9:20). The Old Testament uses sonship language with respect to Israel as a nation (Exod. 4:22-23; Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Jer. 3:19; 31:9; Hos. 11:1), the anointed king of Israel (2 Sam. 7:14; 1 Chr. 22:10; Ps. 89:26-27), and the Messiah (Ps. 2:7).
Let’s not forget that Saul had in his possession letters from the high priest to the leaders of these same synagogues authorizing the arrest and extradition of Christians. Saul had come to Damascus to seize any Jew who proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah; now he had become an enthusiastic Jesus follower. Saul would grow greatly in his understanding of the implications of the gospel in coming years, but even at this early stage he was skilled in debate and possessed unparalleled knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures. This made him a formidable advocate for Christ among his Jewish brothers.
APPLICATION: ACTS 9:1-22
The Road from Here
Saul’s conversion experience was like no other. Most people don’t receive a supernatural, in-person encounter with the risen Christ! Even so, I find in his experience a paradigm that applies to the birth and nurturing of all new Christians. Take note of the events following Saul’s conversion.
A Relationship
Immediately after Saul’s encounter with Christ, the Lord sent a mature believer to minister to him. Ananias became his friend, advocate, and guide. Paul had questions; Ananias offered answers. Paul needed the companionship of someone who had experienced this transformation; Ananias became his first Christian companion. It’s a jolting, sometimes overwhelming experience when the Holy Spirit first takes up residence in a new believer; he or she needs someone to help with those first halting steps as life begins from a completely new perspective.
A Community
Ananias didn’t shoulder this burden alone; he quickly introduced Saul to the community of believers in Damascus. They, in turn, helped Paul determine what he should do next. They supported his convictions, they protected him from his enemies, and they nurtured his growth as a believer. The church helped Saul begin to rewrite his theology now that he had met the Messiah. Their support led to the next stage of Paul’s transformation.
An Education
Though Paul jumped into evangelism and preaching immediately, his Damascus road experience and obvious call to ministry didn’t mean he could circumvent doctrinal and practical preparation. Though we don’t know exactly what he did there, Paul left Damascus to spend time in Arabia (Gal. 1:17). Perhaps he was studying, meditating, and communing with the Lord and even receiving special revelations from the Holy Spirit. After an unspecified time period, he returned to Damascus and then Jerusalem (see Gal. 1:17-18). Still his practical ministry preparation wasn’t complete. Long before his call to work among Gentile converts in Antioch and his famous send-off with Barnabas on the first missionary journey, Paul relocated to his hometown of Tarsus (Acts 9:29-30), where he spent ten years studying and laboring in ministry. Only then, after much doctrinal and practical preparation, did God launch Paul into his role as an apostle.
A Reproduction
With his own spiritual development well underway, Saul the Pharisee was transformed into Paul the apostle, and he began to reproduce as a believer. His testimony became the basis of a worldwide evangelistic ministry whereby his faith brought others to faith in Jesus Christ. And that’s what God intends for everyone who becomes a part of His kingdom: disciples making disciples, who make more disciples.