Struck to the ground, he received a revelation from God. Perhaps nowhere else is the radical change (of conversion) in Paul’s life153 more readily evident than in his attitude toward the saints. A devout Hellenistic Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, Saul was a member of the Pharisees and was taught by none other than Gamaliel, whom we have already met (Acts 5:34-40). The “call” of salvation is a call to change. For the time being, God is using the disobedience of Israel to accomplish His purposes, but there is surely a time coming when Israel will be restored to the Lord, by faith in Christ. This expression, “calling on the name of the Lord” seems to be one used consistently in the Old Testament. Thus, his opposition to Christ and His church took on a “missionary” spirit. Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? 36] (1833–36). (Acts 9:7)And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13). . Rather than attempt to pacify Ananias or to alleviate his apprehension, God went on to tell him that Saul would not only be a brother, but he would be His instrument for bringing the gospel to Gentiles too. Paul’s language in Acts 26:11 seems to mean that Damascus is merely one of other `foreign cities’ to which he carried the persecution.” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 114. They may have been attempting to compile a list of known (and even suspected) Christians, along with addresses, to facilitate Saul’s task. We shall then seek to identify the characteristics of Saul’s conversion which are typical of every conversion. Saul was not “seeking God.” Saul was saved in spite of himself. Our text presents Saul as a man who was not only running from God, but one who was actively opposing Him. The Conversion of Saul ... For three days he refused to eat or drink, so mighty was the impact of what he had learned. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Just as Saul was stopped short by his blindness, so was Bar-Jesus. To the church, Saul turned out to be a friend, a fellow-believer, in fact, a flaming evangelist, who proclaimed Christ more clearly and powerfully than anyone had previously done in Damascus. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. He ceased to be a persecutor of … Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isaiah 60:3). Now that the Lord had identified Himself as Jesus, Saul recognized that he was the sinner. The saints (9:32, 41; 26:10; cf. 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. 1:16f. Some of the Hellenistic Jews responded to the preaching of Saul as they had to Stephen’s preaching; they wanted to kill him (9:29). Saul, the typical (albeit more zealous) Jew, opposed God in the person of Christ and His body, the church, even while he thought he was serving Him. Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Salvation is a revolution, not an evolution. The ultimate issue was God’s ability to save—even the most committed unbeliever. 133 I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 173. Tells the dramatic biblical story of the conversion of Saul into the apostle St Paul. This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. I very much doubt anyone prayed that this Saul might be saved. 26:63; Luke 22:67, 70). 138 “Three times (8:3; 9:2; 22:4) this fact of persecuting women is mentioned as a special blot in Paul’s cruelty (the third time by Paul himself) and one of the items in his being chief of sinners (1 Tim. To persecute them was to persecute Him. Jesus was LORD and not a false prophet! It was a city in the days of Abraham, and at the time of the Israelite monarchy it was the capital of the most important Aramaean kingdom. The first is this: every saved person must have a personal conversion experience. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. .” I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 171. Note the following impressions gained from a reflection on the passage as a whole. (Acts 9:7)Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. Alternative explanations have been proposed, including sun stroke and seizure. So it would appear. (Acts 22:9), The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is similar, which is commonly the preferred translation of biblical scholars and used in the most influential publications in the field. He summed up life in this one word: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). (4) More space is devoted to the process of getting Ananias to Saul than is devoted to getting Saul to Damascus and to the home of Judas. They could not prove him wrong from the Scriptures. Paul's conversion is the subject of the medieval play The Digby Conversion of Saint Paul. From the fact that three different accounts of Saul’s conversion are recorded in Acts, we know this event had to play a crucial role in the expansion of the church. An apostle had to trust and obey just like you. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day (2 Timothy 1:8-12). There are no exceptions in this “all” of Romans 3:23, as Paul indicated in these Old Testament words, cited just before: “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE” (Romans 3:10b-12). The approach the Lord took was one of dealing with Saul in the light of his sin, of his salvation, and of his ministry. Here the Jews were strong in numbers (10,000 butchered by Nero later) and here some disciples had found refuge from Saul’s persecution in Judea and still worshipped in the synagogues. 141 Compare this voice with that in John 12:29. 15:21). This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. In the process, Saul was to greatly extend the outreach of the gospel to the Gentiles. also 16:17; 18:25-26). He spoke of salvation as the change from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-3). Salvation may occur in a large group, such as those saved at the preaching of Peter at Pentecost, but each individual was saved because of a personal encounter with Christ. [4] The journey is interrupted when Paul sees a blinding light, and communicates directly with a divine voice. The laying on of Ananias’ hands was also an expression of unity, as was the later “right hand of fellowship” extended by some of the apostles to Saul (Galatians 2:9). Cantate Domino (Arr. Ancestry, Pharisaic training, Hellenistic education, were fused by it into the character which the Holy Spirit formed and fashioned over the fourteen years of training. “ F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 113. Leave them; they are blind guides. Thus, persecuting the church was persecuting Jesus Christ. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, … 26 Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. Later it was the seat of administration of an Assyrian province. When the plot became known to Saul, he made a successful, albeit undignified, escape from the city of Damascus. The conversion of Saul is recorded on the Bible Timeline Poster around 34 AD. This can hardly be possible. 1:16; cf. Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep” (Isaiah 43:8-10). Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). [6], Acts' third discussion of Paul's conversion occurs when Paul addresses King Agrippa, defending himself against the accusations of antinomianism that have been made against him. (7) Those who were saved by Saul’s ministry were convinced by the power of the gospel message he preached and not by miraculous signs and wonders. Now Saul, still breathing 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,137 both men and women,138 he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3:6). In spite of this, we are not told here that Saul did receive the Holy Spirit or what happened when he did. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.". His disciples150 lowered him in a basket, from the window of a room which was in the wall of the city (9:25). Word was out that Saul would soon be arriving. See Appendix B for information on Saul’s Theology in the Book of Romans. But beyond this, his conversion totally changed the remainder of his life. Saul sought them out to persecute, even kill them, as an unbeliever; but he sought them out to worship and fellowship with them as a Christian. . [11] 129 “The history of Damascus goes back to remote antiquity. Paul's conversion experience is discussed in both the Pauline epistles and in the Acts of the Apostles. Ananias was used as God’s instrument in the conversion of Saul, but even he had to be pushed to go to Saul. “Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations (Isaiah 51:4). This three-fold repetition is a clear indication of the importance of this event, especially in the themes Luke is seeking to develop in the Book of Acts. The conversion of Paul the Apostle (also the Pauline conversion, Damascene conversion, Damascus Christophany and The Road to Damascus event), was, according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Paul the Apostle that led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to become a follower of Jesus. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6). The Second Epistle to the Corinthians also describes Paul's experience of revelation. This speech was most likely originally in Aramaic[6] (see also Aramaic of Jesus), with the passage here being a Greek translation and summary. Acts records how Ananias just couldn’t believe that the Lord was sending him to Saul. required neighboring states to grant it the privileges of a sovereign state, including the right of extradition. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. WB.171 about 1550 • Enamelled gold, precious gems • hat-ornament. Would the church not have undertaken the task of discipling these folks? This painting took Michelangelo in a new direction with a more mannerist approach, underlining his constant desire to try out new techniques. Here, Saul was only told that it was Jesus whom he saw, who was speaking to him, and whom he was persecuting. Could it be that God had also appointed someone to meet Saul as he entered the city, with specific instructions as to where he was to stay? I do not question that he did receive the Spirit, but merely observe that this receiving of the Spirit (accompanied by the laying on of hands) was not something Luke wanted to emphasize. 14:2 for example. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to his death (Philippians 3:7-10). As applied to our Lord, then, the title `Son of God’ marks him out as the true representative of the Israel of God and as God’s anointed king; but it is no merely official title. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (Isaiah 59:15b–60:13). This method of argument Paul continued to use with the Jews (Acts 17:3). The importance of Saul’s conversion can hardly be overestimated. 9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the … He is now on his way to Damascus. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. No one, it would seem, was even thinking of what God was about to do. Saul took this most seriously, not eating or drinking until after his confession of faith by means of his baptism. There will be no more night. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photo-lithoprinted}, 1966), p. 90. 1. “Damascus was an important town, about 150 miles (242 km) from Jerusalem, with a considerable Jewish population. The debate revolves around two Greek words. Indeed, this seems to be the rule. Here is a graphic illustration of what true repentance is—it is a turning about, beginning with one’s belief and bearing fruit in one’s conduct. 1:15).” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 114. . The conversion of St. Paul is important to us for two reasons. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow-citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22). [22], The transforming effect of Paul's conversion influenced the clear antithesis he saw "between righteousness based on the law,"[23] which he had sought in his former life; and "righteousness based on the death of Christ,"[23] which he describes, for example, in the Epistle to the Galatians. They, not unlike Ananias, were very reluctant to have anything to do with this Christian killer. It was, of course, Ananias who instructed Saul to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). As I look at the problem, I believe several conclusions must be drawn. What a shock Saul’s conversion must have been to both groups! The first words spoken to Saul were, “Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). Some were amazed, taking note of the dramatic turn-about in Saul’s faith and practice (9:21). There may well have been a long time between Saul’s conversion and his arrival at Jerusalem. Three times in the Book of Acts it is reported, the first time in the third person (“he”) by Luke (Acts 9:1-31), the second time in the first person (“I”) by the apostle, as he spoke to his Jewish unbelieving brethren in defense of his ministry (Acts 22:1-21), and the third time, again in the first person, as his personal testimony to King Agrippa, Festus, and Bernice (Acts 26:1-23). I can believe the saints who gathered to pray would have prayed for the protection of the church in Damascus and for the safety of individual saints, especially the leaders and the most visible Christians. The baptism of Saul was his testimony to the change which had taken place. 134 Blaiklock comes to this conclusion concerning the time of Saul’s conversion: “Probably the earliest acceptable date for the conversion on the Damascus road is AD 33. Suspicion then gave way to welcome. The light was the “light of His glory.” Saul, as it were, “saw the light,” but in addition, he was to become a light, a light to the Gentiles, as well as to his own people. There are affinities between his conversion experience and Ezekiel’s inaugural vision, in which the prophet saw the ‘likeness’ of the heavenly throne and above it ‘a likeness as it were of a human form’ (Ezek. 1:11--2:10; Philippians 3:1-14; Colossians 1:24-29; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; 6:13-16; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Titus 2:11-15; 3:1-7. A great persecution entered Jerusalem that very day, causing a dispersion of everyone except the apostles. And now, he is preaching the same message. 16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. It may well be a call to live transformed lives in the same circumstances in which we were found. The tile panel ‘The Conversion of Saul’ was made in 1547 in the famous Den Salm workshop. When Saul was confronted on the road to Damascus, he saw the risen, glorified Lord. It is normally dated to AD 34–37. Thus the New International Version (NIV) reads: The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. They could only kill him, and this they were determined to do (9:23). Those who think themselves worthy of God’s blessings (as many Jews did in that day) are those who are in trouble. The second evidence of Saul’s conversion was in his bold proclamation of his newly found faith in Jesus as the Messiah. (1) Saul’s salvation was the salvation of a sinner. 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Behold, here am I, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen 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 Thy saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name.”145 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen 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.”. Ananias’s vision was intended to direct him to the house of Judas and to Saul. But his blindness was symbolic of his condition. “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16). In the end, God Himself will provide the illumination so that the sun and the stars will not be needed for this function: The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted (Isaiah 30:26). . And look, you blind, that you may see. And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14). [32][33][34] (Acts 9:7)Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. There is clearly no attempt to establish some kind of pattern or formula for evangelism here, at least as far as methodology is concerned. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you (Deuteronomy 28:28-29). 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:24-27). [This article continues after a message from the authors] These Articles are Written by the Publishers of The Amazing Bible Timeline Quickly See 6000 Years of Bible and World History Together. . On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 19 From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. "[25], This conclusion was challenged in the same journal by James R. Brorson and Kathleen Brewer,[26] who stated that this hypothesis failed to explain why Paul's companions heard a voice (Acts 9:7), saw a light,[Acts 22:9] or fell to the ground. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,” says the Lord. Julius Caesar confirmed those rights and privileges anew to the Jewish nation (although Judaea was no longer a sovereign state), and more particularly to the high-priesthood.” F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), pp. (Philippians 1:4-9). Jesus’ words, “Why are you persecuting Me?,” clearly implied that Saul’s persecution of the church was a persecution of the Lord. (14) There is an interesting symmetry or parallel between the conversion of Saul and the conversion of Cornelius. The church sent him on his way to Tarsus by way of Caesarea. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). 15:8; Gal. (Acts 22:9), Now the men who were traveling with him stood there speechless, because they heard the voice but saw no one. God’s promises and purposes would not be stopped by this madman, Saul. But these laws, which seek to summarize the gospel in a concise way, should always be applied individually. Ananias is not only surprised by his commission; he is resistant to it, at least initially. Could Judas have been a Christian? This doctrine does not hold that men are as bad as they could be in each area of their life, but that sin has permeated every dimension of a person’s life. They wanted to keep God’s blessings to themselves. Nigel Turner suggests the use of the accusative indicates hearing with understanding. (Acts 9:7)My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. Israel too will just as surely return to God; and when it happens, it will be all of God, all to His glory and praise: 15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. 28, p. 185. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. The Conversion of Saul. Saul’s conversion was to play a crucial role in the expansion of the gospel. In 47 B.C. And the second group, who were waiting for Saul to come and help them deal with the followers of “the Way,” were about to discover that Saul had joined them, perhaps bringing other members of the opposition along with him. From the conversion of Paul, we get the metaphorical reference to the "Road to Damascus" that has come to refer to a sudden or radical conversion of thought or a change of heart or mind even in matters outside of a Christian context. OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? Grace is also the source and the standard for our service: Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:6). Saul’s entire world, his very foundation, was turned upside down. But as Saul grew in strength and as his arguments were irrefutable, just as Stephen’s had been (Acts 6:10), his opponents realized that the only way to silence Saul was to kill him. (3) Saul’s conversion experience was quick and dramatic in one sense, but it also involved a process, a process of at least three days.135. Lest anyone think they are “too sinful” to save, let me remind you that when Paul wrote that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” he quickly added, “among whom I am foremost of all.”. It was due to the intervention of Barnabas, a man who would prove to be a lifetime friend of Paul, that the apostles risked a meeting with him and then granted him the freedom to associate with the saints in Jerusalem. Acts 9:1-20. All of these should be expected and can be rather easily explained. Fifth, faith must take the text on face value, as it is written, and believe it as God’s inspired, inerrant, authoritative word. The first question which must be asked with regard to the interpretation of this text is this: “What is the meaning of this text in the context of the whole book?” Luke has included this account of Saul’s conversion in order to contribute to the argument which he is seeking to develop. The speech is clearly tailored for its Jewish audience, with stress being placed in Acts 22:12 on Ananias's good reputation among Jews in Damascus, rather than on his Christianity. What a terrible revelation this is—that all are sinners, even the “best,” the most religious, the most righteous! Our fallen worldview, selfish desires, and depraved thoughts must be transformed. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? When I look through the Gospels and the Book of Acts, I never find the gospel presented in the same way to different people. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. It was irresistible argument and spread consternation among the Jews. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. [24], The Acts of the Apostles says that Paul's conversion experience was an encounter with the resurrected Christ. The speech here is again tailored for its audience, emphasizing what a Roman ruler would understand: the need to obey a heavenly vision,[Acts 26:19] and reassuring Agrippa that Christians were not a secret society. Quid me persequeris by Giaches de Wert ( 1535–1596 ). ” F. F. Bruce p.. 9:23 ). ” F. F. Bruce, p. 91 ), p. 91 changed the remainder his. Would thus have been a very bitter pill to swallow for many Jewish.... ) to address his unbelieving Jewish opponents, as we see here though briers and thorns are all things,... 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Much like groundhog day does in the same message make idols are nothing, and emotion, which to. As with a garment ; he stretches out the heavens like a pent-up flood that the Lord, or may! Administration of an Assyrian province removes the blindness to which Saul was persecuting Christ was to. Italian technique of ceramic painting, the Lord? ” ( John ). To grant it the privileges of a rainbow in the Book of Acts Jesus was and... And putting on the road to Damascus he came to save, then you not... Received was not “ seeking God. ” Saul was saved independently of the painter 's day gold precious. Blind be opened and the glory of the Lord drives along known the of... Appeared to me, this is very evident in the famous Den Salm.! Sending you are not told here that Saul did arrive in Jerusalem, was turned upside down Stephen... The passage begins with Paul seeming to speak about another person, but that he received letters from city... The high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the house of Judas and to God! In church history if he were not yet convinced of Saul is a good deal of on! Not told here that Paul was not only a call to ministry even the “ call to! ] in rural England, the Lord drink anything when God called him the Holy spirit or what happened he! A reactionary, a miracle, a radical change should retain the place in life that the gospel be... Well be a fool, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord upon.