Session 10
Acts 9:3-16
Memory Verse: Acts 9:20
When explaining the gospel, Paul wrote that he was an apostle “born at the wrong time” (1 Cor. 15:8). By this strange statement, he simply meant that he was not one of the original followers of Jesus. In fact, he started out as “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man” (1 Tim. 1:13). But God’s grace changed all of that (1 Tim. 1:14). Christ saved him, and he came to believe, profess, and proclaim the gospel.
We all have a testimony worth sharing. Whether it seems dramatic or not, God has brought us to a point when we realized that we needed a Savior and that Christ is our only hope. As you study this session on Saul’s conversion, journal some thoughts about when Christ changed your life. Pray that you will use your testimony to make Him known in the world. Also, ask God to move in your group so those who need to accept Christ will make that choice and those who need to share their testimonies will have the boldness to take that step.
Many people think of God’s calling only in terms of vocational Christian ministry. A successful businessman who had led a sinful lifestyle repented and gave his life to Christ. Thinking God was calling him into ministry, he resigned his job and went to seminary. Later, this individual realized that God’s call isn’t always to vocational ministry. God was calling him to be a witness in the business world. God calls and uses people in all kinds of ways. (PSG, p. 91)
In Acts 7, while telling the story of Stephen’s execution, Luke introduced his readers to a man named Saul. The angry mob to whom Stephen was proclaiming the gospel did not accept God’s message and believe. Instead, they took Stephen outside of the city to stone him in a misguided and distorted attempt to follow the Mosaic law (Lev. 24:14; Num. 15:35).
Ironically, while they thought they were following God with a passion, they were actually violating at least two of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:13,16). In a fit of rage, the mob murdered one of God’s spokesmen who was guilty only of sharing the hope of salvation with them. They refused to hear the word of God, covering their ears (Acts 7:57). Meanwhile, Stephen spoke to the Lord on their behalf, asking Him to forgive his killers for their violence and spiritual ignorance.
Those who participated in the stoning “laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul” (7:58). This action of laying things at someone else’s feet could suggest submission to authority. Therefore, it’s possible that Saul held some measure of supervisory authority in the stoning of Stephen. In other words, Saul may not have been a casual observer or even a participant caught up in the hysteria. He might have been the one in charge.
It’s also interesting to note that Luke’s use of the Greek word for “witness” in Act 7:58 is somewhat ironic. Jesus’s disciples were commanded to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8), but another type of “witness” was slaying one of His faithful followers.
If the report about laying things at his feet was not clear enough, Luke clearly stated that Saul wholeheartedly supported Stephen’s execution. He “agreed with” the mob’s actions (8:1). The Greek wording suggests enthusiasm and a sense of pleasure at what was going on.
In fact, Saul was so encouraged by this incident that he did not stop with the stoning of Stephen. He expanded the persecution of Christians to wherever he could find them. He was determined to eradicate anything and everything related to “the Way.”
In Acts 9, readers find him traveling all the way to Damascus to continue his campaign of terror-all with the blessing of the religious elite in Jerusalem. In contrast to Saul “ravaging” (8:3), Luke reported that “devout men” respectfully buried Stephen and “mourned deeply over him” (8:2).
Saul had a plan. But so did Jesus. And when those two plans collided, Saul’s life was transformed forever. With it, Luke’s focus in Acts began to shift because the history of the church would never be the same.
Read Acts 9:1-31. In what ways is your story similar and different from Saul’s? (PSG, p. 92)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
3 As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Saul’s mission
Acts 9:1 states that Saul was “breathing threats and murder” against the church. The Greek word for “breathing” involves inhaling. In a sense, every breath Saul took was dedicated to destroying the church. It was his life mission.
The word translated “threats” suggests a menacing posture or attitude. Paul used the same word in Ephesians 6:9, where he urged masters to avoid threatening their slaves. “Murder” indicates an intentional and unjustified act of killing. It could also be rendered “slaughter.”
The high priest mentioned in 9:1 was probably Caiaphas (John 18:12-14). The Sanhedrin, led by the high priest, had already been persecuting believers, and they gave their blessing to Saul’s efforts to root out believers and destroy the church. The letters were likely documents of introduction from the Sanhedrin to the synagogues in Damascus, encouraging local leaders to help Saul track down Christians.
(v. 3) Damascus: The capital of modern Syria, Damascus appeared consistently throughout the Old Testament. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that Damascus was founded by Noah’s great-grandson. During the divided monarchy, the prophet Elisha healed a Syrian general named Naaman despite the hostility between Damascus and Samaria (2 Kings 5:2-19).
In the New Testament, Damascus is only mentioned here and 2 Corinthians 11:32. According to Acts 9:2, it was home to more than one synagogue, indicating that it may have had a sizable Jewish population. The gospel likely came to Damascus as a result of the persecution in Jerusalem that forced believers to scatter.
(v. 3) Light from heaven: Some modern interpreters try to explain miraculous events like this with appeals to natural phenomenon. However, Luke did not want his readers to mistake this event. He explicitly noted that the light came from heaven. The Greek word for suddenly can also mean “immediately” or “unexpectedly.” It refers to something that came without warning.
In a moment, Saul’s life was changed forever. However, Saul’s conversion and ministry are not primarily about Saul. In God’s providence, this event not only changed Saul’s life, but it also has reverberated across history. Saul’s experience is still making a difference in lives today.
(v. 4) Falling: The supernatural flash was so forceful that it knocked Saul to the ground. Throughout Scripture, people fell to the ground when encountering God (Ezek. 1:28; Dan. 8:17; Matt. 17:6). The usual pattern involves God telling them to stand up and to not be afraid. In Saul’s case, no reassuring word came, suggesting that Saul was in a dire situation.
(v. 4) Voice: This story of Saul’s conversion is reminiscent of other calls, such as Moses (Ex. 3:2-4), Isaiah (Isa. 6:1-13), Jeremiah (Jer. 1:4-10), and Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:1-2). In each one of those calls, God Himself chose a man to be His servant and to carry out His mission. Saul’s call was no different.
(v. 4) Persecuting me: The wording suggests aggressively chasing or pursuing someone. Jesus used the term to describe those who are blessed in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:10-12). Saul’s persecution, in reality, was directed at God the Son. Jesus takes persecution against His people seriously and personally. And those who oppose Him and His people will be held accountable for their actions (2 Thess. 1:4-11).
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. 9 He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.
(v. 5) Lord: It is hard to know exactly what Saul was thinking as he fell to the ground and asked the voice to identify Himself. Some commentators interpret Saul’s use of Lord to mean that he recognized that the voice was God Himself. Others think that Saul was merely using this word to mean something like “sir.” However, Saul’s background as a pious and educated Jew, along with the context, make this less plausible. Saul most likely knew he was dealing with God.
(v. 5) The one you are persecuting: Jesus clearly identified Himself. Later, Paul reflected on this event and declared that he had indeed seen the risen Jesus (1 Cor. 15:8). Being a witness to the resurrected Savior was a requirement for apostleship (Acts 1:22).
In response to Saul’s inquiry, Jesus again identified closely with His followers. Any persecution of them was a genuine persecution of Him. Saul must have been confounded as Jesus confronted him. For his entire life, Saul thought that he was serving God and helping to prepare the Jewish people for the coming of the Messiah. Now, he faced the reality that all of his past work actually opposed God’s work (Acts 5:39).
(v. 6) You will be told: When God called Abram in Genesis 12, he was not given many details. He was simply told to go, and he obeyed. Likewise, Saul got few details about what would happen to him. Jesus simply told him to go into Damascus and wait. In due time, he would be told what he should do next.
While Saul did not physically die on the road to Damascus, Jesus’s command to get up provides a picture of spiritual resurrection. Saul’s old life of persecuting Christians had passed. His new life as a church-planting missionary, theologian, writer, and pastor was beginning. In Philippians 3, Paul stated all that he was before Christ was loss compared to knowing Christ.
(v. 7) Speechless: The Greek wording implies the loss of one’s ability to speak. It also can include a connotation of fear. In other words, Paul’s companions were scared into silence. Yet, they could still validate the accuracy of Paul’s experience. They saw the light and heard a sound, though they were not allowed to experience Jesus personally.
See nothing
Once the light retreated, Saul realized that he was blind. Up to this point in his life, he had been blinded in a spiritual sense. His physical condition now matched his spiritual condition.
Still, while encountering Jesus had blinded him in a physical sense, it was the beginning of the end of his spiritual blindness. All of us are spiritually blind until we meet Jesus. Once we embrace Him, our eyes truly are opened.
(v. 8) Took him by the hand: Paul repeated this part of his testimony when he was witnessing to a mob in Jerusalem later in the book (Acts 22). Because of his blindness, he had to be led by his hand into Damascus, where he fasted and waited for three days. One can only imagine the humility Saul learned during this time of reflection and prayer. God brings His people to a point of complete reliance on Him before He uses them to do God-sized things.
The idea of three days is significant in Scripture. Jonah spent three days in a fish. Jesus was raised on the third day. And, for three days, the man who had been actively persecuting Christians could not function on his own. All his self-sufficiency had come to nothing after he encountered Jesus.
10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” “Here I am, Lord,” he replied. 11 “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Disciple
The Greek word describes a student or pupil who is under the authority of a teacher. The emphasis is on learning from the words and life of a teacher and integrating those principles into one’s own lifestyle.
It is unclear how and when Ananias had become a disciple. What is clear is that he truly was a follower of Christ and had a mature faith.
(v. 10) Vision: Visions are fairly common in Acts. The purpose of the visions Jesus provided were always related to advancing the gospel and strengthening the church. The vision that Ananias experienced was no different. It was not for his benefit. It was for the benefit of the entire community and, eventually, the world.
(v. 10) Here I am: Like Abraham (Gen. 22:1), Samuel (1 Sam. 3:4-14), and Isaiah (Isa. 6:8) in the Old Testament, Ananias followed God’s directions for his life-though he did have some questions. It’s also important to understand that here I am is meaningless without “get up and go” (v. 11).
(v. 13) I have heard . . . how much harm: Jesus told Ananias where Saul could be found and directed him to lay hands on Saul so his sight would be restored (vv. 11-12). In this scenario, Ananias had both spiritual and physical sight. So, he was called to go to the one who was blind.
Ananias expressed some initial hesitation, knowing Saul’s plans. Ananias’s reluctance was not rebuked, but it was not coddled either. Jesus understood Ananias’s question, but He did not back down. He simply restated His command and that seemed to satisfy Ananias. God is patient, but His commands are not suggestions or negotiations open to debate.
(v. 15) Chosen instrument: God reassured Ananias, explaining that He would use Saul to share the gospel with Gentiles and kings. The wording here is significant. By saying my, Jesus affirmed that Saul belonged to Him, just as we do. Also, Jesus chose Saul for a specific mission. He did not deserve to be chosen, but it was Jesus’s sovereign choice. He has also chosen us for His purposes. Finally, Saul was Jesus’s instrument. Later, as the apostle Paul, he would reflect on the reality that Christians are clay jars who contain a treasure that reveals God’s awesome power (2 Cor. 4:7).
(v. 16) How much he must suffer: Saul would have an incredible chance to minister in the presence of kings and leaders, both Jewish and Gentile (v. 15). Eventually, he would even stand before the emperor in Rome. But he would also suffer for the sake of the gospel.
Paul’s life would indeed bear out this prophecy. His commitment to Jesus would lead to all kinds of suffering for Jesus’s sake. That suffering would include physical beatings and lashings, but Paul would also experience the emotional weight of caring for the churches he helped establish. That burden would lead to its fair share of concerns and sleepless nights (2 Cor. 11:16-33).
God and Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit calls men to the Savior and effects regeneration. (See John 16:8-11; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.)
Use other Scripture to help understand a Bible passage.
The account of Saul’s conversion is told three times in the book of Acts. Compare Acts 9:1-9 with Paul’s own testimony in Acts 22:6-21 and 26:12-18. What additional details are given in chapters 22 and 26 that add to your understanding of Saul’s experience on the Damascus road?