Saul on the road to Damascus

Saul's purpose in going to Damascus

1) Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2) and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

We last saw Saul in 8:3, where it says that he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison; here he continues and expands this work. Damascus was 130 miles north-east of Jerusalem; this was at least a six-day journey, and Saul's willingness to go is no small testimony to his commitment to his cause. Saul wasn't looking for Jesus!

The high priest mentioned here is Caiaphas. Recently an urn was found in Jerusalem inscribed with the name of this high priest and positively dated to this period. These are the first physical remains (such as bones or ashes) of a specific person mentioned in the New Testament.

In Philippians 3, Saul (Paul) gives us some understanding of his background, saying he was circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Galatians 1:13 adds more: For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

What did Saul look like? A very old apocryphal book, dating to the end of the first century, describes Paul like this: "A man of moderate stature, with crisp hair, crooked legs, blue eyes, large knit brows, and long nose, at times looking like a man, at times like an angel."

Here, Christianity is referred to as the Way; this seems to be the earliest "name" for the Christian movement, and a fitting one - used five times in Acts. Christianity is more than a belief or a set of opinions or doctrines; it is a way of living as well as believing.

God confronts Paul on the road to Damascus

3) As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4) He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5) "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
6) "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

This spectacular event also must be regarded as unusual; God does not normally confront sinners with a heavenly light and an audible voice from heaven. In Acts 26:13 Paul tells us that this happened at mid-day, when the sun shines at its brightest; but this heavenly light was brighter than the sun could ever be. Saul's reaction was simply to fall to the ground; this wasn't honor or reverence for God, it was simply a reaction of survival - he was terrified at the heavenly light.

While walking down the road, a light shone on Saul. Do you know people who seem absolutely hardened to the Gospel? Maybe you work with one. Maybe you're married to one. The Lord has ways of breaking through to them and shining His light on them unpredictably and unexpectedly — even as He did with Saul.

Jesus didn't have to say anything more than I am Jesus for Saul to know exactly who He was, even though "Jesus" was a fairly common name. Saul knew who Jesus was; he had undoubtedly heard Him teach in Jerusalem, and as a probable member of the Sanhedrin, he sat in on the trial of Jesus before His crucifixion. The rabbis of Saul's day believed that God no longer spoke to man directly, as He did in the days of the prophets. However, they believed that one could hear the "echo" of God's voice, what they called "the daughter of the voice of God." When God repeats a name twice, it is to display deep emotion, but not necessarily anger (as in the Martha, Martha of Luke 10:41 and the Jerusalem, Jerusalem of Matthew 23:37).

Why are you persecuting Me: As he is overwhelmed by the heavenly light, Saul is confronted by the true nature of his crime: he is persecuting God, not man. Saul thought that he was doing God a service in his vicious attacks on Christians; but now he discovers that he has been fighting against God.  Sadly, much of the worst persecution and torture ever practiced has been done by men who were convinced they were doing God a favor. We shouldn't just emphasize the aspect of why are you persecuting Me; we should also realize that Jesus is asking why are you persecuting Me; that is, "Saul, why are you doing such a futile thing?"

Saul responds with two of the most important questions one can (and must) ask: Who are You, Lord and Lord, what do You want me to do?

A recent Gallup Survey asked people to choose three questions they would most like to ask God. The top five responses: Will there ever be lasting world peace? How can I be a better person? What does the future hold for me and my family? Will there ever be a cure for all diseases? Why is there suffering in the world?

Curiously, all these questions are answered in the Bible; but they really aren't the most important questions for us to ask. Saul asks the right questions! Who are You, Lord? We must ask that question with a humble heart, and ask it to God. Jesus shows us exactly who God is. What do You want me to do? Few dare to really ask God this question; but when we ask it, we must ask it with submission and determined obedience. Saul's question was personal. Lord, what do You want me to do? We often are quite interested in what God wants others to do; but the surrendered heart asks, "Lord, what do You want me to do?"

In saying It is hard for you to kick against the goads, Jesus is giving Saul a "mini-parable." The insertion of it is hard for you to kick against the goads and Lord, what do You want me to do? In 9:5-6 it is accurate, but its not in Luke's original text. They were added by scribes, based on Acts 22:10 and 26:14, who thought they were doing God a favor by putting it in here. A goad was a long, extremely sharp stick that was used to get an ox going the way you wanted him to when you were plowing.

Essentially, Saul is the ox; Jesus is the farmer; Saul is dumb and stubborn - yet valuable, and potentially extremely useful to the Master's service. Jesus is goading Saul into the right direction, and the goading causes Saul pain, but instead of submitting to Jesus, Saul is kicking against the goad - and only increasing his pain. Is it too much to say that if we will not ask - and listen for the answer to - these two great questions, we are acting like a dumb ox? We may complain that God compares us to an animal like an ox, and it is an unfair comparison. After all, what ox has ever rebelled against God like we have? God owes an apology to the ox!

It is hard for you shows the great love of Jesus; He is the one being persecuted, yet his concern is for the effect it is having on Saul. What a tender heart Jesus has!

The fact that Saul was trembling and astonished by all of this reminds us that it is not always pleasant to encounter heaven dramatically; Saul was terrified by this experience, not oozing with warm, gushy feelings.

We are only given the briefest account of what happened here in Acts chapter 9; from what Paul says about this experience in Acts 26:12-18 and 1 Corinthians 9:1 and 15:8; from what Barnabas says about Saul's experience in Acts 9:27, and from what Ananias says about Saul's experience in Acts 9:17, we see that Jesus appeared to Saul personally here in this blinding vision.  In response to this light, Saul undoubtedly shut his eyes as tight as he could - yet, Jesus still appeared before him. In the same way, Jesus has often had to appear to us even though we shut our eyes. In this encounter with Jesus, Saul learned the gospel that he would preach his whole life. He insists in Galatians 1:11-12, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Jesus responds to Saul's question Lord, what do You want me to do by telling him only what to do immediately. This is often the character of God's direction in our lives; He directs us one step at a time instead of laying out the details of the grand plan at once.

Saul immediately after the Damascus road

7) The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8) Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9) For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

The experience was incomprehensible to Saul's companions; but as Saul opened his eyes (presumably shut tight in a terrified reaction to the heavenly light), he still could not see. We can almost hear God saying to Saul: "You shut your eyes against My light and My Savior; fine! Spend a few days as blind physically has you have been blind spiritually!"

It seems that he was so shaken by the experience that he was unable to eat or drink for three days, only to sit in a blind silence - a rather humbling experience, and a time when Saul must have challenged all his previous ideas about who God was and what pleased God. In the three days of blindness and deprivation, Saul was dying to himself. It would only be after the three days of dying that he would be raised to new life.

God ministers to Saul through Ananias

God's message to Ananias

10) In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.
11) The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12) In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."  

There is an entirely different character in the way God speaks to Ananias than in the way He speaks to Saul; Saul had a bold, almost violent confrontation from God; but Ananias hears the voice of God sweetly in a vision, where God calls and Ananias obediently responds.

God's instructions to Ananias are clear, but curiously, God tells Ananias about Saul's vision in Ananias' own vision! Behold, he is praying: Paul had never really prayed before; he merely repeated formal prayers. His prayers were not spiritual; he had never prayed with Jesus as mediator; he had never prayed in Jesus' name; and his own heart was proud and far from God. He had said many prayers, but had never prayed.

Straight Street is still in Damascus. It's the main road that runs east to west through the downtown section of this, the oldest city in the world.

Straight Street

Why Ananias? Was he a prominent Christian? We have no reason to believe so. Did God need a human agent at all in this work? Not really. God used Ananias because God loves to use people and Ananias was a willing servant - he was asking the question, Lord, what do You want me to do?

Ananias was an ordinary man - not an apostle, a prophet, a pastor, an evangelist, an elder, a deacon. Yet God used him especially because he was an ordinary man. If Paul had been ministered to by an apostle or a prominent person, people might say Paul received his gospel from a man instead of Jesus. In the same way, God needs to use the ordinary man - there is a special work for them to do.

God overcomes the objections of Ananias

13) "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14) And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."
15) But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16) I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

Certainly Ananias had heard that this angry and violent persecutor Saul of Tarsus was on his was from Jerusalem; the Christians of Damascus must have been anxiously preparing for the persecution to come.

Lord, I have heard from man about this man . . . : Ananias' objections are perfectly logical and well-founded; however, they presume that God needs instruction, or at best, counsel - as in, "God, did you know what kind of guy this Saul is?"

Interestingly, God tells Ananias of Saul's calling (a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name . . . ) before we are told that God tells Saul himself.

God considered Saul His chosen vessel long before there appeared anything worthy in Saul to choose. God knew what He could make of Saul, even when Saul or Ananias didn't know.

The remark For I will show him how many thing he must suffer for My name's sake is almost chilling; Saul was going to leave a life of privilege to embrace a higher call, but a call with many sufferings.

Ananias prays for Saul; Saul is healed and receives the Holy Spirit

17) Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18) Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19) and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Brother Saul: When Ananias laid his hands on Saul, it was not only a gesture with the spiritual meaning of bestowing the blessing of the Holy Spirit on Saul, but it was also a simple gesture of love meeting the needs of a blind man, who could not see the love on Ananias' face, so he communicated it through his touch.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit: It seems that this is when Saul was actually born again; here is where he receives the Holy Spirit and is healed from his blindness - spiritual blindness as much as physical blindness. God had done an effective job of "breaking" Saul; but it wasn't God's intention to leave him broken. God wanted to break Saul so He could fill him, and leave him filled.  "It is often said that Saul was converted on the road to Damascus. Strictly speaking, this is not the fact. His conversion began in his encounter with the law but it was not accomplished until the gospel entered his heart by faith, and that did not occur on the road, but in Damascus."

Then, he began to be strengthened both physically and spiritually; God is concerned about both areas of need.

Observations:

Paul regarded his conversion experience as a pattern for all believers: Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. . . . However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. (1 Timothy 1:13, 16).

We all must be confronted by Jesus, by our sin and rebellion against Him, even that which is done in ignorance; we must humbly wait for the work within us that only He can do.

Saul's conversion reminds that primarily, salvation is something God does in us; what we do is only a response to His work in us.

Saul's conversion reminds us that God finds us, even when we are not looking for Him.

Saul's conversion reminds us that God looks for people to cooperate in the conversion of others, even when they are not really necessary - except as a demonstration of the importance of the family of God.

Saul's conversion reminds us that it isn't enough that we be broken before God, though that is necessary; God's desire is to only use brokenness as a prelude to filling.

Saul's initial ministry in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul preaches powerfully in Damascus

20) Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21) All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" 22) Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

Because Saul was a skilled student of the great rabbi Gamaliel, he could take advantage of the synagogue custom which invited any able Jewish man to speak on the scriptures at synagogue meetings.

The Jews in Damascus were amazed — but they weren't converted. They were confounded, but not persuaded. Students, write `Galatians 1:17' in the margin of this verse. At this point, Paul, realizing the Jews were not receiving his testimony, took off for the desert where he would spend three years in Arabia.

What did he do there?

Saul, the Old Testament scholar par excellence, enrolled in a three-year course taught by the Holy Spirit on how every symbol, every sacrifice, every picture in the Old Testament related to the Person of Jesus Christ.

Seminarians today graduate with a DD: Doctorate of Divinity. Saul graduated with a much more powerful DD: Doctorate of the Desert.

The essence of his message is Jesus, that He is the Son of God.

Escape from Damascus

23) After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24) but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25) But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

Paul elaborates on what happened during the many days of verse 23 in Galatians chapter 1; relating how he went to Arabia for a period of time, and then returned to Damascus. Then he went to Jerusalem; the total of his times spent in Damascus and Arabia was three years.

This, essentially, begins the many things he must suffer for My name's sake described in verse 16; Saul now becomes the persecuted instead of the persecutor!

Saul with the Christians at Jerusalem

26) When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27) But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28) So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29) He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30) When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Why would Christians in Jerusalem be so suspicious of Saul even three years after his conversion? They may have thought that Saul was part of an elaborate and extended plot; they may have wondered why he sort of went off by himself for a while in Arabia; or just as likely, they probably were reluctant to embrace such a dramatic conversion before seeing it with their own eyes. Thank God for people like Ananias and Barnabas, who welcome people into the family of God with simple friendship. As Paul would write later, love believes all things.

In Galatians 1:18, Saul tells us that in this first trip to Jerusalem, he stayed with Peter for fifteen days. He also says that he never had an audience with all the apostles, seeing only Peter and James, Jesus' brother.

Saul again faces opposition from the Jews; this will be a recurrent pattern in his ministry.

Twelve years will pass in the life of Saul before he enters into prominent ministry, being sent out as a missionary from the church at Antioch.

Summary statement

31) Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit; it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

In general, Luke tells us again that God's work through the church is not diminished, despite the great opposition that has come against it.

We are told nothing about the establishment of churches in Galilee; this reminds us that Acts is really only a partial history of the church during this period.

When we are told that they had peace, it doesn't mean that all persecution had stopped, rather that they had peace in the midst of persecution. At the end of verse 31, we are at an important historical crossroads in Acts and the events of the Roman Empire. In 37 A.D., Caiaphas was replaced as high priest, first by Jonathan then by Theophilus. In the same year, Tiberius, the Roman Emperor, was succeeded by Caligula - a man exceeding hostile to the Jews. He would be assassinated four years later.

Edified has the idea of being built up; the churches were growing and being made strong.

Whenever God's people are walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, you may expect that they will be multiplied.

Two miracles are done through Peter

Peter heals Aeneas at Lydda

32) As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. 33) There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. 34) "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. 35) All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

The pattern of the apostles staying put in Jerusalem and those needing ministry coming from afar to them (as reflected in 5:16) is now shifting; Peter is going out to do ministry.

Peter makes no mistake regarding who is doing the healing; plainly, it is Jesus the Christ doing the healing, with Peter his instrument. Jesus healed with the power of Jesus; but Peter did not heal with the power of Peter. Peter relied solely on the power of Jesus.

Dorcas from Joppa is raised from the dead

36) In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas ), who was always doing good and helping the poor. 37) About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38) Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"
39) Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40) Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41) He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. 42) This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

Why did Peter raise Dorcas from the dead? There is no indication that anyone asked him to, and we can't say that it was Peter's custom to raise every dead believer that he saw. It must have been a response to the direct leading of the Holy Spirit. Does God still do this? Yes, He does; but Christians must not be gullible about unsubstantiated reports.

Peter seems to remember the healing Jesus performed in Mark 5:38-43, when He brought the daughter of the ruler of a synagogue back to life. In that healing, Jesus said, "Talitha cumi"; Peter says here "Tabitha cumi."

We should remind ourselves that Dorcas was not resurrected; she was resuscitated to her old life, where she would die again.

The fact that God raised Dorcas, yet Stephen (and later, James) remained dead reflects on His unknowable ways. After all, it certainly seemed that Stephen and James were more important to the church than Dorcas; yet God knows what He is doing - even when we don't.

Verses 32 and 41 mention the saints in Lydda and Joppa; this is the first time Christians are called saints in Acts. The idea isn't of a super-perfect people; the idea is of a people who are different. Saints are set apart from the world at large; they are distinctive.

Peter stays with Simon, a tanner

43) Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

Association with anyone who worked with dead animals was strictly forbidden for an orthodox Jew. A tanner had to live at least 75 feet outside a village because of his ritual uncleanness.

We see Peter is less concerned about Jewish traditions and ceremonial notions; this lays groundwork for the following chapter.

Chapter 10

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