INTRODUCTION

So we need to begin where we left off, which was at the house of Simon the tanner. Simon Peter was somewhat settled there, and it was there that God spoke to him about how he should not consider Gentiles unclean when God had declared them clean. This was hard for Peter because he had never eaten anything common or unclean, and God’s instruction to him about the Gentiles came in the form of telling him to eat unclean food.

But tanning was an unclean occupation. A tanner has to handle the carcasses of dead animals, as that is his profession. Simon the tanner lived by the sea because he required salt water for his work, and because the sea breezes would help with the smell, which was bad. We know that handling dead animals made one unclean from Scripture (Num. 19:9-10), and this was the case even if the animal was a clean animal.

THE TEXT

“Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in, and lodged them . . .” (Acts 10:21–48).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

So Peter went downstairs to the emissaries, identified himself, and asked why they had come (v. 21). They said that Cornelius, a God-fearing and just man, with a high reputation with Jews, was told by a holy angel to send for Peter in order to hear him speak (v. 22). So Peter took them in, Gentiles, and put them up (v. 23). The next day, Peter left with them, along with some Jews from Joppa (v. 24), including some from the circumcision party (v. 45). The day after that they arrived (v. 24). Cornelius was waiting, with quite a gathering of relatives and friends (v. 24). As Peter was coming in, Cornelius fell prostrate to worship (v. 25). Peter lifted him up, and said that he was also just a man (v. 26). So they went in, talking, and found a crowd there (v. 27). Peter began by saying that what he was doing was unlawful, but that God had shown him not to call any man unclean (v. 28). That is why he came without argument—how can I help you? (v. 29). And so Cornelius told the story about the angel in bright clothing (v. 30). The angel said that his prayers and alms were accepted in the sight of God, and that he was to send for Peter, in order to hear whatever he says (vv. 31-32). And so here we all are. Speak to us (v. 33). And so Peter began by acknowledging that a great barrier had fallen—God accepts men from every nation (vv. 34-35).

He then turned to preach the gospel that had come to Israel, the proclamation of peace through Jesus Christ, the Lord of all (v. 36). They already knew how after the baptism of John, the word began in Galilee and spread to Judea (v. 37). God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power. God was with Him, and He went about doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil (v. 38). The apostles were witnesses of all this, not to mention the crucifixion (v. 39), followed by the resurrection and His public appearances (v. 40). He did not appear to absolutely everyone, but rather to those chosen by God, who ate and drank with Him after He rose (v. 41). These witnesses were commanded to preach to the people that Christ was ordained to judge the living and the dead (v. 42). All the prophets spoke of this, and the meaning of it, which was that through the name of Christ sins would be forgiven (v. 43). And while Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit interrupted him by falling on these listeners (v. 44). The members of the circumcision party, who had come from Joppa, were astonished that these Gentiles had been given the Spirit (v. 45). They heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God (v. 46). So Peter drew the obvious conclusion. There was no point in denying them water baptism, right? They have been given the Spirit, just like the Jews had been (v. 47). And so it was that Peter commanded they be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (v. 48), and so he stayed with them for a number of days (v. 48).

THE PLAIN GOSPEL FACTS 

The facts of the gospel are objective and fixed. They would be true and certain had none of us ever been born. They are all true outside of us, independent of us. Jesus is the Lord of all. God anointed Him. He did wonderful things over the course of His ministry. He was crucified and then rose from the dead. After His resurrection, He appeared to multiple witnesses, who ate and drank with Him, and who were commanded to tell everyone that this Jesus had been ordained to judge all men, whether living and dead.

THE PLAIN GOSPEL INTENT 

But what was the point? Why did God orchestrate all of this? The point of the gospel message is this—in the person and work of the Lord Jesus, God saves sinners. “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). All the prophets are bent on telling us this. From Samuel to Isaiah, and from Jeremiah to Malachi. From Moses to Habbakuk, and from Ezekiel to Jonah, the message is clear. God offers to wipe away your sins, and the offer extends to everyone who has faith in Christ. So there is the offer. All your griping, washed away. All your lusts, washed away. All your fears, washed away. All your ambitious striving, washed away. All your crackling envy, washed away. Done. Forgiven. Hear the word that was spoken over all your tangled problems, the word that was spoken from the cross. It is finished.

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INTRODUCTION

This episode is the second time in Acts when the Lord makes a point of introducing two people to one another by supernatural means. The first time was in the previous chapter when He appeared to Saul and said that Ananias was coming, and then appeared to Ananias and told him to go minister to Saul (Acts 9:11-12). Then an angel of the Lord arranged for Philip to meet the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8: 26-27). And in this passage, Cornelius is told to send for a man named Simon Peter (v. 5), and is given the address (v. 6). The next day Simon Peter is told that the men sent by Cornelius are in fact from Him (v. 20). And this is not the last time it will happen in Acts either (Acts 16:9-10).

Remember our Table of Contents from chapter one (Acts 1:8), and realize that the Spirit is actively involved in introducing wildly disparate people to one another. It is as though the Spirit is working the room, making all kinds of introductions. This is how the kingdom works.

THE TEXT

“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter . . .” (Acts 10:1–20).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

We are here introduced to Cornelius, a centurion from the Italian regiment (v. 1). A centurion was the highest rank that an ordinary soldier could achieve as a soldier. This man was a devout God-fearer, together with his household (v. 2). He was dedicated in alms-giving, and was constant in prayer (v. 2). An angel of the Lord came to him in a vision at about three in the afternoon (v. 3), addressing him by name. Cornelius was afraid, and asked the angel what he wanted. The angel said that his prayers and alms had come up as a memorial (“remembrance” in v. 31) before God (v. 4). Cornelius was told to send some men to Joppa, a little over 30 miles south, and there to call on a man named Simon with the surname of Peter (v. 5). He was staying with another Simon, a tanner who lived by the sea. Peter would take it from there (v. 6). When the angel left, Cornelius summoned two of his domestic slaves and a devout soldier (v. 7), told them what had happened, and dispatched them to Joppa (v. 8). The next day, as they were approaching Joppa, Peter went up on the rooftop to pray around noon (v. 9). Peter became very hungry, and while lunch was being prepared for him, he fell into a trance (v. 10). Heaven opened up, and the Lord offered him lunch, in the form of a sheet filled with unclean animals (vv. 11-12). Peter was told to rise up, to kill and to eat (v. 13). But Peter demurred—he had never eaten anything like that (v. 14). The voice said that he should not call common anything that God had cleansed (v. 15). This offer was made three times, and then withdrawn (v. 16). Naturally, Peter started to puzzle over what it all meant (v. 17), and while he was doing this, the three men from Cornelius appeared at the front gate (v. 17). They called to see if Simon Peter was lodging there (v. 18). And so while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit prompted him to go down to the three men (v. 19). He was not to doubt anything, because God had sent them (v. 20).

PETER DEALS IN THREE

Peter sometimes had the difficulty telling the Lord no when he shouldn’t have. When Jesus predicted that He would be betrayed, crucified, and raised, Peter took Him aside to rebuke Him (Matt. 16:22), only to be rebuked as Satan in turn. He famously denies the Lord three times during the Lord’s trial (Matt. 26:75), and the Lord graciously restored him to office at the end of the gospel of John, doing so with three basic questions (John 21:15ff), each question mirroring one of his earlier denials. And then here in this place Peter is told three times to kill and eat, and three times he refuses (Acts 10: 13-16). When everything is over, Peter goes downstairs to meet the three men.

ALL FOODS CLEAN

In the Old Testament, God required His people to refrain from certain meats as being unclean. This is codified in the Mosaic code (Lev. 11), but it also predates it, in that Noah was told to make a distinction between clean and unclean animals as he brought animals onto the ark (Gen.7:2), and that was centuries before Moses. Jesus expressly taught that His arrival had resulted in the cleansing of all foods (Mark 7: 14-23), meaning that the clean/unclean distinction had been a pedagogical one, teaching the Israelites the concept of holy and unholy. “And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him” (Mark 7:18).

We learn here that the cleansing of all foods was emblematic of Gentiles being grafted into the covenant. “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).

TO REVIEW THE MAIN THING

This book began with a declaration that the gospel was going to go everywhere—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We are then given one systematic demonstration after another of God’s purpose in this. First the gospel spread throughout Jerusalem and Judea (Acts 2:14). Then it spread to Samaria (Acts 8:5). Galilee was then mentioned (Acts 9:31). The Ethiopian eunuch hears the Word from Philip (Acts 8:35). The message had apparently taken root in Damascus in Syria (Acts 9:2).

What we are learning here is that water is thicker than blood. There is nothing at all wrong with natural affection for your own people and your own place. There is something desperately wrong with contempt for the natural affections of others. So the main apostle of a universal gospel was the apostle Paul, and he was willing to go to Hell, if it were possible, for his natural kinsmen. “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:3). Don’t come around to him talking about blood and soil. He has forgotten more about natural affection than the most ardent kinist will ever know (Phil 3:4-5). But compared to the knowledge of Christ, all of that was nothing more than dumpster scrapings to him (Phil. 3:8).

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INTRODUCTION 

We are now reading about the very beginning of Saul’s Christian life, and his apostolic ministry. We are looking at just 21 verses, and in that short span we see two distinct attempts on his life. The thing that infuriated them against him was the fact that he was so powerful in his proclamation and reasoning. In fact, it was the very same response that Saul had earlier given to Stephen. Saul was now on the receiving end.

THE TEXT

“And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake . . .” (Acts 9:10–31).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The Lord appeared in a vision to a certain discipline named Ananias, a man who lived in Damascus (v. 10). The Lord called him by name, and Ananias answered. The Lord gave the address of the house of Judas, on a street called Straight, and told him to inquire for Saul of Tarsus, who was praying (v. 11). In Saul’s prayer, he has seen a vision of a man named Ananias coming to lay hands on him in order to heal his sight (v. 12). Ananias protested, for he had heard about the evil Saul had done to the saints in Jerusalem (v. 13). And he has authority from the chief priests to arrest Christians there in Damascus (v. 14). But the Lord told Ananias to goanyway—Saul was a chosen vessel to bear the Lord’s name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel (v. 15). The Lord said he would show Saul how much he would suffer for “my name’s sake” (v. 16). So Ananias obeyed, came into the house, laid hands on Saul, and said that the same Jesus who had appeared to Saul had also appeared to Ananias, sending him to restore Saul’s sight, and to fill him with the Holy Spirit (v. 17). Scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see, and then he got up and was baptized (v. 18). Saul then ate and was a strengthened, and stayed with the disciples there in Damascus (v. 19). He began preaching Christ as the Son of God in the synagogues immediately (v. 20). Those who heard him were amazed, recognizing in him the former persecutor (v. 21). But Saul increased in strength, and was able to confound the Jews there, proving that Jesus was in fact the Christ (v. 22). After many days of this, the Jews plotted to kill Saul (v. 23). Their plots became known to Saul, that they were watching the city gates closely in order to assassinate him (v. 24). So the disciples lowered him from the city wall in a basket by night (v. 25). Saul came back to Jerusalem and tried to join up with the Christians—but they were afraid and didn’t believe him (v. 26). But Barnabas undertook for him, brought him to the apostles, told them about the Damascus road vision, and how Saul had preached boldly in Damascus (v. 27). And so Saul joined with the Christians, in and around Jerusalem (v. 28). Saul spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed with the Hellenistic Jews, to the point where they determined to kill him (v. 29). When the brothers discovered this, they took him down to Caesarea on the coast, and shipped him to Tarsus, Saul’s home town (v. 30). There was then a period of relative calm in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. The churches were walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Spirit, and continued to multiply (v. 31).

BUILDING A TIMELINE 

We don’t have hard dates to begin our calculations, but Stephen was likely murdered a few years after the Lord’s resurrection. Saul was busy with persecuting the church after that time, and so the Lord’s appearance to him was likely a few years after Stephen’s death. And then in Galatians, Paul says that God was pleased “to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days” (Gal. 1:16–18). This means that Saul did not return to Jerusalem until three years after he headed off to Damascus. He was in Damascus/Arabia/Damascus before he returned.

BEFORE KINGS 

So the Lord told Ananias that Saul was a chosen instrument to speak to three categories—to Gentiles, kings, and to the children of Israel. Why to kings, if God is uninterested in what happens in the political sphere. And sure enough, Agrippa remarked that Paul was trying to convert him (Acts 26:28). And Paul acknowledged it—he wanted everyone to come to Christ. This is why believers are to pray for kings and for all those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-4). And why? Because God wants all kinds of men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).

JESUS APPEARED TO ANANIAS

Three men named Ananias appear in the book of Acts. The first is a false friend of the Lord, the Ananias (Acts 5). The second is the true disciple in our passage, Ananias, the man who baptized Saul (Acts 9). And the third was Ananias the high priest, the enemy of God (Acts 23-24). This Ananias was notable among the disciples, but he is described simply as “a disciple,” even though he is authorized to baptize Saul. It was the Lord who appeared to Ananias in a vision. The Lord here is Jesus, as Ananias says in v. 17. This same Jesus that appeared to you appeared to me. Moreover, the Lord says in v. 15 that Saul will bear “my name,” and He also will suffer greatly “for my name’s sake.” This is all about Jesus.

HOW MUCH HE MUST SUFFER

When God tells Ananias to go, he is reluctant. One of the things that the Lord says to him in order to reassure him is that Saul will be shown the great things that he will suffer for the sake of the Lord’s name (v. 16). Later in Acts, Paul tells Agrippa that he was “not disobedient to the heavenly vision,” which means that he walked into a life of tribulation with his eyes open. Attempts on his life begin almost right away, with a narrow escape from Damascus in a basket, followed by an escape from Jerusalem back home to Tarsus. Paul put it this way later on in Acts, as he was “confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

It follows that suffering is not a refutation of anything. It is frequently a confirmation of everything we say we believe.

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INTRODUCTION

We are now reading about the very beginning of Saul’s Christian life, and his apostolic ministry. We are looking at just 21 verses, and in that short span we see two distinct attempts on his life. The thing that infuriated them against him was the fact that he was so powerful in his proclamation and reasoning. In fact, it was the very same response that Saul had earlier given to Stephen. Saul was now on the receiving end.

THE TEXT

“And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake . . .” (Acts 9:10–31).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The Lord appeared in a vision to a certain discipline named Ananias, a man who lived in Damascus (v. 10). The Lord called him by name, and Ananias answered. The Lord gave the address of the house of Judas, on a street called Straight, and told him to inquire for Saul of Tarsus, who was praying (v. 11). In Saul’s prayer, he has seen a vision of a man named Ananias coming to lay hands on him in order to heal his sight (v. 12). Ananias protested, for he had heard about the evil Saul had done to the saints in Jerusalem (v. 13). And he has authority from the chief priests to arrest Christians there in Damascus (v. 14). But the Lord told Ananias to goanyway—Saul was a chosen vessel to bear the Lord’s name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel (v. 15). The Lord said he would show Saul how much he would suffer for “my name’s sake” (v. 16). So Ananias obeyed, came into the house, laid hands on Saul, and said that the same Jesus who had appeared to Saul had also appeared to Ananias, sending him to restore Saul’s sight, and to fill him with the Holy Spirit (v. 17). Scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see, and then he got up and was baptized (v. 18). Saul then ate and was a strengthened, and stayed with the disciples there in Damascus (v. 19). He began preaching Christ as the Son of God in the synagogues immediately (v. 20). Those who heard him were amazed, recognizing in him the former persecutor (v. 21). But Saul increased in strength, and was able to confound the Jews there, proving that Jesus was in fact the Christ (v. 22). After many days of this, the Jews plotted to kill Saul (v. 23). Their plots became known to Saul, that they were watching the city gates closely in order to assassinate him (v. 24). So the disciples lowered him from the city wall in a basket by night (v. 25). Saul came back to Jerusalem and tried to join up with the Christians—but they were afraid and didn’t believe him (v. 26). But Barnabas undertook for him, brought him to the apostles, told them about the Damascus road vision, and how Saul had preached boldly in Damascus (v. 27). And so Saul joined with the Christians, in and around Jerusalem (v. 28). Saul spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed with the Hellenistic Jews, to the point where they determined to kill him (v. 29). When the brothers discovered this, they took him down to Caesarea on the coast, and shipped him to Tarsus, Saul’s home town (v. 30). There was then a period of relative calm in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. The churches were walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Spirit, and continued to multiply (v. 31).

BUILDING A TIMELINE

We don’t have hard dates to begin our calculations, but Stephen was likely murdered a few years after the Lord’s resurrection. Saul was busy with persecuting the church after that time, and so the Lord’s appearance to him was likely a few years after Stephen’s death. And then in Galatians, Paul says that God was pleased “to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days” (Gal. 1:16–18). This means that Saul did not return to Jerusalem until three years after he headed off to Damascus. He was in Damascus/Arabia/Damascus before he returned.

BEFORE KINGS

So the Lord told Ananias that Saul was a chosen instrument to speak to three categories—to Gentiles, kings, and to the children of Israel. Why to kings, if God is uninterested in what happens in the political sphere. And sure enough, Agrippa remarked that Paul was trying to convert him (Acts 26:28). And Paul acknowledged it—he wanted everyone to come to Christ. This is why believers are to pray for kings and for all those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-4). And why? Because God wants all kinds of men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).

JESUS APPEARED TO ANANIAS

Three men named Ananias appear in the book of Acts. The first is a false friend of the Lord, the Ananias (Acts 5). The second is the true disciple in our passage, Ananias, the man who baptized Saul (Acts 9). And the third was Ananias the high priest, the enemy of God (Acts 23-24). This Ananias was notable among the disciples, but he is described simply as “a disciple,” even though he is authorized to baptize Saul.

It was the Lord who appeared to Ananias in a vision. The Lord here is Jesus, as Ananias says in v. 17. This same Jesus that appeared to you appeared to me. Moreover, the Lord says in v. 15 that Saul will bear “my name,” and He also will suffer greatly “for my name’s sake.” This is all about Jesus.

HOW MUCH HE MUST SUFFER

When God tells Ananias to go, he is reluctant. One of the things that the Lord says to him in order to reassure him is that Saul will be shown the great things that he will suffer for the sake of the Lord’s name (v. 16). Later in Acts, Paul tells Agrippa that he was “not disobedient to the heavenly vision,” which means that he walked into a life of tribulation with his eyes open. Attempts on his life begin almost right away, with a narrow escape from Damascus in a basket, followed by an escape from Jerusalem back home to Tarsus. Paul put it this way later on in Acts, as he was “confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

It follows that suffering is not a refutation of anything. It is frequently a confirmation of everything we say we believe.

Read Full Article

INTRODUCTION

We come now to Luke’s account of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Remember that Saul is not his non-Christian name, but is rather his Hebrew name. Paul is his Roman name, not his Christian name. He goes by Saul for some years after this event. But such was the nature of this remarkable appearance that we still routinely refer to any surprising conversion as a Damascus road conversion. One moment Saul had murder on his mind, and a few moments later he was being led by the hand to the place where he would be baptized three days later.

Remember also that Saul of Tarsus was wound tight inside when the Lord appeared to him. The Lord had appeared to him directly, but the Lord had also done some preparation work in Saul’s heart beforehand through the faithful testimony of Stephen—how Stephen argued, how Stephen preached, and how Stephen died.

THE TEXT

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink” (Acts 9:1–9).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Saul was furious. He was breathing, as Luke puts it, both threats and murder against the Christians (v. 1), and so in that frame of mind he approached the high priest (v. 1), requesting letters to the synagogues of Damascus, authorizing him to arrest and bring back to Jerusalem any followers of the Way that he found there, whether men or women (v. 2). Remembering our table of contents from chapter 1, notice that the Christian faith has spread by this point into the synagogues of Syria. As he was approaching Damascus, a spotlight from heaven shone all around him (v. 3). It is worth nothing that Lord appeared to him in Syria—remember the central point of Stephen’s speech (v. 3). Saul fell to the ground, and heard a voice asking him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (v. 4). Saul asked, naturally, who was it that was speaking to him. The answer was “I am Jesus,” the one you are persecuting. The Lord Jesus then adds a quotation from the play The Bacchae by Euripides—it is hard for you to kick against the goads, which is interesting (v. 5). Saul was astonished, and so trembling, he asked what he should do. The Lord said to go into the city, and he will be told what he should do (v. 6). The men with him said nothing—they heard a voice, but saw no man (v. 7). So Saul got up, opened his eyes to discover he was blind. They led him by the hand into Damascus (v. 8). He was in this condition for three days, a suggestive note, and had nothing to eat or drink (v. 9).

THREE ACCOUNTS 

There are three accounts of Saul’s conversion in the book of Acts. Recall that all three are coming from Saul and then given to Luke to record. There are variations in the three accounts, but no contradictions.

In our passage, Paul falls to the ground, blinded by the light. He heard Jesus, who told him that he would be further instructed when he was in the city. The men with him did not see the light, but heard the voice. It records they were standing.

In Acts 22:6-11, Paul is giving his defense to a rioting crowd in the Temple. This account says that the men saw the light, but did not hear the voice. And although they saw the light, they were not blinded the way Saul was.

In Acts 26:13-19, Paul is giving his testimony before King Agrippa. Here he says he saw a brilliant light and heard Jesus, who commissioned him as a minister and witness. Here he says that the men with him fell down also.

I would harmonize these accounts this way. Paul says elsewhere that he had seen Jesus (1 Cor. 9:1), which was his authorization to function as an apostle. So he saw Jesus and the light, and was blinded by the encounter. The men with him heard the sound of the voice, but could not distinguish what was said. Jesus was speaking in Hebrew (Heb. 26:14: Aramaic is a dialect of Hebrew). The men with him saw the light, but not the source of the light. They did not see Jesus, not seeing what he did. And they all fell to the ground, but had gotten back up again before Paul got up.

A COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION 

We need to be reminded of what kind of person Saul was. He was a religious zealot, bigoted to the point of madness. He was an insolent persecutor, as he put it, and a blaspheming, insolent man (1 Tim. 1:13). He considered himself to be the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). He approved of the judicial murder of Stephen (Acts 7:57-8:1), and was likely one of those behind the false charges against Stephen (Acts 6:9). When the persecution broke out after Stephen’s death, Saul took the lead in that persecution, savaging the church, dragging men and women both off to prison (Acts 8:3). He made havoc of the church, destroying it. He punished Christians, and compelled blasphemy from them, on account of being exceedingly enraged against them (Acts 26:11). He imprisoned many (Acts 26:10), and when any of them were executed, Saul voted for the death penalty (Acts 26:10). The word for voice here is psephos, which means “voting pebble.” This indicates that Saul was quite possibly a member of the Sanhedrin. Although he was conflicted inside, he was nevertheless a hammer against the saints. He was proceeding to Damascus in the full fury of his wrath, and that was the moment when God determined to save him. The sovereign grace of God can reach anyone, anywhere.

SO BE ENCOURAGED 

So let us return to a verse cited earlier, in order that you might draw some comfort from it. If God can save Saul, entirely and completely against Saul’s will, He can save anybody. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). When we are summoned to come to Christ for the cleansing He offers, the only thing that we contribute is the dirt. He does all the saving, and the only thing we do is get in the way. Have you stolen what was not yours to take? Christ is powerful to save. Are you given over to lust and pornography? Christ is powerful to save. Are you full of complaints, murmuring, and grumbles? Christ is powerful to save. Are you unkind to your wife? Christ is powerful to save. Are you disrespectful to your husband? Christ is powerful to save. Are you an adulterer? Christ is powerful to save. Have you murdered Christians simply for being Christians? No? But note this—even if you had done, Christ is powerful to save. And when He saves, He saves to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25).

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