September 26, 2021
Acts 9:1 – 19a
“Saving Saul”
Service Overview: Saul, prosecutor and persecutor of Christians, now faces the One who he’s really been persecuting all along, and discovers first-hand the power of Jesus as He is completely transformed from prosecutor and persecutor, to proclaimer.
Memory Verse for the Week: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Background Information:
- Saul was both a Hebrew, Pharisee, and a man of the world. Born and raised by Hebrew parents in Hellenistic Tarsus, he had both Hebrew tradition and Greek culture flowing in his nature. At an early age, his parents’ stature and resources, plus his own brilliance, had won him the sought-after privilege of studying under Gamaliel, the greatest Hebrew intellectual of the time. Saul had distinguished himself as a resourceful scholar and natural leader: He became a member of the strict sect of the Jewish religion called the Pharisees. They were committed to return the nation to impeccable obedience to the Law and the traditions. And yet, Saul had not lost his knowledge of and conditioning by the highly intellectual atmosphere of the Hellenistic world. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 166)
- v.2 Damascus, a key commercial city, was located about 175 miles northeast of Jerusalem in the Roman province of Syria. Several trade routes linked Damascus to other cities throughout the Roman world. Damascus was one of the ten cities known as the Decapolis (see Mark 5:20; 7:31). Saul may have thought that by stamping out Christianity in Damascus, he could prevent its spread to other areas. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 152)
- v.1 “Breathing out” here is literally “breathing in.” It is a Greek participle (empneōn) indicating it had become characteristic and continuous. In other words, Saul created an atmosphere around him of threats and murder so that he was constantly breathing it in. As oxygen enables an athlete to keep going, so this atmosphere kept Saul going. He put many in prison and voted to put them to death (26: 10; see also Gal. 1: 13). (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4093-4096)
- “The Way” is a designation for the new movement used several times in Acts (19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22; cf. also 16:17; 18:25–26). It was evidently a term used by the early followers of Jesus to denote their movement as the way of life or the way of salvation. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 206)
- Since Paul had not been an eyewitness of the resurrection, this occurrence on the road to Damascus became supremely important for validating his authority in the early church. Given his recent history of persecuting the church, the first Christians were not likely to trust his call to a position of church leadership. His reputation had preceded him, so his coming would have seemed to the fledgling church much as it would seem to us if Osama Bin Laden were to come to America claiming to be a convert to U.S. patriotism. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 126)
The question to be answered is…
Why in the world would Jesus want a man like Saul after the kinds of things Saul did to the church?
Answer…
Jesus has the power to redeem and transform anyone, regardless of their past, and make them into powerful agents and examples of his transformative power.
The word for the day is… redeem
What’s important to note from this account regarding Jesus’ pursuit and redemption of Saul?
- By persecuting Jesus’ followers, Saul was in fact persecuting Jesus himself.
(vv. 4-5 | John 15:18; Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 4:16; Col. 1:18; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Peter 4:12-14)
“Why do you persecute me?” Saul came to realize something of the organic and indissoluble unity that exists between Christ and his own. For though he believed he was only persecuting the followers of Jesus, the heavenly interpretation of his action was that he was persecuting the risen Christ himself (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 370)
The Lord did not ask, “Why do you persecute My church?” The reference to “Me” gave Saul his first glimpse into the great doctrine of Christians being in Christ. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 376)
- As Jesus was at work to transform Saul, he was also at work preparing Ananias.
(vv. 6, 10-15 | 2 Corinthians 3:18; 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 4:22-24; Titus 3:5)
Behind many well-known servants of God are lesser-known believers who have influenced them. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 352)
- The commendable acceptance of Saul by Ananias.
(v. 17 | Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; John 15:14-15; Romans 2:11; 15:7; Colossians 3:12-14)
Ananias begins to realize the magnitude of the miracle before him. In faith, he begins to speak: Brother Saul … (9:17). No longer an enemy, Saul is now a member of the family. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
The Lord’s man in Damascus was Ananias, a godly man who evidently still had ties with the synagogue and was highly regarded by the Jewish colony (see the account in c. 22). How he had become a believer is not indicated, but the word had already spread to Damascus. The Church owes Paul the apostle to Stephen, and to Barnabas, but also in large measure to this otherwise unknown disciple. He performed an inestimable service through humble obedience and in spite of what appeared to him to be deadly peril. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 105)
- The restoration of Saul’s physical sight, and transformation of Saul’s spiritual sight.
(v. 18 | 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 2:9-12; 3:18; 5:7; Ephesians 1:13-14. 18; Colossians 3:10)
The healing was immediate. The physical blindness was gone. So was the spiritual blindness. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 4216)
Conversion is a radical transformation in your thinking and your will. Instead of running your own life, you acknowledge that God has the sovereign right to tell you what to do. This was the first change Saul experienced at the moment of his conversion. It was a change of government; the self had been dethroned and the Lord Jesus had ascended the throne. Saul now recognized the right of King Jesus to tell him what to do. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 126)
Conclusion… How can this text serve to impact the attitudes and actions of Jesus’ disciples today?
A. As we more fully grasp, and live in light of the fact that we are a part of something far greater than ourselves as individuals.
(Mat. 16:18; Rom. 12:3-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:1-6; 4:12; Colossians 1:24)
Anyone who persecutes believers today is also guilty of persecuting Jesus (see Matthew 25:40, 45) because believers are the body of Christ on earth. This is a powerful statement about the union that exists between Christ and his church. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 153)
I would give anything to stand outside the temple and watch God’s glory descend. But I get something so much better: I am literally a part of the temple itself! Somehow by the blood of Jesus, I became worthy of joining with others to form a dwelling place for God! (Francis Chan, Letters to the Church, 37)
B. As we pray relentlessly for those who otherwise seem unredeemable.
(Luke 1:68 ; Gal. 3:13; 2:20; Eph. 1:7; Colossians 1:14, 20-22; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
We should be greatly encouraged by the fact that God saved Saul. God turned this great persecutor of the early Christians into the first great missionary. He took the man who had been doing most to harm the church and turned him into the man who did most to build it up. If God could do that with Saul, God can do the same thing today. If you have a son or daughter whom you are worried about, a child who is off somewhere not serving the Lord, or a husband or wife who is unconverted, keep praying for him or her. God can (and frequently does) do something remarkable. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 151)
C. As we ready ourselves to accept and embrace anyone who turns to Jesus.
(Luke 19:10; John 6:37; 13:34; Rom. 15:7; Col. 1:20; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 John 2:2)
Jesus loves sinners. He only loves sinners. He has never turned anyone away who came to Him for forgiveness, and He died on the cross for sinners, not for respectable people. (Corrie ten Boom, I Stand at the Door and Knock, 20)
Gospel Application…
The good news is that Jesus is still in the business of giving sight to the blind and making sinners into saints.
(John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 1:9)
Paul addressed his first letter to the Corinthians, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” (1 Cor. 1:2), and then he scolded them for more than fifteen chapters for their poor performance in the Christian life. Nevertheless, they were still called saints, not because they had halos over their heads, but because they had been set apart as the body of Christ. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 133)
The truth of the gospel of Jesus is this: I am nothing more than a wretch – and yet so much more than a saint. I am a wretched saint and that’s exactly what I am supposed to be. No more; no less. That is my identity; it is who I am. if you are a follower of Jesus, it’s your identity too, regardless if you like it. (Noel Jesse Heikkinen, Wretched Saints, 28)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- If you were Saul, what do you think it would be like to meet Jesus in the way he did?
- In what ways does Saul’s conversion demonstrate the incredible grace of God?
- What was your life like before coming to know, trust, and follow Jesus? What was it like after you became a follower of Jesus?
- Is there anyone you know who just seems “unreachable”? How can you be praying for them?
- Is there anyone new to the faith or to the church you might reach out to in order to welcome and accept them like Ananias did with Saul?
Quotes to note…
(v. 15). I once heard a preacher say, “Everybody loves to hear Jesus when He says, ‘Come to Me, all you who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest. But once we get there, He says, ‘Now go. . .,’ and that is where the Christian life becomes difficult.” (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 133)
God sometimes delivers His children only through death. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Sometimes God breaks into a life in a spectacular manner, and sometimes conversion is a quiet experience. Beware of people who insist that you must have a particular type of conversion experience. The right way to come to faith in Jesus is whatever way God brings you. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 152)
Saul never forgot this godly man who was the first believer to call him brother. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4226-4227)
The Christian way is more than belief; it is a total way of life with a clear destination. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 106)
How amazing that the one who persecuted Christians so violently should himself be transformed into a witness of the gospel (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 377)
The conversion of Saul of Tarsus, the leading persecutor of the Christians, was perhaps the greatest event in church history after the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 350)
The most crucial event of history, for which Jesus Christ lived, died, was resurrected, and glorified, was His infilling of a new humanity, the Body of Christ. The second most strategic event was the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 164)
Beyond doubt Ananias is one of the forgotten heroes of the Christian Church. If it be true that the Church owes Paul to the prayer of Stephen, it is also true that the Church owes Paul to the brotherliness of Ananias. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 72)
Genuine Christians are characterized by love, acceptance, and forgiveness—not by the selfishness and hatred that marks the world. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 125)
The fact that [Jesus] claimed persecution by Saul shows that He so identifies with His people that any believer who is persecuted for Christ’s sake is identified with Jesus Himself. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 128)
Why did God choose Saul (see 9:15)? First, God wished to rescue His church from pressing danger (9:1-2). Second, God hoped to recruit one who could be a qualified ambassador to Gentiles, kings, and Jews (9:15). Saul’s qualifications included his Jewish heritage, his strong education within his faith, and the secular training he certainly had received in Tarsus, one of the educational centers of the Roman Empire. Third, Saul had several personality traits that would serve the Kingdom well. Saul did nothing halfheartedly. The same determination that led him to fight against the church moved him into battle for the church (9:20-22). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Damascus was known even to Abraham. There was a large settlement of Jews in Damascus. During the reign of Nero, Nero killed ten thousand Jews assembled there. So Saul, suspecting that some of the Jews who lived in Damascus had already been seduced by the proclamation of the Christians, got the necessary papers to go to each synagogue in that area with legal authority from the theocratic leader of Israel, the high priest, to place them under arrest and then bring them back to Jerusalem for further punishment, perhaps even execution. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 126)
The Greek word translated “breathing” does not refer to breathing out, but to breathing in. Breathing in threats of murder and destruction may sound strange, but the idea is that Saul was so passionately determined to carry on his persecution against the nascent Christian community that he was like a wild beast that snorts before it attacks. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 126)
It is hard for us to imagine how anything could be brighter than the sun itself. The Greek word used here for “shone” is the same word used in the Greek language to describe the light that comes with a bolt of lightning. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 127)
There are about fifteen times in all of Scripture where someone’s name is stated with repetition. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 127)
All these instances indicate an intensely personal form of address, underscoring again the warning that Jesus gave to His hearers when He reached the climax of the Sermon on the Mount. He said many would come on the last day saying to Him, “‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:22–23). He was indicating that people will claim not only to know Him by name but also, by the repetition “Lord, Lord,” to know Him personally and intimately. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 128)
“Who are You, Lord?” (v. 5). Here Saul did not use the Greek term kyrios in the lower sense of simple polite address, but in the supreme, imperial sense. He knew that he was being addressed by the Sovereign One of heaven. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 128)
Ananias had the unspeakable arrogance to correct the Lord Jesus Christ about His plan. Can anything be more ridiculous than a mortal suggesting to the Almighty a better way of doing things? We would think Ananias the biggest fool in history, except that we have done the same thing repeatedly. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 132)
When we do not like how God is dealing with us or with our circumstances, we take it upon ourselves to set Him straight and suggest a more excellent way. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 132)
Jesus had chosen Saul as His instrument to help cultivate the kingdom that He had planted. Saul hadn’t chosen Christ, but Christ had chosen him for His purposes—to bear His name. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 134)
We are not all called to be messengers to kings or to people worldwide, or to have the burden that the Apostle Paul had, but every Christian is an elect instrument of Christ to bear His name to the nations. We are His instruments, to a lesser degree than the Apostle Paul but in no less reality, and the task is still there for us—the task of evangelism—to carry the name of Jesus. There is no higher calling. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 134)
The Greek word translated “scales” here is the same word used for fish scales or for shells that are on eggs or for the rinds that are on fruit. Something physical literally fell from the eyes of Paul, some sort of flakes that had concealed the light from his eyes and had kept him blind for three days. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 135)
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 (Acts 9:31). Contrast this verse with the words that open Acts 9: … Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples (9:1a). What caused this dramatic reversal? The conversion of one significant man. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
You cannot feel their awe before the Rescuer until you feel their terror before the danger. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
How had the gospel reached Damascus, a city outside Palestine and 150 miles to the northeast? That’s another question Luke leaves unanswered. Many believers whose names were never recorded played key roles in the spread of the Kingdom. Some of these anonymous Christians must have been the first to witness for Jesus in Damascus. There they shared the good news with Jews such as Ananias who, like each of them, became an effective servant of God. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
So, what actually happened? There’s one fact of which we can be absolutely sure: Saul never doubted the reality of what he experienced. On that day, God turned Saul’s life upside down (see 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:7-10; Galatians 1:12-16; 1 Timothy 1:12-16). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Why would the Jews in Jerusalem want to persecute Christians as far away as Damascus? There are several possibilities: (1) to seize the Christians who had fled; (2) to prevent the spread of Christianity to other major cities; and (3) to keep the Christians from causing any trouble with Rome. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 152)
Whoever sees Christ as a mirror of the Father’s heart, actually walks through the world with new eyes. Martin Luther (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 153)
Saul’s whole mind-set and belief system were turned upside down. He realized that Christ was not dead, but alive. Christ was not merely a Nazarene rabble-rouser; he was the Messiah, the Son of God. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 154)
As Saul waited for further directions, the Lord began speaking to Ananias, “a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus” (22:12 NLT). Ananias, a Jew, had become a believer in Christ—disciple. Ananias responded to the call of God with the same words of submission uttered by his forefathers, Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Jacob (Genesis 31:11), Moses (Exodus 3:10), and Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10): “Here I am, Lord.” (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 155)
God called an unknown disciple named Ananias for this task. This has been true throughout church history. Consider this list of “nobodies”: John Staupitz: The man who helped lead Martin Luther to Christ. John Egglen: Instrumental in the conversion of C. H. Spurgeon. Edward Kimball: Just a shoe salesman . . . who happened to be D. L. Moody’s spiritual mentor. Mordecai Ham: A little-known evangelist who preached the night that Billy Graham yielded his life to Christ. We never know how God might use us to touch a life that will, in turn, touch millions. Yield yourself to the purposes of God, and be faithful when he calls. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 155)
Prayer is the autograph of the Holy Ghost upon the renewed heart. Charles H. Spurgeon (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 155)
The meeting between Saul and Ananias was divinely arranged. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 155)
Straight Street was and still is one of the main thoroughfares of Damascus. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 156)
The ultimate measure of faith is how believers respond to commands that seem illogical (see Exodus 14:16; 1 Kings 17:3-14; 2 Kings 5:10; John 9:1-11). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 156)
“Not him, Lord; that’s impossible. Saul would never become a Christian!” In essence, that’s what Ananias said when God told him of Saul’s conversion. After all, Saul was persecuting believers to their deaths. Despite these understandable feelings, Ananias obeyed God and ministered to Saul. We must not limit God—he can do anything. Nothing is too hard for him (Genesis 18:14). We must obey and follow God’s leading, even when he leads us to difficult people and places. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 156)
Saul, who had caused horrible suffering for so many Christians, would find that he, too, must suffer. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 157)
Saul must have been encouraged when he heard Ananias greet him as Brother. God had told Ananias to go to Saul and lay his hands on him “so he can see again” (9:12 NLT). So when Ananias arrived, he told Saul that Jesus had sent him so that Saul could regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Although there is no mention of a special and dramatic filling of the Holy Spirit for Saul (such as occurred for the twelve apostles), his changed life and subsequent accomplishments bear strong witness to the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in his life. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 157)
Ananias found Saul, as he had been instructed, and greeted him as “Brother Saul.” Ananias feared this meeting because he knew that Saul had come to Damascus to capture believers and take them as prisoners to Jerusalem (9:2, 14). In obedience to the Holy Spirit, however, Ananias greeted Saul with love. It is not always easy to show acceptance to others, especially when we are afraid of them or doubt their motives. Nevertheless, we must follow Jesus’ command (John 13:34) and Ananias’s example, demonstrating genuine warmth and kindness to other believers. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 158)
Following this encounter, nothing more is known about Ananias. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 158)
Damascus was the oldest and most important city in Syria. It seems to have had a large Jewish population at this time, for verse 2 speaks of “synagogues,” in the plural. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4086-4087)
That Paul wanted to make arrests regardless of gender, “whether men or women,” shows he noticed that the believing women were as active as the men, and he considered them just as dangerous. The law of Moses placed women on a high level, but Pharisees tended to ignore and degrade them. In the Church, women from the beginning were outstanding in prayer, in Christian love and service, and in the gifts of the Spirit. In Christ and in the ministry of the Spirit there is “neither … male nor female” (Gal. 3: 28). (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4104-4107)
Light in the Bible is often associated with manifestations of the presence of the Lord or the manifestation of His glory. Rabbis called it the Shekinah. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4116-4117)
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Luke, in referring to Saul, always uses the Greek form of his name (as in v. 1, Saulos). Jesus used the Hebrew form (Saoul), which the Book of Acts is careful to preserve here. Saul later confirms that Jesus was speaking in Hebrew (Acts 26:14). Jesus repeated the name twice. Compare this with how God sometimes addressed men in the Old Testament: “‘ Abraham! Abraham!’” (Gen. 22:11), “‘ Jacob, Jacob’” (Gen. 46:2), “‘ Moses, Moses!’” (Exod. 3:4). This would make Saul realize that the voice was not that of an ordinary man. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4125-4130)
Jesus appeared to Ananias “in a vision,” telling him to go to the street called Straight, the main street of the city. In ancient times it was about fifty feet wide, lined with Corinthian columns, and went straight from the west end of the city to the east end; it is still an important street in Damascus today. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4178-4180)
In the field of Christian evidences (arguments for the truth of Christianity) the conversion of Saul of Tarsus ranks in importance next to the resurrection of Jesus. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 102)
There is always a confirming clinch given to the faith of a repentant sinner when the clasp of a warm hand receives him into the family of God. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 106)
Paul always insisted that his commission came not from men but by direct revelation. Ananias was but God’s mouthpiece confirming and clinching the divine call to special service. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 107)
His background and qualifications suited him eminently for the work to which God had called him: (1) He knew the Jewish culture and language well (Acts 21:40; Phil. 3:5). (2) Because he was reared in Tarsus he was well acquainted with the Acts 8:40-9:4 Greek culture and its philosophies (Acts 17:22-31; Titus 1:12). (3) He possessed all the privileges of a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37; 22:23-29; 25:10-12). (4) He was trained and skilled in Jewish theology (Gal. 1:14). (5) Because he was capable in a secular trade he was able to support himself (Acts 18:3; 1 Cor. 9:4-18; 2 Cor. 11:7-11; 1 Thes. 2:9; 2 Thes. 3:8). (6) God gave him zeal, leadership qualities, and theological insight. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 375)
Though there is no explicit statement of Saul’s seeing Christ, it is implicit in the reference to a light from heaven. It was fundamental to Saul’s apostleship that he saw the resurrected Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 9:1). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 375)
9:7. An apparent discrepancy stands between verse 7 and 22:9. In 9:7 Luke recorded that the men who traveled with Saul… heard the sound (phones), but in 22:9 Luke wrote that “they did not understand the voice” (phonen). Literally, that clause in 22:9 may be translated, “They did not hear the sound.” The NN correctly translates the verse, because the verb “to hear” with the genitive case may mean “to hear a sound” and with the accusative case “to hear with understanding.” The genitive case is employed in 9:7, and the accusative is used in 22:9. So the travelers with Saul heard the sound (9:7) but did not understand what Christ said (22:9). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 376)
Second Maccabees 6:13 counsels that “it is a mark of great kindness when the impious are not let alone for a long time, but punished at once.” (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 369)
Damascus was a large and thriving commercial center at the foot of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Since 64 B.C. it had been part of the Roman province of Syria and was granted certain civic rights by Rome as one of the ten cities of eastern Syria and the Transjordan called the Decapolis (cf. Mark 5:20; 7:31). (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 369)
It was to this city that Saul went with the authority of the Jewish Sanhedrin, seeking to return to Jerusalem those Christians who had fled the city-chiefly the Hellenistic Jewish Christians-in order to contain the spread of what he considered to be a pernicious and deadly contagion within Israel. While we have spoken repeatedly of the early believers in Jesus as Christians, the term “Christian” (Christianos) was first coined at Antioch of Syria (cf. 11:26) and appears only three times in the entire NT (11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Before being named at Syrian Antioch and during the early existence of the church, those who accepted Jesus’ messiahship and claimed him as their Lord called themselves those of “the Way” (he hodos, as here and at 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22; cf. also 16:17; 18:25-26), while their opponents spoke of them as members of “the sect of the Nazarenes” (he hairesis ton Nazoraion; cf. 24:5, 14; 28:22). (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 370)
In 9:4 it is reported that Saul heard the voice (ekousen phonen) and in 9:7 that his companions also heard the voice (akouontes mentes phones), whereas in 22:9 it is said that his companions did not hear the voice (ten phonen ouk ekousan) and in 26:14 that only Saul heard the voice (ekousa phonen). Some commentators have seen here a flagrant contradiction in Luke’s source materials, which he unwittingly incorporated into his finished product. But since the Greek noun phone means both “sound” in the sense of any tone or voice and “articulated speech” in the sense of language, undoubtedly it was understood by all concerned (as the respective contexts suggest) to mean that while the whole group traveling to Damascus heard the sound from heaven, only Saul understood the spoken words (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 370)
Some have translated Saul’s reply in v.5 as “Who are you, sir?” since the Greek title kyrios was used in the ancient world not only as an ascription of worshipful acclaim but also as a form of polite address and since the context indicates that Saul did not know whom he was speaking to. But he did know that he had been struck down by a light from heaven and had been addressed by a voice from heaven, both of which signaled the divine presence. So his use of the term “Lord” was probably meant in a worshipful manner-even though he was thoroughly confused as to how he could be rebuked by God for doing the will and service of God. Unable even to articulate his confusion, though realizing the need for some response in the presence of the divine, he cries out in stumbling fashion, “Who are you, Lord?” (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 370)
Probably in the religious experience of Paul, as Stanley has suggested, “the most important link between his Christian life and Pharisaism was that devotion to prayer for which the Pharisees were rightly celebrated and held in esteem among their people” (David M. Stanley, Boasting in the Lord: The Phenomenon of Prayer in Saint Paul [New York: Paulist, 1973], p. 42)
The history of Damascus goes back to remote antiquity. 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. Later it was the seat of administration of an Assyrian province. In Hellenistic times it was completely re-planned, on the Hippodamian grid-system. From 64 B.C. on it belonged to the Roman province of Syria, but had a measure of municipal autonomy in the loose federation of cities called the Decapolis. There was a very large Jewish population in the city,7 so it is not surprising that there were several synagogues, each exercising disciplinary supervision over its members. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 206)
Any attempt to explain Saul’s Damascus-road experience in medical terms must reckon with its revolutionary and long-term effects. The extraordinary enhancement of illumination experienced by epileptics, as described (for example) by Dostoyevsky, is a very different matter from a total conversion such as Saul underwent—a conversion of will, intellect, and emotion, which dictated the abiding purpose and direction of his subsequent life and activity. That the illumination was inward as well as external appears from his own language about the transition from unbelief to faith—“seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.… For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4, 6). (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 207)
A striking modern parallel to the narrative is Sundar Singh’s story of his own conversion after a period of bitter hostility to the gospel. Praying in his room in the early morning of December 18, 1904, he saw a great light. “Then as I prayed and looked into the light, I saw the form of the Lord Jesus Christ. It had such an appearance of glory and love. If it had been some Hindu incarnation I would have prostrated myself before it. But it was the Lord Jesus Christ whom I had been insulting a few days before. I felt that a vision like this could not come out of my own imagination. I heard a voice saying in Hindustani, ‘How long will you persecute me? I have come to save you; you were praying to know the right way. Why do you not take it?’ The thought then came to me, ‘Jesus Christ is not dead but living and it must be He Himself.’ So I fell at His feet and got this wonderful Peace which I could not get anywhere else. This is the joy I was wishing to get. When I got up, the vision had all disappeared, but although the vision disappeared the Peace and Joy have remained with me ever since.”23 (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 208)
15 Ananias’s protest was overruled: the risen Lord had his eye on the man of Tarsus and had a great work for him to perform. In spite of his recent record as a persecutor, Saul was a chosen instrument in the Lord’s hand, a messenger who would spread the good news in Jesus’ name more widely than anyone else. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 210)
That Saul should have received the filling of the Spirit through the imposition of the hands of such an obscure disciple as Ananias shows clearly that Luke did not reckon the imposition of apostolic hands to be necessary for this (in his understanding of the term “apostolic”).40 Such filling was the indispensable qualification for the prophetic ministry mapped out for Saul in the Lord’s words of verse 15—a ministry comparable to that to which Jeremiah was called in his day (Jer. 1:5). Henceforth Saul discharged this ministry as one endowed with heavenly power (cf. v. 22). (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 212)
The commissioning of Saul, and the part played in it by Ananias, must ever remain a stumbling block in the path of those whose conception of the apostolic ministry is too tightly bound to one particular line of transmission or form of ordination. If the risen Lord commissioned such an illustrious servant in so “irregular” a way, may he not have done so again, and may he not yet do so again, when the occasion requires it? (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 212)
Like many others of his countrymen, he stumbled over the cross (1 Cor. 1:23) because he depended on his own righteousness and not on the righteousness of God (Rom. 9:30–10:13; Phil. 3:1–10). Many self-righteous religious people today do not see their need for a Savior and resent it if you tell them they are sinners. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 351)
Damascus had a large Jewish population, and it has been estimated that there could well have been thirty to forty synagogues in the city. The fact that there were already believers there indicates how effective the church had been in getting out the message. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 351)
Saul thought he had been serving God, when in reality he had been persecuting the Messiah! When measured by the holiness of Jesus Christ, Saul’s good works and legalistic self-righteousness looked like filthy rags (Isa. 64:6; Phil. 3:6–8). All of his values changed. He was a new person because he trusted Jesus Christ. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 351)
The Hebrew of the Hebrews would become the apostle to the Gentiles; the persecutor would become a preacher; and the legalistic Pharisee would become the great proclaimer of the grace of God. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 351)
He had to lose his religion before he could gain the righteousness of Christ. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 351)
never underestimate the value of one person brought to Christ. Peter was ministering to thousands in Jerusalem, and Philip had seen a great harvest among the Samaritan people, but Ananias was sent to only one man. Yet what a man! (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 352)
Paul is the most important human being who ever lived. He led the church into a worldwide movement, formulated its theology, and shaped its destiny. Without Paul, or someone like him, the infant church would not have grown into the spiritual and intellectual maturity which changed the course of history. And the only explanation of the dynamic of his leadership and the immensity of his gifts was that he was a man in Christ. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 164)
The Pharisee had known of Jesus during His ministry and knew well the circumstances surrounding His crucifixion. As far as Saul was concerned, Jesus had been a political anarchist and a religious blasphemer. When he was appointed to head the effort to rid Jerusalem of His followers, he had taken the assignment with impassioned delight. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 165)
Everything else in his life had been set aside for this one blinding rage he felt. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 166)
While Saul was tracking down His followers, the Lord was tracking him, waiting for the right moment. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 166)
When Saul arose from the ground, he was blind. He staggered about helplessly. What a pitiful picture—the arrogant, resolute, vigorous Saul of Tarsus being led into the city which he had planned to purge of the followers of the very One who had appeared and spoken to him. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 167)
Ananias probably knew that he was top on Saul’s list for arrest and perhaps worse. He not only knew Saul, but knew the reason he had been on his way to Damascus. News like that travels ahead of a gestapo officer. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 169)
One of the most moving scenes in all of Scripture is what happened when Ananias went to Saul. He found the feared persecutor alone, blind, and helpless. All the hurt and fright Ananias had felt for what this man had done to his brothers and sisters in Christ drained away. The same Lord who told him to go to Saul lived in him and had given him His own character traits of love and forgiveness. It was with the Lord’s deep compassion and acceptance that Ananias could say, “Brother Saul.” (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 169)
How we need people to enact His love in a daring way by calling us by a name we have not yet earned or accepted for ourselves! Who needs that from you and me? (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 170)
It was about 140 miles from Jerusalem to Damascus. The journey would be made on foot and would take about a week. Paul’s only companions were the officers of the Sanhedrin, a kind of police force. Because he was a Pharisee, he could have nothing to do with them; so he walked alone; and as he walked he thought, because there was nothing else to do. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 70)
Luke records that the Christians are known by a certain name. Inter, in the city of Antioch, they will be called Christians for the first time. But here they are referred to as those “who belonged to the Way.” Names like this are invariably coined by opponents. This reference to the believers as people of the Way indicates how their opponents view them. They see Christians as odd and different, as belonging to a different way of life. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 124)
In His program to reach the world with the gospel, God ‘intends to transform Saul into Paul, the mighty apostle to the Gentiles. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 125)
Many skeptics try to explain this story on a natural basis. Some suggest that Saul’s encounter was an epileptic seizure in which he imagined he heard voices. To this theory, Charles Haddon Spurgeon replied, “O blessed epilepsy! Would that every man in London could have epilepsy like that!” (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 125)
The Lord’s first words to Saul are significant: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” This question forces Saul to think about the course of his life. I’m reminded of the question God asked Adam in the Garden of Eden on the fateful day when Adam fell. God came into the garden and called out, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). If Adam would think through that question, he would find himself on the road back to God. You cannot know the way back until you know where you are. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 126)
This is still the first question God asks every lost soul: “Where are you in your life? Are you going in the wrong direction?” Once you answer that question, you can begin to find your way back home (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 126)
Love suffers. It bears the hurt and endures the shame. Anyone who is called to be a Christian is called to love. In this fallen world, there is no love without hurt. Paul cannot be the Lord’s chosen instrument unless he accepts the call to suffering (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 128)
[Saul] needed time to come to grips with his new-found faith. Our text doesn’t give us this story, but this revolutionary turn of events in Saul’s life made necessary a period of reflection and reevaluation. Paul himself tells about it in Galatians 1:11-17 (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Acts, 84)
“Who was the man most used of God in the New Testament, apart from Jesus Christ?” The answer undoubtedly is the apostle Paul. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 149)
In the chapter immediately before this we have been told about Philip and the Ethiopian and how the gospel was spreading to the south. Saul was concerned that the gospel was spreading north. But while he was on his way north, God picked up Philip from Samaria and leap—frogged him over Saul, sending him down the Gaza road in the direction of Ethiopia. Saul was trying to stamp out Christianity in one direction, while God was advancing it rapidly in the other. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 151)