Bible Study series: Acts 9:1-9. God arrested Saul while he is on his mission to arrest Jewish believers in Jesus.
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At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 9:1-9
1 Meanwhile, Saul, still breathing out murderous threats towards the disciples of the Lord, approached the chief priest 2 and sought from him letters for the Damascus synagogues, so that if he found anyone being of the Way, both men and women, he could bring them bound up to Jerusalem.
3 While he was travelling, it happened. As he neared Damascus, a light from heaven unexpectedly flashed around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 He replied, “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 6 But get up and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do!” 7 And the men caravanning with him had been standing speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 And Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he saw nothing; and the others hand-led him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was sightless and did not eat nor drink. (Acts 9:1-9)
Comments:
This section of Scripture is extremely important for Luke. He repeats it two more times: Paul speaks to a crowd in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3-16) and before king Agrippa (26:9-18). Luke repeats the episode about Cornelius and God’s acceptance of Gentiles three times (Acts 10:1-48, 11:4-18; 15:7-9). And the Lord tells Ananias that Paul will be sent to the Gentiles (v. 15). Further, the narrative that goes from 10:1 to 11:18 is the longest one of a single piece in Acts. Clearly Luke intends his Gentile readers of Acts to understand that God accepts them. Jewish followers of Jesus must also realize the same thing.
For an attempt at harmonizing the three accounts of Paul conversion, click on Acts 22 and scroll down to v. 9.
And here is the same story again. Scroll down to vv. 10-18:
1:
Verse 1 picks up from 8:3: “Saul was devastating the church, going from household to household, dragging off both men and women and putting them in prison” (Acts 8:3).
“In 9:1-9, Jesus’s glory, revealing his divine identity, physically blinds his spiritually blind persecutor, Saul” (Keener, p. 274).
Arresting and dragging the disciples bound back to Jerusalem is one thing. But it is quite another to issue threats and murders or killings. Saul (later renamed Paul) was a religious fanatic. Later, he said that he voted for the execution for some believers in Jesus (Acts 26:10). So Stephen was the first but not the only martyr (Acts 8:54-60).
Bruce says the chief priest was probably still Caiaphas who left in A.D. 36, so that gives a timeframe. These events were very, very early in the Jesus Movement, also called the Way.
Bruce suggests that Paul models his zeal on that of Phineas (Num. 25:7-13; Ps. 106:30-31); Elijah (1 Kings 18:40; 19:10, 14); and Mattathias (1 Macc. 2:23-28), the father of the Maccabees.
“murderous threats”: it could be translated more literally: “threats and murder,” but it is a hendiadys, which means one idea expressed through two words and connected by “and” in Greek. “Murderous threats” is better.
“disciples”: the noun is mathētēs (pronounced mah-they-tayss), and it is used 261 times in the NT, though many of them are duplicates in the three synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. BDAG is considered by many to be the authoritative Greek lexicon of the NT, and it says of the noun (1) “one who engages in learning through instruction from another, pupil, apprentice”; (2) “one who is rather constantly associated with someone who has a pedagogical reputation or a particular set of views, disciple, adherent.” In Acts, it means followers of Jesus (but see v. 25).
2:
Damascus was up north and was six days of travel, by foot. To go that far north demonstrates that Saul was really angry at the Jewish followers of Jesus.
“letters”: it is where we get our word epistle. They were arrest warrants, probably carte-blanche against the Jewish community, who still identified themselves as Jews. They were Messianic Jews who did not say, “I’m a Christian now! I no longer belong to Judaism! You have no authority to arrest me!” Christianity—or more accurately, the Way—and Judaism were very closely linked at this stage. Paul was chasing Jerusalem refugees. I wonder whether they were some priests and their sons and daughters, since a large number of priests converted (Acts 6:7). On the other hand, they were probably Hellenist (Greek speaking) Jews, and these Jews were not priests. Maybe it was both groups, in part.
Schnabel says that Gamaliel, Saul’s mentor, went to Damascus “to ask permission from the governor” (m. ‘Ed. 7.7), probably about one of the great feasts. Then he quotes from Neusner and Chilton: The Mishnah “reflects a time when Gamaliel was a go-between who negotiated the interests of the Temple with the government, demonstrating his role in international Judaism as well as in Jerusalem proper” (Schnabel’s comment on vv. 1-2).
“being of the Way”: that is a literal translation, but other translations correctly have “belonging to the Way.” This is the first time that the noun is used in this sense in Acts. Greek: hodos (pronounced hoh-dohss). It means the “path” or “road.” In Greece today, it is the standard word for street (and road), and you will see street signs with “od.” or St. with the name of the street. John the Baptist, through the OT prophet Malachi, launched the idea: “Prepare the way (hodos) of the Lord!” (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23). Jesus said the road (hodos) to life is narrow (Matt. 7:14). And Jesus said he is the way (hodos), the truth, and the life (John 14:16). He is the road way to God. The term reappears in in Acts 19:9, 23, 22:4; 24:14,22; see also 16:17; 18:25-26). Bruce says that similar words are used in a religious sense elsewhere, like in documents of the Qumran community (comment on v. 2). So it looks like the early Christians adapted it for their own purposes.
In this age of pluralism and multiculturalism, don’t be afraid to proclaim the exclusivity of Jesus. You can find some elements in other religions where you can build a bridge (e.g. they also say not to steal), so you do not have to denigrate them through and through. But you will discover that other religions claim exclusivity. Buddhists believe Hindus are wrong; Sikhs believe Hinduism and Islam are shortsighted and deficient. Muslims who know their Quran believe all other religions are wrong and deny, for example, the essential conditions for salvation: the Lordship of Jesus, his Sonship, his crucifixion, and his bodily resurrection. Do I need to keep going on about Islam?
Ten Big Differences between Christianity and Other Religions
Who were the men and women whom he intended to arrest? Were they just anyone at random? Probably, but remember that a large number of priests had converted to Christ (Acts 6:7). Surely some of them escaped to Damascus. Saul must have targeted them. Further, I like to imagine without a shred of textual evidence, but just the logic of history, that maybe—just maybe—a few of the younger children or the grandchildren of the Sanhedrin (High Council) of Jerusalem also followed the Way. This would be a strong motive for the chief priest and leaders to send Saul all the way to Damascus to fetch them. Call it an early form of “deprogramming.”
Once again Luke mentions women, when he did not have to. If they share equally in arrests and jail time, do they get an equal share in church leadership? Apparently not, according to some restrictive Christians today. But I say they should move forward in ministry.
3:
“unexpectedly”: it can also be translated “suddenly.” But I like the “unexpected” feel to the flashing light. His conversion was such a mighty shock to himself and the church.
Light and flashing in this context can mean a bolt of lightning. It was bright and powerful. It was a glimpse of heavenly glory. If we saw it with our untransformed, unresurrected eyes, we too would be blinded and knocked to the ground. The lightning flash that seemed to remain for a short time was also the manifest presence of God. Never let the naysayers tell you that God does not manifest his presence because he is omnipresent (everywhere). Yes, he is omnipresent, but he also reveals himself in special ways, by opening the heavenly veil a little, as here.
4:
“Saul, Saul!”: A double repetition of a name often indicates a warning or exhortation or a call to stand at attention. Something important is about to be announced. Jesus is stern. Here Saul is getting his comeuppance (or fall-down-ance!). Other double allocutions and responses: “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am!” (Gen. 22:11); “Jacob, Jacob!” “Here I am! (Gen. 46:2); “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am!” (Ex. 3:4); “Samuel, Samuel!” “Speak for you servant listens” (1 Sam. 3:10); Martha, Martha! (Luke 10:41); Simon, Simon! (Luke 22:31).
“persecuting me”: While Saul was persecuting the church, which is the Body of Christ, he was persecuting Jesus. Jesus identifies with his church that much. And the same goes for you. When you suffer an injustice, God is touched as well. Watch him arise and implement justice for you (Jas. 5:4-9).
Now the mighty Saul is so helpless that his assistants had to hand-lead him into Damascus. That is poetic irony (see below at v. 8).
Saul ate or drank nothing for three days. He was an intense Pharisee, but he was in shock. His world just got rocked. Call it shock and awe.
The scales must have grown over his eyes during this time. They were real, but they also symbolize spiritual blindness. Saul had time to think it over.
5-6:
“Lord”: It is the direct address of the Greek noun kurios (pronounced koo-ree-ohs). Saul did not know who it was, but since he addressed heaven, “Lord” works here. Or “sir” or “my lord” could also work. I say he meant “Lord” because the voice was heavenly, and Saul knew the Scriptures where God communicated from heaven (Exod. 20:22; Deut. 4:36; Ps. 76:8).
“shall be told you”: this is in the passive voice, so we may be looking at the divine passive, which means that God is the behind-the-scenes subject of the verb. He is the one who will speak to Saul.
“must”: It comes from the word dei (pronounced day), and in some contexts it denotes a destiny orchestrated by God, as it does here. (Compare the French il faut, “one must” or “it is necessary,” if you know this language.) The Greek verb means: “it is necessary, one must … one ought or should … what one should do” (Shorter Lexicon). In Luke it often means divine necessity; that is, God is leading things: Luke 2:49; 4:43; 9:22; 12:12; 13:16, 33; 15:32; 17:25; 18:1; 19:5; 21:9; 22:37; 24:7; 24:26, 44; Acts 1:16; 1:21; 3:21; 4:12; 5:29; 9:6, 16; 14:22; 16:30; 17:3; 19:21; 20:35; 23:11; 25:10; 27:21; 27:24, 26. Here Paul will await further orders for his next mission. And what a mission it will be (see v. 16)!
Bruce recounts the true story of Sundar Singh who used to bitterly oppose the gospel and mocked it. Then on December 18, 1904, he saw a light and the form of the Lord Jesus Christ. The voice spoke to him in Hindustani “How long will you persecute me? I have come to save you; you were praying to0 know the right way. Why do you not take it?” Singh realized Jesus was alive and fell at his feet and got a wonderful peace and joy, which he had been looking for. He went on to be a great evangelist for the Lord.
Longenecker:
Such a confrontation and such a rebuke must have been exceedingly traumatic for Saul. Time would be needed to heal his emotions and to work out the implications of the experience. Both Saul’s later Christian letters and Luke’s second volume reveal something of the process of that development as it went on throughout the rest of his life. But in this supreme revelational encounter, Saul received a new perspective on divine redemption, a new agenda for his life, and embryonic elements of his new Christian theology. (comment on v. 5)
Saul was a changed man. Some people convert rapidly like Saul; other convert gradually.
7:
Who were the men caravanning with Saul? No doubt they were his assistants, but did they get saved with Saul? He quickly gathered disciples (v. 25). It is probable that they were convinced by Saul’s “enlightening” experience and preaching.
Acts 22:7 says the traveling companions did not hear the voice of the one talking. Go to that chapter for a resolution of the apparent contradiction.
Bruce suggests the same thing here and the other accounts in Acts as in John 12:28-29. “Then a voice from heaven came: ‘I have glorified it and I will glorify it again.’ 29 Then the crowd who were standing by and heard it were saying, ‘It was thunder.’ Others were saying, ‘An angel spoke to him.’” (Bruce’s comment on v. 7).
8-9:
More about poetic irony: it means the great reversal, which ends badly for the powerful and well for the powerless. Saul got warrants for arresting people, even women, so he was powerful. He was extra-zealous as evidenced by his threats of arrests and violence. The Pharisee was so right that he turned into a fanatic. On the other side of the ledger, the disciples of the Way were weaker and tender. They already had their old worldview knocked out of them. Jesus came along and knocked Saul senseless. He fell to the ground, while the disciples rose up and showed him the better way. He thought he was right, and they were wrong, but actually he was wrong, and they were right. He thought he knew the truth, and they were deceived, but actually he was deceived, and they knew the truth. He was blinded and had to be hand-led to Judas’s house, while Ananias saw perfectly well and walked right into Judas’s house.
And that is the ironic reversal. Never write off even the most stubborn fanatic you know. God can still reach him.
“hand-led”: it comes from the Greek verb cheiragōgeō (pronounced khay-rah-goh-geh-oh), and it combines the word cheir– (hand) and the second half means to lead.
Schnabel recounts missionaries in Muslim countries who report that many conversions involve Muslims seeing dreams or visions, which are not the same, exactly, as Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. He goes on to say, “This is again both a challenge and a relief—a challenge because churches, missionaries, evangelists, and every Christian must make sure that unbelievers can encounter Jesus (rather than us or our method or our denomination) when they hear the gospel, and a relief because it is Jesus himself, through his Spirit, who convinces people of the truth of the gospel” (p. 459).
GrowApp for Acts 9:1-9
1. Saul was radically changed, while others are gradually converted (e.g. the twelve apostles during Jesus’s ministry). Where do you fit along this spectrum? Radical or gradual or in between?
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
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