But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the
disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the
synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or
women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he journeyed he
approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he
fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he
said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city,
and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were travelling with
him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul arose from the
ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by
the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without
sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named
Anani'as. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Anani'as." And he said, "Here
I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street
called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named
Saul; for behold, he is praying, and he has seen a man named Anani'as come in
and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." But Anani'as
answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he
has done to thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief
priests to bind all who call upon thy name." But the Lord said to him,
"Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the
Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must
suffer for the sake of my name." So Anani'as departed and entered the
house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus
who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may
regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately
something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he
rose and was baptized, and took food and was strengthened. For several days he
was with the disciples at Damascus.
In a Nutshell
Paul is converted by God's own intervention.
Questions
Think of Ananias' bravery. What did Saul's conversion mean to him and the other Damascus disciples? How would they know it wasn't part of a "sting"?
Luke told us that it was Saul who was the Public Officer on duty at Stephen's execution. There is something strangely matter-of-fact about Luke's account of Saul's conversion. It is not all that different from the way he describes Jesus' resurrection. At one place in the story, Jesus is dead and is then buried. Then after a few days He is large as life. Same again with Saul. At one point in his story, Saul is breathing threats and murder against those who believe that Jesus Christ is God's Chosen One. Then, a few days later, Saul was in the care of the very disciples he had come to Damascus to arrest. Saul the Pharisee was now on the way to becoming Paul the servant of Jesus Christ. This happened because the Lord gave the careful Ananias the courage he needed to search for "Saul of Tarsus" and care for him. Ananias was also given prophetic insight into the future calling of this servant of Jesus.
There are two other accounts of this event in Acts. Chapter 22 tells us what Paul said on the steps of the temple to Jews and Roman soldiers in the midst of a riot. Chapter 26 gives Paul's account before Herod Agrippa II. The story of Paul's life leaves us gasping. Later his conversion would be seen as an amazing turning point. The apostles and disciples could never have imagined anything like this.