THE CONVERSION OF PAUL
ACTS 9:1-18
THE CONVERSION OF PAUL IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE ACCOUNTS RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE. NO TWO CONVERSIONS ARE EVER THE SAME, AND I BELIEVE IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT THE ACCOUNT OF PAUL’S CONVERSION IS THE MOST DRAMATIC, AND THE LONGEST RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE.
I WANT TO SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THE CONVERSION OF PAUL BEGAN WITH THE ARREST OF STEPHEN IN CHAPTER SIX. I BELIEVE THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ACCOUNT OF STEPHEN’S MARTYRDOM WAS NOT THE FACT THAT HE WAS THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYR, FOR THIS FACT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY SCRIPTURE.
I BELIEVE THAT LUKE RECORDED THE MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN TO INTRODUCE US TO A MAN NAMED SAUL. THIS DOES NOT TAKE AWAY ANY SIGNIFICANCE FROM THE LESSONS THAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM STEPHEN’S DEATH, BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE THAT IN THE ENTIRETY OF THE ACCOUNT OF STEPHEN’S MARTYRDOM, THE ONLY OTHER NAME EVER MENTIONED IS THAT OF SAUL. IT IS MENTIONED TWICE IN ACTS 7:58 AND 7:60.
SAUL WOULD HAVE HEARD WHAT STEPHEN SAID IN DESCRIBING HIS VISION. HE WOULD HAVE HEARD HOW HE PRAYED FOR FORGIVENESS FOR THE MEN ABOUT TO KILL HIM. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZED AT THE CALMNESS AND PEACE THAT WAS AROUND STEPHEN AS HE WAS BEING STONED. THESE WOULD ALL LEAVE AN INDULLABLE IMAGE IN HIS MIND.
POINT ONE: ACTS 9:1-3
WE ARE THEN INTRODUCED TO THE PERSECUTION THAT TOOK PLACE IMMEDIATELY AFTER STEPHEN’S DEATH. WE ARE TOLD THAT MANY OF THE HELLENISTIC CHRISTIAN JEWS LEFT JERUSALEM AND WENT INTO HIDING SPREADING THE GOSPEL AS THEY DID. SOME WENT TO DAMASCUS WHERE A GREAT CHRISTIAN PRESENCE ALREADY EXISTED.
DAMASCUS WAS AN IMPORTANT COMMERCIAL CENTER AND A KEY STOP ALONG THE TRADE ROUTE BETWEEN EGYPT AND MESOPOTAMIA. MANY JEWS LIVED IN THE AREA BEFORE THE PERSECUTION AND THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED 30-40 SYNAGOGUES IN THE CITY. THE JEWS FROM JERUSALEM MAY HAVE FELT THAT THEY WOULD GET SOME SANCTUARY FROM THE PERSECUTION THEY WERE RUNNING FROM.
THIS SENT SAUL ON WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A HOLY PILGRIMAGE TO DESTROY THE CHRISTIANS AND THE BLASPHEMY THEY WERE TEACHING. HE OBTAINED FROM THE SANHEDRIN OPEN LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION THAT HE COULD SHARE WITH THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE PLACES HE WOULD VISIT. SEETHING WITH RAGE HE AND HIS COMPANIONS BEGAN THE SIX DAY 175 MILE JOURNEY FROM JERUSALEM TO DAMASCUS.
POINT TWO: ACTS 9:3-10:
THERE ARE THREE ACCOUNTS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS THAT DEAL WITH THE CONVERSION OF PAUL. THEY ARE FOUND HERE, AND IN CHAPTER 22 AND 26, WHERE PAUL IS SPEAKING WHILE UNDER ARREST. EACH ACCOUNT SHEDS MORE LIGHT ON THE INCIDENT.
SAUL’S ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS HAPPENS NEAR DAMASCUS, MOST LIKELY PART OF GOD’S PLAN TO KEEP SAUL FROM HAVING TO TRAVEL A GREAT DISTANCE IN A BLIND STATE.
WE ARE TOLD THAT AT MIDDAY AN INTENSE LIGHT, FROM HEAVEN, FLASHED AROUND THEM. WHAT THIS LIGHT WAS WE DO NOT KNOW, BUT PAUL WOULD LATER SAY IT WAS BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN.
ACTS 26:13: ON THE WAY THERE, AT NOON, I SAW A LIGHT FROM HEAVEN. IT WAS BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN AND FLASHED ALL AROUND ME AND THOSE WHO WERE TRAVELING WITH ME.
THE LIGHT BROUGHT SAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS TO THE GROUND, BUT IT DID NOT CAUSE SAUL’S BLINDNESS, FOR THE OTHER COMPANIONS COULD STILL SEE AFTER THIS.
SAUL SAW SOMETHING MORE. THE LIGHT ITSELF WAS NOT A VISION. IT HAD NO DESCRIPTIVE QUALITIES SUCH AS WHAT STEPHEN SAW WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT SEEING HEAVEN AND JESUS STANDING THERE.
BUT PAUL TELLS KING AGRIPPA IN CHAPTER 26:19:
ACTS 26:19: 19 “KING AGRIPPA, AFTER I HAD THIS VISION FROM HEAVEN, I OBEYED IT.
PAUL IS SPEAKING OF THE INCIDENT ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD AND HE STATES HE HAD A VISION. I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT ALL THE SEM SAW THE FLASH OF LIGHT AND IT BROUGHT THEM TO THE GROUND, BUT PAUL ALSO HAD A VISION OF JESUS, THAT LEFT HIM TEMPORARILY BLIND, BUT NOT THE OTHERS.
SUCH VISIONS OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN EXTREME BRIGHTNESS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO:
MOSES
JESUS ON THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION
JESUS AS HE APPEARS IN REVELATION CHAPTER ONE.
WE THEN LEARN FROM THE ACCOUNT THAT WHILE ON THE GROUND SAUL HEARS A VOICE:
ACTS 9: 4-6:
3 SO SAUL HEADED TOWARD DAMASCUS. AS HE CAME NEAR THE CITY, A BRIGHT LIGHT FROM HEAVEN SUDDENLY FLASHED AROUND HIM. 4 SAUL FELL TO THE GROUND AND HEARD A VOICE SAYING TO HIM, “SAUL, SAUL! WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME?” 5 SAUL SAID, “WHO ARE YOU, LORD?” THE VOICE ANSWERED, “I AM JESUS, WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING.”
THESE STATEMENTS ARE ONLY HEARD BY SAUL. THE MEN HEAR THE SOUND, BUT THEY CAN’T UNDERSTAND. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE, BUT I THINK THAT THE MESSWAGE WAS FOR PAUL AND NOT THEM.
THE REPETITION OF NAMES WAS A COMMON SALUTAION BY JESUS, WHICH HE USED WHEN HE WAS GOING TO POINT OUT SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT. IT IS MUCH THE SAME AS WHEN HE SAYS TRULY TRULY I SAY TO YOU.
WE WOULD UNDERSTAND IT BEST IF WE REMEMBER BACK TO THE DAYS OF OUR YOUTH. WHEN OUR PARENTS CALLED US BY OUR FULL NAME, THEN WE KNEW RIGHT AWAY WE BETTER LISTEN.
IT IS ALSO PROBABLE THAT AT THIS POINT HE IS BLINDED BY THE LIGHT. HE CANNOT SEE WHOM IT IS THAT HE IS TALKING TO, SO THE REQUEST FOR IDENTIFICATION IS UNDERSTANDABLE. THE WORD “KYRIE” IS THE WORD FOR “LORD”, AND OFTEN CAN HAVE THE SAME MEANING SIMPLY AS “SIR”.
VERSE 5 REMOVES ALL DOUBT AS THE IDENTIFICATION IS CLEAR. “I AM JESUS, WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING” FORCES SAUL TO GRAPPLE WITH THE REALITY THAT WE ALL WILL FACE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.
THE GREAT REALITY THAT SAUL HAD TO FACE WAS THAT EVERYTHING HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT ABOUT GOD AND JESUS WAS WRONG.
IN SAUL’S VIEW, ONE OF THE WORST ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN BLASPHEMY HAD BEEN THEIR CLAIM THAT JESUS WAS ALIVE. I CAN JUST HEAR HIS RANTS NOW:
“JESUS OF NAZARETH IS DEAD. DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT A CRUCIFIED NOBODY IS THE PROMISED MESSIAH? WOULD GOD TAKE A CURSED PROPHET AND MAKE HIM THE MESSIAH?NO! HIS FOLLOWERS ARE PREACHING THAT JESUS IS ALIVE AND DOING MIRACLES THROUGH THEM. THEIR POWER COMES FROM SATAN, NOT GOD, AND THEY MUST BE STOPPED AND DESTROYED FOR ALL TIME.”
NOW HE HAS SEEN A VISION, HE HEARS THE VOICE, HE KNOWS THAT ALL OF HIS STRUGGLE WITH THE CHURCH WAS WRONG. THE CHIEF PERSECUTOR WAS NOW TO BECOME ONE OF THE CHIEF-PERSECUTED. WHAT STEPHEN WITNESSED IN HIS VISION WAS TRUE.
BUT ALSO THAT IN PERSECUTING CHRISTIANS, HE WAS IN EFFECT PERSECUTING CHRIST. CHRIST IS IDENTIFIED WITH HIS DISCIPLES. WHEN THEY SUFFER HE SUFFERS.
LUKE 10:16: 16 “WHOEVER LISTENS TO YOU LISTENS TO ME, AND WHOEVER REFUSES TO ACCEPT YOU REFUSES TO ACCEPT ME. AND WHOEVER REFUSES TO ACCEPT ME REFUSES TO ACCEPT THE ONE WHO SENT ME.”
DOESN’T A PARENT HURT WHEN THEIR CHILD IS GOING THROUGH DIFFICULTY, OR CHOOSING A WRONG PATH.
IT IS ALMOST UNBEARABLE TO PICTURE SAUL IN HIS BROKEN AND HELPLESS STATE. HE IS BLIND, AND NEEDS SOMEONE TO LEAD HIM TO DAMASCUS AND THE REALITY THAT JESUS IS ALIVE HIT HIM LIKE A TON OF BRICKS. HIS ENTIRE LIFE HAS BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, AND NOW HE CAN DO NOTHING FOR HIMSELF. NOT ONLY IS HE FACE-TO FACE WITH JESUS, HE IS NOW FACE-TO-FACE WITH HIS OWN SINFUL CONDITION.
PERHAPS THIS IS WHERE SOME OF YOU WHO ARE PRESENT HERE, OR WHO ARE LISTENING BY RADIO ARE AT TODAY. JUST LIKE SAUL, PERHAPS YOU BELIEVED A LOT OF LIES OR MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GOD AND JESUS? DOES GOD EXIST? WHO IS JESUS? WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY ALL ABOUT? PERHAPS YOU HAVE YOUR OWN IDEAS ABOUT ALL OF THIS, BUT AS WITH SAUL ARE COMING TO THE REALITY, THAT ALL THOSE IDEAS ARE NOTHING WHEN FACED WITH THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTED LORD.
JUST LIKE SAUL WE FIND OURSELVES IN A STATE OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS, LOST IN OUR OWN SIN, NOT ABLE TO SEE ANY SPIRITUAL LIGHT AT ALL.
JUST LIKE SAUL, WE NEED SOMEONE TO GUIDE US TO THE POINT OF CONVERSION. WE NEED AN ANANIAS. WE ALSO NEED THE PEOPLE TO HELP US ALONG THE WAY LIKIE SAUL’S COMPANIONS HELPED HIM.
THE SCRIPTURES ARE CLEAR ON THIS POINT:
ROMANS 14:10-12:
WE WILL ALL STAND BEFORE GOD TO BE JUDGED, 11 BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN IN THE SCRIPTURES: “ ‘AS SURELY AS I LIVE,’ SAYS THE LORD, ‘EVERYONE WILL BOW BEFORE ME; EVERYONE WILL SAY THAT I AM GOD.’ ” 12 SO EACH OF US WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO GOD.
WE ARE ALSO INTRODUCED AT THIS POINT TO PAUL’S TRAVELING COMPANIONS. THERE ROLE IN THIS EXPERIENCE WAS TWO-FOLD. FIRST THEY WOULD ACT AS SUAL’S EYES TO GET HIM SAFELY TO DAMASCUS. SECOND, THEY WOULD AUTHENTICATE THE ENCOUNTER THAT SAUL HAD ON THE ROAD.
AUTHENTICATION OF THE ENCOUNTER WAS ESSENTIAL FOR PAUL’S FUTURE MINISTRY. A KEY ELEMENT IN THE CHOOSING OF THE APOSTLES WAS THAT THEY HAD A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHRIST. THEY WERE ALL PICKED BY HIM.
PAUL USED THIS OCCURANCE TO VALIDATE HIS CLAIM OF APOSTLESHIP, THEREFORE, THERE HAD TO BE A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHRIST WHERE JESUS SPECIFICALLY CHOSE HIM FOR THE TASK. THE PRESENCE OF OBJECTIVE WITNESSES GOES FAR TO SUBSTANTIATE PAUL’S CLAIM.
THERE IS ANOTHER VERY VALUABLE LESSON WE CAN LEARN FROM SAUL’S COMPANIONS. NOTE THAT WHILE THEY SAW THE FLASH AND HEARD THE NOISE, THEY WERE NEITHER BLINDED BY THE LIGHT, NOR UNDERSTOOD ANY WORDS FROM THE SOUND.
IS THIS NOT AN APT DESCRIPTION OF THE RECEPTION OF THE GOSPEL TO PEOPLE TODAY? HOW MANY OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY HEAR THE GOSPEL PREACHED, OR SEE MIRACLES THAT THEY KNOW COME FROM GOD, AND YET WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT JESUS IS GIVEN THERE IS NO UNDERSTANDING OR ACCEPTANCE. THE SCRIPTURES ARE CLEAR:
JOHN 6:44: 44 THE FATHER IS THE ONE WHO SENT ME. NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS THE FATHER DRAWS HIM TO ME, AND I WILL RAISE THAT PERSON UP ON THE LAST DAY.
POINT THREE: ACTS 9:10-18:
THIS LAST SECTION OF SAUL’S CONVERSION HAPPENS THREE DAYS LATER IN A HOUSE ON THE STREET CALLED STRAIGHT IN DAMASCUS. THIS STREET IS STILL THERE TODAY. ANANIAS WAS TO GO TO JUDA’S HOUSE, LAY HIS HANDS UPON SAUL SO THAT HE COULD REGAIN HIS SIGHT.
ANANIAS AT FIRST PROTESTS AGAINST THIS MISSION FROM GOD WHICH THIS IS UNUSUAL AS ANANIAS’ NAME MEANS “JEHOVAH IS GRACIOUS.” HE KNOWS SAUL’S REPUTATION, AND PROBABLY KNOWS ABOUT THE LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION THAT SAUL CARRIES WITH HIM. WHAT HE DOES NOT KNOW IS WHAT HAPPENED ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD.
HERE IS ANOTHER LESSON FOR US THAT LUKE SO CAPABLY RECORDS. JESUS SPEAKS JUST A FEW WORDS TO BOTH SAUL AND ANANIAS. NOTE HOW THE WORDS ARE RECEIVED. SAUL WAS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED TO HEAR A FEW WORDS FROM CHRIST. THE GREEK TEXT SPEAKS OF SAUL TREMBLING IN JESUS’ PRESENCE.
ANANIAS SEEMS COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE IN CONVERSATION WITH JESUS AS IF HE WERE TALKING TO A MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY.
FRIEND, IF JESUS WERE TO HAVE A FEW WORDS WITH YOU TODAY, HOW WOULD YOU RECEIVE THEM? WOULD YOU BE LIKE SAUL, TREMBLING IN FEAR AND GUILT, OR WOULD WOULD YOU BE LIKE ANANIAS, WELCOMING THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNE WITH THE LORD.
REMEMBER THAT ONE DAY, AND IT MAY COME SOON, YOU WILL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH CHRIST. THE DIFFERENCE IS THIS. RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DETERMINE HOW YOU WILL STAND BEFORE CHRIST. ON THE DAY THAT CHRIST CALLS FOR YOU, YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-2:
WE ARE WORKERS TOGETHER WITH GOD, SO WE BEG YOU: DO NOT LET THE GRACE THAT YOU RECEIVED FROM GOD BE FOR NOTHING. 2 GOD SAYS, “AT THE RIGHT TIME I HEARD YOUR PRAYERS. ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” I TELL YOU THAT THE “RIGHT TIME” IS NOW, AND THE “DAY OF SALVATION” IS NOW.
VERSES 15-16 COMPRISE THE HEART OF ANANIAS’ VISION.
ACTS 9:15-16:
15 BUT THE LORD SAID TO ANANIAS, “GO! I HAVE CHOSEN SAUL FOR AN IMPORTANT WORK. HE MUST TELL ABOUT ME TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT JEWS, TO KINGS, AND TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. 16 I WILL SHOW HIM HOW MUCH HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME.”
SAUL WAS THE LORD’S CHOSEN INSTRUMENT TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES. JESUS CHOSE SAUL BEFORE SAUL CHOSE JESUS.
LET US CONSIDER HOW ANANIAS MINISTERED TO SAUL. ALL SUSPICION HAS VANISHED WHEN ANANIAS MEETS SAUL AND HE TAKES SAUL TO HIS HEART AS A BROTHER IN CHRIST.
ANANIAS LAYS HIS HAND ON SAUL AND SOMETHING LIKE SCALES FALL OFF SAUL’S EYES AND HE CAN SEE AGAIN. ANANIAS CONFIRMS THAT IT WAS JESUS THAT SAUL ENCOUNTERED ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD. HE BAPTIZES SAUL AND SAUL RECEIVES THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT AN UNNAMED POINT IN THIS PROCESS. IT IS UNKNOWN BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHEN SAUL’S ACTUAL CONVERSION HAPPENED.
IT IS HERE THAT WE SHOULD AGAIN VISIT THE DRAMATIC PRESENTATION OF THE GOSPEL THAT WE FIND IN SAUL’S CONVERSION. WHILE ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS SAUL WAS CONFRONTED WITH HIS SINFUL CONDITION THROUGH HIS PHYSICAL BLINDNESS. HE WAS IN A STATE OF DARKNESS AND HOPELESSNESS.
NOW IN DAMASCUS SAUL’S SPIRITUAL AWAKENING IS COMPLETE. BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZES JESUS AS LORD OF HIS LIFE, THE SCALES ON HIS SPIRITUAL EYES FALL OFF, AND NOT ONLY CAN HE SEE PHYSICALLY, BUT ALSO SPIRITUALLY.
SAUL’S MISSION IS CLEARLY POINTED OUT IN THAT HE IS TO BE A MISSIONARY TO THE GENTILES. IT IS NOW THAT HE BEGINS TO USE HIS GREEK NAME OF PAUL.
CONCLUSION:
WE CAN LEARN SOME VALUABLE LESSONS AS WE LOOK AT THE CONVERSION OF PAUL.
1. GOD CAN USE EVEN THE MOST OBSCURE SAINT. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE CONVERSION OF SAUL WE MAY NOT HAVE EVER HEARD THE WONDERFUL STORY OF STEPHEN, OR OF ANANIAS. BEHIND MANY WELL-KNOWN SERVANTS OF GOD ARE LESSER-KNOWN BELIEVERS WHO INFLUENCED THEM.
2. THE EXPERIENCE OF ANANIAS ALSO REMINDS US THAT WE SHOULD NEVER BE AFRAID TO OBEY GOD’S WILL. WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT HIS PERFECT WILL IS ALWAYS BE WORKED FOR THE BEST OF HIS PEOPLE.
3. WE MUST NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF ONE PERSON BROUGHT TO CHRIST. ANANIAS WAS ONLY SENT TO ONE MAN THAT WE KNOW OF, BUT THAT MAN WAS PAUL.
4. WE NEED TO SEE OUR LIVES IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNAL VALUE, NOT WORLDLY STANDARDS. JUST AS GOD CHOSE PAUL, SO ALSO DID HE CHOOSE YOU, IF YOU ARE A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN. IF YOU ARE NOT, THEN MAY TODAY BE THE DAY OF DECISION FOR YOU.
