Paul's conversion
Paul walking to Damascus suddenly falls to the ground. He is shrouded with light from heaven and hears the voice of Jesus.
Scriptures | 2 Corinthians 5:17 2 Timothy 1:8 Acts 22:1-30 Acts 9:1-43 Galatians 1:1-24 |
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Acts Chapter 221 āBrothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.ā2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:3 āI am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.6 āAs I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, āSaul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?ā8 And I answered, āWho are you, Lord?āAnd he said to me, āI am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.ā9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.10 And I said, āWhat shall I do, Lord?āAnd the Lord said to me, āRise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.ā11 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.12 āAnd one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, āBrother Saul, receive your sight.āAnd at that very hour I received my sight and saw him.14 And he said, āThe God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.ā17 āWhen I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance18 and saw him saying to me, āMake haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.ā19 And I said, āLord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.ā21 And he said to me, āGo, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.ā ā22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, āAway with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.ā23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this.25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, āIs it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?ā26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, āWhat are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.ā27 So the tribune came and said to him, āTell me, are you a Roman citizen?ā And he said, āYes.ā28 The tribune answered, āI bought this citizenship for a large sum.ā Paul said, āBut I am a citizen by birth.ā29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. Acts Chapter 91 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest2 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.3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, āSaul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?ā5 And he said, āWho are you, Lord?ā And he said, āI am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.ā7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, āAnanias.ā And he said, āHere I am, Lord.ā11 And the Lord said to him, āRise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.ā13 But Ananias answered, āLord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.ā15 But the Lord said to him, āGo, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.ā17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, āBrother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.ā18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;19 and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, āHe is the Son of God.ā21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, āIs not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?ā22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him,24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him,25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him.30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.34 And Peter said to him, āAeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.ā And immediately he rose.35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.36 Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, āPlease come to us without delay.ā39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, āTabitha, arise.ā And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.43 And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner. Galatians Chapter 11 Paul, an apostleānot from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the deadā2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospelā7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not manās gospel.12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lordās brother.20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.23 They only were hearing it said, āHe who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.ā24 And they glorified God because of me. |
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