The Conversion of Saul

Introduction to Saul (v. 1-2)

We are going through the book of Acts on my weeks and we are looking at Acts 9 today.

We already saw, in Acts 3-7, the witness of the church in Jerusalem.

Now, in Acts 8-12, we are seeing the witness of the church in Judea and Samaria.

Our passage today is Acts 9:1-31 and by way of introduction, we will first look at the context of Acts 9:1-2.

The topic of this passage is the conversion of a man, a pharisee, named Saul. And, we ought to read this in connection with the last time we met Saul.

If you recall, Acts 8 began with a summary of Saul’s persecution against the church which was the catalyst that scattered the church into the regions surrounding Jerusalem. It is also what led to Philip going north to Samaria.

Acts 7:58–8:3 LSB

And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he was calling out and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And having said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he was delivering them into prison.

We can read the beginning of Acts 9 in connection with this passage:

Acts 9:1–2 LSB

Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Saul

So, this is the point at which Saul is introduced to us: he is a young Pharisee who is in hearty agreement with the destruction of this new sect of Jesus-followers, the people who follow “the way.” He is persecuting the very body of Jesus Christ. It is as though with every stone that struck Stephen, they were throwing a stone at Christ. But interestingly, the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

What is it that Stephen prayed? “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” The text seems to purposefully draw attention to Saul in connection with this prayer. Luke tells us he is present, Stephen prays, then Saul is in hearty agreement. I believe that we are seeing the answer to Stephen’s prayer in our text today.

Was it right that the Jews stoned Stephen? No. Should the civil magistrates have let this injustice happen? No. What did Stephen do in response? He prayed. Not for judgment, but for forgiveness.

And the conversion of Saul has effected even all of Western Civilization. Saul is a looming figure for us today in the New Covenant. He was particularly set apart and used by God to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.

He is called Saul until Acts 13:9 when it is noted by Luke that he is also known as Paul. Saul is a Hebrew name, Paul is a Greek name. There are reasons particular to the text in Acts 13 for this change in name which we will look at when we get there. However, in a broader sense, there is a change in the narrative at that point as well: we move from a Jewish focus to a Gentile focus for the latter half of the book of Acts hence the change from a Jewish name to a Gentile one.

In this final covenant, the New Covenant, God has ingrafted us Gentiles, using Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles as the foundational figure for our part in God’s House.

The book of Acts ends with Paul proclaiming the good news of the kingdom in Rome: Acts 28:31 “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, unhindered.”

Then, in our Canon, we have 13 books of the Bible, all written by him, directly after this final scene in Acts, one can almost imagine Paul in Rome with a quill, thinking about all of the churches and leaders that he wants to help, encourage, and rebuke:

Romans

1-2 Corinthians

Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians

1-2 Thessalonians

1-2 Timothy & Titus

Philemon

Maybe Hebrews...

Half of the New Testament was written by this man.

And what was he doing when we first met him? Well, potentially, he was disputing with Stephen in Acts 6:9 “But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and were arguing with Stephen.” But, more clearly, he was in hearty agreement with the destruction of Christ’s church in Acts 8.

This just so happens to be the position of every person born in Adam: at enmity with God, under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death iteself, and to the pains of hell forever. In our natural condition, we all would persecute Christ and His body, the church.

But God, in His grace, has elected to save some out of this estate of sin and misery and bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.

God did that for this rotten persecutor of His church: Saul.

“...the Way...”

Acts 3.2.1. Saul’s Apocalypse (9:1–9)

This is the first time the movement is called “the Way,” but the label occurs five other times in Acts (19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). Appropriately, Saul will shortly encounter Jesus on “the way” (9:17, 27). The identification of the community of Jesus followers as “the Way” is derived from

Isaiah 35:8 “And a roadway will be there, a highway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not pass by on it, But it will be for him who walks in that way, And ignorant fools will not wander on it.”

Isaiah 42:16 ““I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not forsake them.””

I think it is appropriate to see the children of Israel traveling out of Egypt and being pursued by Pharoah in this passage in Acts. God’s people are on their “way” to sabbath rest in the new creation, but the principalities and powers of the old creation, as typified by Pharaoh in Egypt, are “...breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord...”.

And this is no different for us today: we are travelers on the same “way.” We are beckoning others to come with us, and sometimes, yeah, often, if we are actually on the path, we will find that there are those who hotly pursue us but not for righteous ends.

A bit of foreshadowing here is appropriate: In the context of this passage, the Jewish leaders, the old temple leadership, the principalities and powers of the old world, are the ones breathing out threatenings. Interestingly, it is the civil magistrate, the Romans, who will have to step in to keep the seed of the serpent from harming the followers of Christ.

Jim Jordan makes the point that when the civil magistrate operates as it ought to, then it protects and guards the church of God. Why? Because the church ought to have the Truth of good and evil, right? If so, when the civil magistrate punishes evil and praises good, it will align perfectly, or ought to, with the church. We will talk about this more when Paul has his run-ins with the Jews and the civil authorities later on in this book.

The point is this: We are either in one of two categories. We can be:

At enmity with Christ and His body: in the same position as Pharoah and Saul, breathing out threatenings and murder against the disciples of the Lord, in which case we will have an apocalypse. Pharoah was baptized in water and washed away. Paul will be baptized in light, blinded, and led away. If you are not a Christian, a believer in Jesus, then you will be. It is inevitable. And it is only by God’s grace that you are not washed away, blinded by light, crushed with a rod of iron, at every moment. As Edwards pointed out, the only thing keeping you out of hell in this moment is the mere good pleasure of God towards you. And He is not inclined to preserve you in His justice. His justice cries out for your immediate judgment. How will you treat this kindness of God? You have an opportunity to have peace with God at His table. The peace offering is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Will you rest in Jesus or be washed away as Pharoah, or blinded and chained to the pillars of destruction like Samson?

The second category. On the way: We can be moving toward that Sabbath rest and toiling to build the kingdom. If we are in this category, then those who are in the first category, at enmity with Christ and His body, will persecute us. The enemies of the Lord will be our enemies. But, let the prayer of Stephen be our prayer: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Is not the impending judgment of Hell on the enemies of God enough judgement? Who are we to prefer judgment over repentance? If we have allowed this sinful resentment towards our fellow man to arise, then let us repent of it. If we would rather as Jonah, position ourselves to see the destruction of the wicked, then we need to cry out to God for mercy on us. Remember, if you forgive others, then God will also forgive you.

Outline

Saul’s apocalypse (V. 3-9)

Ananias’ vision (v. 10-19)

Saul’s mission (v. 19-31)

Saul’s Apocalypse (v. 3-9)

Acts 9:3–9 LSB

And as he was traveling, it happened that when he was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” And the men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. And Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Senses: “...heard a voice...stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one...eyes were open, he could see nothing...by the hand...without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”

Notice the emphasis on the senses: hearing, speaking, seeing, feeling, eating/drinking. All the faculties were affected by this meeting.

Posture: “...traveling...falling...got up...leading him by the hand...”

Saul was autonomously traveling until confronted with God and falling. Before rising up in newness of life and being led by the hand.

The Conversion of Saul

Regeneration: Schreiner and others call this Saul’s apocalypse: it is the death of Saul. He has fallen, blind, but is being raised to walk in newness of life. He is being reborn. He has been Redeemed.

Commissioning: There is another element here, though, it is similar to Isaiah and Ezekiel’s theophanies described.

Ezekiel 1:28–2:3 “As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw this, and I fell on my face and heard a sound of a voice speaking. Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!” And as He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and caused me to stand on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.”

As the prophets of old, Paul is being sent by God as a prophet to the Gentiles as we are told later because this is exactly what Ananias is sent to tell him.

So it is recounting Saul’s regeneration as well as his commissioning.

This description of Saul’s conversion is a visible total recreation of a person from a wretched sinner, to a servant of Jesus. It is an extraordinary event. This man has been persecuting the church, he represents the seed of the serpent, warring against the seed of the women. And God takes this “mass of fallen humanity” (Washer) and recreates it into something glorious.

We ought not lose sight of the fact that this does happen at every conversion, but it is not often so visible: By God’s grace, our children will not need to have such an experience because they will have been raised as disciples of Christ. The Spirit may wait until they are young adults or even old adults to bring about true conversion. And some of our children may have an experience like Paul despite being raised in the faith: They may be blind for a time; they may wander from the path; but by God’s grace, perhaps the patterns you have established in their life now, God’s Spirit will use to goad them back into the fold.

Christ will NOT lose any of His sheep. He truly is the good shepherd. And we, as under-shepherds, must say with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”

So, Saul, the persecutor of Christ’s body, experiences a Christophany on the road to Damascus. He loses his sight and is led by the hand into the city.

Ananias’ Vision (v. 10-19)

Acts 9:10–19 LSB

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 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.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem. “And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And he laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord sent me—that is Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming—so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he rose up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus...

“Rise up and go...”

This is reminiscent of Samuel going to anoint David or Elijah going to anoint Elisha and being commissioned to anoint Jehu. There are elements here that should remind us of being set apart by God for a specific purpose.

Not only did Paul experience a theophany, but he also has a special messenger sent by God to him, to lay hands on him and set him apart for this service.

“...a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel...”

This special messenger is not one of the Apostles nor is he otherwise particularly prominent. John Chrisostym suggested that this was to demonstrate, or prove, that Saul’s conversion was a work of Christ alone. Philip was sent to the Ethiopian eunuch, but Christ Himself came to Saul. This is why I call him the 13th Apostle: he was particularly commissioned by Christ in the same way that was peculiar to the original 12.

The Twelve represent the reconstituted Israel, and Paul represents the in-grafting of the Gentiles (1 Timothy 2:7).

“...he regained his sight...was baptized...took food...was with the disciples...”

The activities of a newly converted Saul are very similar to those converted in Acts 2:41–42 “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.”

Jesus who appeared to you on the road...He regained his sight: Notice that immediately after Ananias tells Saul about Jesus, he regains his sight. I take this to mean that his mind was enlightened and his will was renewed so that he was enabled to embrace Jesus Christ as He was freely offered to him in the Gospel. This was all visually and physically demonstrated to him in how he was cast down, blinded, raised up, and led by the hand:

Isaiah 42:16 ““I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not forsake them.””

Baptism: This is what new converts do: they visibly associate with the people of God, the body of Christ, in Baptism. Just as the Israelites would have associated visibly with the people of God in circumcision.

Colossians 2:11–12 “in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

Being baptized is called the circumcision of Christ.

Galatians 3:27 “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Baptism is called the “circumcision of Christ,” the clothing of Christ, and the death and resurrection of Christ. Did you know that when you were baptized you were also circumcised, clothed, and buried yet raised again? You have taken Christ’s name. You proclaim that you will walk in newness of life as befits a follower of Jesus Christ. Are you living your life according to what you profess to believe?

Took food/was with the disciples: This is literally breaking his fast with physical food. But in context, he was in fellowship with Christ’s body (“was with the disciples”), this is suggestive. He was eating with these people. And that’s what we do in the Lord’s Supper, we eat with our Lord and His people, in peace. Actually, in baptism, he joined himself to Christ’s new temple, and now, he was in fellowship with Christ and His people.

Deuteronomy 12:5-7 “But you shall seek Yahweh at the place which Yahweh your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. “And there you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. “There also you and your households shall eat before Yahweh your God, and be glad in all that you send forth your hand to do, in which Yahweh your God has blessed you.”

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

These visible things are the means God has established for His people to physically, visibly have fellowship with Him. We enter when we are washed in baptism and we commune as we eat and drink together. This is what we see Saul doing here after his conversion.

Saul’s Mission (v. 19-31)

Acts 9:19–31 LSB

...Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all those hearing him continued to be astounded, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those that called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this One is the Christ. And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to put him to death, but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a large basket. And when he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and recounted to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. So he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews, but they were attempting to put him to death. But when the brothers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria was having peace, being built up. And going on in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to multiply.

“...for several days...”

He immediately began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues. He did not delay what God had commissioned him to be doing.

“...kept increasing in strength...”

This was also a description given of John the Baptist and Christ:

Luke 1:80 “And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the desolate regions until the day of his public appearance to Israel.”

Luke 2:40 “Now the Child continued to grow and become strong, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

“...many days...”

His consistency led to the Jews plotting to put him to death. This resulted in his followers lowering him through the wall in a basket by night. Reminiscent of the spies in Jericho, and David running from King Saul.

Joshua 2:15 “Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall.”

1 Samuel 19:12 “So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped.”

“...he came to Jerusalem...”

He makes his way South to Jerusalem but his former sin alienates him from the disciples. But Barnabas, who has previously been introduced as the “son of encouragement,” accepts Saul’s testimony and introduces him to the Apostles.

He remains in Jerusalem, moving freely and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. But again, this leads to an attempt on his life.

“...down to Caesarea...to Tarsus...”

So he is sent ultimately North to Tarsus which is where he will remain until he comes back into the story in chapter 11 when Barnabas seeks him out to help teach the new and growing church in Antioch.

“...church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria...”

And now, Luke tells us that the church has been established in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. What will be next?

Application

How do we think about those at enmity with God (those outside)?

These are people who do not have faith in Jesus. They are like Saul, persecuting the body of Christ and denying the truth of the Gospel. They are like those walking in the dark and tripping. Not knowing over what they stumble and kicking against the goad of the general call of faith. Unless they have an encounter with the giver of life and are made ready through an enlightened mind and a renewed will, they will be at enmity with Christ.

Are you prepared to be Ananias, to go to someone who has been persecuting the body of Christ? Who participated in the death of Stephen? Will you be like Barnabas, the son of encouragement, to some lost and misguided sinner that the Holy Spirit is bringing into the faith?

How do we think about the body of Christ (those inside)?

When Saul was persecuting the church, Christ said that he was persecuting His body. How we live with our brothers and sisters is exactly how we live with Christ. Christ said that if you give the least of these water or bread then you have given that to him. If you have visited the least of these in prison, then you have visited him. Are you ready to give up your life in service to Christ?

This is how we discern the Lord’s body. Parents, are you raising your children to do that? Are you raising your children to live lives of service and self-sacrifice toward those that have no power and agency? To stand up for the widow and the orphan, the foreigner?

The Lord’s Supper

Deuteronomy 12:5–7 LSB

“But you shall seek Yahweh at the place which Yahweh your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. “And there you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. “There also you and your households shall eat before Yahweh your God, and be glad in all that you send forth your hand to do, in which Yahweh your God has blessed you.

Before we sit at the table with our Lord, I would like to draw your attention back to that passage in Deuteronomy 12:5-7.

Where is the place which Yahweh has chosen for his dwelling now?

Ezekiel 37:26–28 “And I will cut a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will give them the land and multiply them and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. And the nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”  

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”

1 Corinthians 11:20 “Therefore when you meet together in the same place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper...” Implying that ordinarily, when the church met together, it was to break bread. It was to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

So, we’ve established that the dwelling place for us is when we are gathered, there is Christ in our midst. We are Christ’s body and Romans 12 says that we are members one of another. This is the place where we physically together meet with God.

In what manner are we to eat with our households?

We are to be glad in all that we are sending forth our hand to do. Why? Because we have peace with God! We are as Adam in the garden. We commune with the tree of life. We can now go and take dominion of the land.

We do not have to fear anything. We can labor and know that our labor is not in vain. All because we have peace with God, in His house, at His table, with His people.

So, let us partake today with in the gladness of God’s blessing upon His people and all their labor.