Acts 9: 3-8
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the LORD said, “I am Jesus [Yeshua], whom you are persecuting.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, LORD, what do You want me to do?” Then the LORD said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and led him into Damascus.
Acts 22: 6-11
“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone about me. “And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ “So I answered, ‘Who are You,
Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus [Yeshua] of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. “So I said, ‘What shall I do, LORD?’ And the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told al the things which are appointed for you to do.’ “And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.”
Acts 22: 17-19, 21-22
“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the Temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him [Yeshua] saying to me, “Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ “So I said, ‘LORD, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. “Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far away from here to the Gentiles.’ ” And they listened to him until this word [Gentiles], and they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth for he is not fit to live!”
Acts 24: 10-12, 17-18
Then Paul, after the Governor [Felix] had nodded for him to speak, answered: “Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerily answer for myself, ‘Because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. “And they neither found me in the Temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. “Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation, “in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult.”
Acts 21: 26-30
Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each of them. Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, crying out, “Men of Israel help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the [Jewish] people, the Law [Torah], and this place [Temple]; and furthermore he also brought Greeks [Gentiles] into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple; and immediately the doors were shut.
NOTE: This was the pivotal event leading up to Paul’s speech before the crowd about his conversion, after they had settled down somewhat; which they were accepting up until he said that the LORD was sending him to the “Gentiles.” (Cp. Acts 22: 22)
Acts 26: 1-3, 9-19
Then King Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself. “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all these things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. “This I also did in Jerusalem and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they [the saints] were put to death, I cast my vote against them. “And I punished them in every synagogue and compelled to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged [a madman] against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. “While thus occupied [obsessed], as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, “at midday, O King, along the road I saw a light from heaven shining round me and those who journeyed with me. “And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? “So I said, Who are You, Lord?” And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ‘But rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you. ‘I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ “Therefore King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
COMMENTARY: This last explanation of Paul’s conversion has some details that the earlier versions lack or the information is not consistent in the narrative. Paul mentions that he and the rest of his companions fell to the ground and Jesus [Yeshua] only spoke to him in the Hebrew language. Paul essentially receives his commission directly from the LORD Jesus on the road where he had fallen down before he was commanded to stand up on his feet and go into the city of Damascus where he would receive further instructions. In point-of-fact, it is the LORD Jesus [Yeshua] who tells Ananias in Acts 9: 15
But the LORD said to him [Ananias], “Go, for he [Saul/Paul] is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” Ananias was mentioned once again by the Apostle Paul, according to Acts 22: 12-15 as the one who told him what work the LORD Jesus [Yeshua] had for him to perform instead of the LORD telling him directly on the road outside Damascus. Paul does not mention to King Agrippa about being in a trace at the Temple and the LORD Jesus appearing to him and mentioning that He was sending him far away to the Gentiles (Cp. Acts 22: 17, 21).
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 30, 2010
Robertrandle51@yahoo.com
