Acts of the Holy Spirit #14 (Acts 9:1-19)

Acts chapter 9 contains the first of three accounts of 's life-changing encounter with the risen on the way to .

One of the curiosities of Acts is that it records the personal testimony of Saul three times but doesn't record the testimony of any of the other apostles or church leaders. Every historian makes choices on what to include and what to omit. Luke’s motivation for writing that seems to make most sense of his choices is if he was providing historical information and relevant details to aid Paul's defence at his trail in (about 62 AD). With that context, the latter two accounts are relevant and important because the first one happened when Paul was taken in to protective custody in (: 4-16), and the second account was part of his hearing in Caesarea before King Agrippa and the Roman governor Festus (: 12-20)).

Most that include section headings use the phrase “The Conversion of Saul” or something similar, to describe the first part of chapter 9. In Israel and in Jewish circles in general the term “conversion” comes with a lot of baggage, so an alternative is worth considering. Luke uses a word meaning conversion in :3 when referring to the Gentiles, but Paul doesn’t use that word when he is reflecting on this turning point in his life; he refers to it as a “calling” (Gal 1:15) and an “appointing” (1 Tim 1:12).

Damascus was about a week’s journey by foot from Jerusalem (about 220 km), and Saul was walking in the midday sun presumably in order to arrive before sundown. Then, although it was midday, a dazzling light surrounded him and his travelling companions and a voice from heaven called to him. This was not just a vision or a hallucination – his companions experienced it too though they didn’t understand what the voice said (22:9). Saul collapsed to the ground due, no doubt, to a combination of surprise, fear and the weight of Glory. The encounter, plus what was said was clearly a great shock to his system – physically, mentally and spiritually. But at least he managed to ask the two import questions: “Who are you?” and “What shall I do?” (22:10). The first answer - “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” shook him to the core of his being such that he would never be the same again. One noteworthy outcome is that it’s possible to trace back to this revelation Paul’s understanding and teaching about the church as the Body of Christ. As for what to do next, Jesus’ instruction is simple: “...enter the city and you will be told what you are to do”. Just enough information for the next step.

Saul’s arrival in Damascus was nothing like what he planned. Instead of a mighty man with zeal and authority, we see a man who has been overwhelmed both physically and spiritually and is led like a child into the city. His temporary blindness was a gift from God – it helped him focus without distractions. Going without food in this situation was probably an easy choice for Saul, but going without water for three days was remarkable and showed how seriously he took his predicament.

Clearly, the Lord is not in a hurry, after all, Saul has a lot of thinking and praying to do. After three days he instructs Ananias in a vision to go to Straight Street (which can still be found in Damascus), find Saul and lay his hands on him so that he may regain his sight. The Lord’s description of Saul – “behold, he is praying” – seems to suggest that what Saul used to do in terms of prayer was just “going through the motions” compared with what he was doing now.

Ananias asks a reasonable question and the Lord responds with a summary of his plans for Saul. So Ananias comes to Saul and lays his hands on him. That physical touch on a blind man, his words of grace (“Brother Saul”) as a servant of the Lord, and the power of the Holy Spirit combined to make this an unforgettable victory for the Lord. And suddenly Saul could see.