Paul’s Testimony told by Luke
As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?” “Who are You, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
Acts 9:3-9
Paul addressing the crowd on the steps of the Temple in Jerusalem
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.
But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’ But 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.
Acts 22:3-11
Paul addressing Agrippa in Caesarea
“So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.”
Acts 26:9-20
As I said in the last Gems, as I thought about all these appearances I was struck by the fact that the disciples who went on to do marvellous things in the spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth had numerous experiences with the resurrected Christ. There were numerous times when the other disciples met face to face with the risen Christ. Each of these disciples went on to do marvellous things in the name of the LORD. Count up the number of times each of the disciples saw Jesus after His death, burial and resurrection. Remember they had doubts even after Peter, Mary Magdalene and a number of the other women as well as the two on the road to Emmaus reported seeing Him. After Jesus had walked into the locked room through the walls and appeared to all the disciples minus Thomas which left Thomas himself doubting, Jesus came back another time and appeared to them all plus Thomas. The impact must have been amazing. Someone once asked if Jesus still has the scars of crucifixion; I believe He does. The impact of that on each of the disciples must have been staggering.
Now think of Saul, who was present at the time of Stephen’s martyrdom and was filled with murderous intent toward Christians as a result. What kind of man can witness a person stoned to death and see the reaction of Stephen himself which was similar to Jesus in forgiving his persecutors, yet can still condone his brutal killing. As Paul himself says in Romans – Although they know God’s judgment that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do these things but also approve of others who do them. (Rom 1:32) The young Saul was championing a cause he fully agreed with, as Luke told us. We all know how hard it is to change a person’s mind about a belief or a cause about which they feel passionately.
Saul hadn’t seen the LORD when He was on earth before that moment on the road to Damascus and he didn’t get to see Him multiple times before he was dramatically transformed. He just saw Him once and once only before he said, ”What shall I do, Lord?’’. That is remarkable. What a transformation as a result of just one appearance! I suspect some of you may ask me if Paul saw Jesus at any other times. Well take note of what the Lord told him in response to Paul’s question, “Who are you lord?” ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ It is clear that Jesus appeared to Paul multiple times after that first appearance outside of Damascus. That first appearance had such an impact on him that it changed Saul completely and Jesus knew it.
“Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw Him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.”
1 Cor 15:8-9
I have deliberately kept both forms of Saul / Paul’s initial response. Was it, “Who are you, lord?” or was it ‘Who are You, Lord?’ One of you noticed the difference which prompted the question, “Shouldn’t Lord in verse 5 be capitalised? Why doesn’t the version you used have a capital for the word Lord. What version did you use?”
Some versions record lord, some record Lord. None record LORD. But each form of the word lord is important. It is a matter of interpretation as to which way Saul meant it.
lord
This form indicates that Saul is simply using a term of respect because initially Saul did not know who was speaking to him. So it could have been translated ‘sir’. When Saul first heard the voice he was not to know who he was taking with. Besides he was confronted with a blinding light that surrounded him.
Lord
This form indicates a term of reverence. Indeed Saul tells us “So, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision (Acts 26:19) At some stage Paul recognised that it was a Divine utterance.
LORD
This form is the one which indicates the word LORD is a substitute for the TetraGrammaton – the four letters which represent YHWH. Note that this form is not used in these verses.
Notice too what the LORD said to Saul. ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.” He mentions Saul name twice. That is always telling when the repetition of a name occurs twice in Scripture. But in addition to that, the Lord makes it clear to Saul exactly who He was. Note that Paul tells us at a later date that Jesus appeared to him. So the encounter was clear enough for him to know that he had met with Jesus, the risen Christ. Just stop and imagine the impact of that and the impact of the words, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Ponder that before we move on.
More next Gems as this one has already grown longer than I intended.
Sometimes a word at the right time from the right person is enough to stop us in our tracks.
Ian Vail
Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
Anon
If you’re going to Possess it, you’re going to have to Walk in it and you’re going to have to Occupy it!
T D Jakes
Be careful not to become so comfortable in your blessing that you get amnesia and forget that God did it!
Anon
I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
Saul of Tarsus (Acts 26:19)