CONVERSION of SAUL

CONVERSION of SAUL

The Passage: Acts 9:1-22

Structure:

I. Intro, 9:1-2, people brought in chains to Jerusalem

  a. 9:3-4, call to Saul

    b. 9:5-7, response of Saul

      c. 9:8, open eyes, but can’t see

        d. 9:9, not seeing, not eating, not drinking 

  a’. 9:10-12, Call to Ananias

    b’. 9:13-16, Response of Ananias

      c’. 9:17-18, Saul regains his eyesight

        d’. 9:19-20, eating and recovery of strength 

I’. 9:21-22, Saul should be brought in chains to the high priest  

Historical and geographical context:

Damascus is about 200 miles north of Jerusalem. Saul got an appointment to the high priest asking him for the letters to the synagogues at Damascus. Apparently, the high priest had authority over the distant synagogues. The request of letters and reception of Saul by high-priest shows his high-profile position in the Jewish religious-political society.    

Theology:

Theology of the Way. Saul wants to capture those who belong to “the way”. On the way to Damascus, he meets Jesus who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When Ananias came to Saul, he mentions Jesus who appeared to Saul on the road (ESV). The meaning of the road is a double entendre – the road which you came (meaning the Royal highway, between Jerusalem and Damascus) and the way of life that led to the persecution of Jesus and the Church (cp. Ps. 1:6).       

Persecution of the Church is the persecution of Jesus. Saul was like a dragon – breathing threats and murder (cp. Rev. 12:1-6). He was looking for the ones who would belong to the way, both men and women (very egalitarian). Later Ananias acknowledges to the Lord that Saul is famous for doing evil to the saints at Jerusalem (9:13). Yet, when Jesus meets him on the road, He claims that Saul persecutes Him personally (9:5). No wonder that St. Paul (former Saul) develops an idea of body of Christ – the Church (cp. 1 Cor. 12).   

Personal meeting with Jesus Christ. The persecution of the Church was based on Saul’s zeal for God. He was doing an evil thing but was not an evil man. Fighting for the honor of God’s congregation, he was granted the personal meeting with Jesus. And the Lord Jesus comes to him as a judge – the blinding light of condemnation. Yet, this condemnation, producing godly grief, was guiding him to repentance (cp. 2 Cor. 7:10-11).      

Creation theology. Saul, being blinded, not eating, and not drinking, is de-created. After his three days in the darkness (cp. Jonah and Jesus in the tomb) Saul was re-created as a disciple. The recreation began with “light” – re-gaining the ability to see, then like the earth he goes under the water being baptized. What followed light is eating and drinking – coming into filling stage. As Biblical creation paradigm suggests, filling is followed by enlightenment, which was realized by the preaching of the Gospel in the Damascus synagogues (cp. Gen 1:1-2, Acts 9:17-22).    

Theology of names. If you remember in chapter 5 there were Ananias and Saphira. They offended the Holy Spirit by hiding a portion of the sale price for their real estate. Regardless of name’s meaning – favorite of the Lord – Ananias of chapter 5 misused the favoritism in a wrong way. This story presents a good Ananias. The one who used favor and mercy of the Lord in a proper faithful way.   

Other themes:

Personal Pauline reflections on blindness. It is possible that St. Paul refers to his partially recovered eyesight when he mentions in 2nd letter to Corinthians (12:5-9). The reasoning is based on his adherence to the teaching of walking by faith and not by sight (2 Cor.5:7). For St. Paul the importance of hearing over seeing is also supported by Rom 10:17 – faith comes from hearing.

LSB 720:
We walk by faith and not by sight,

No gracious words we hear

From Him who spoke as none e’re spoke,

But we believe Him near.