Acts 9

Conversion of Saul

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?Acts 9:4

Saul, one of the most aggressive persecutors of Christians, set out to persecute more Christians. Along the way, a light from heaven suddenly shone on him and blinded him. And he heard Jesus’s voice. For 3 days he was blind and didn’t eat nor drink.

Jesus calls Ananias to heal Saul’s sight. At first, Ananias heard Saul’s name and was afraid. But Jesus assured him:

Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.Acts 9:15-16

So Ananias obeyed and healed Saul’s sight.

Saul Boldly Proclaims Jesus

Saul then proclaims Jesus at the synagogues. People were surprised, especially the disciples. They recognized him as the one who persecuted Christians, and now of all the sudden, he’s proclaiming Jesus.

I bet they were thinking, is this a trick to lure us out so he can capture us?

Word got to the chief priests that Saul, their favorite persecutor, completely flipped, so they made plans to kill Saul.

Saul went to Jerusalem and attempted to join the disciples. But the disciples were wary of him at first, until they heard how he repented and turned to Jesus. He then boldly proclaimed Jesus to the point that many people wanted to kill him.

I find it fascinating that Saul used to be a persecutor and now he is on the other side. Now, he must understand what it means to be persecuted, and who better to understand that than a man who has been on both sides.