The Conversion of Paul: Acts 9.1-22
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing
threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found
any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to
Jerusalem. Now as he was going along
and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice
saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you
are persecuting. But get up and enter
the city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were traveling with him stood
speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his
eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought
him into Damascus. For three days he
was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a disciple in Damascus
named Ananias. The Lord said to him in
a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to
the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus
named Saul. At this moment he is
praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his
hands on him so that he might regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have
heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in
Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who
invoke your name." But the Lord
said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my
name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will
show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."
So Ananias went and entered the house.
He laid his hands on Saul and said,
"Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has
sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy
Spirit." And immediately something
like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after
taking some food, he regained his strength.
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately
he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of
God." All who heard him were
amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among
those who invoked this name? And has he
not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief
priests?" Saul became increasingly
more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that
Jesus was the Messiah.
Travels of St. Paul:
