And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
At midday near Damascus a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun left Saul prostrate while Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified and risen Christ enthroned in divine glory, spoke to him. In saying whom thou persecutest He identified Himself with His suffering people, so that in persecuting and seeking to destroy His followers Saul struck directly against the Lord of heaven Himself. The glory at first filled Paul with terror, then poured light into his mind to show the ignorance and error of his former life and the truth of the crucified, risen and ascended Messiah, making him from that hour a new man and a sincere believer in Jesus as the world's Redeemer. By these words Christ appointed him to rise and serve as a minister and witness, sent to Jews and Gentiles under Jesus' authority to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness and inheritance among the sanctified by faith. Paul afterward related his conversion before kings, governors and nobles, and his testimony about Jesus helped convince listeners that Jesus was the Son of God and left them without excuse.
Vision Setting and Meaning
This answer belongs to Paul's defense of his faith before King Agrippa and a gathered company of officials, prominent citizens, rulers and nobles. That hearing was made possible by the delay before his voyage to Rome. The words themselves were spoken at the gate of Damascus, near Damascus at midday. Then a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun left Saul prostrate. His companions heard a voice without seeing anyone or understanding what was said.
The speaker is Jesus, the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified and risen Christ enthroned in divine glory. He is the same who walked the streets of Jerusalem, died on Calvary, broke the bands of death and ascended to heaven triumphant over death and the grave. He is the long-looked-for Messiah, the Consolation and Redeemer of Israel. He is the divine Son who appeared as a man in fulfillment of every specification of Moses and the prophets and endured the cross to redeem a lost world. The vision displayed divine glory, leaving no doubt in Saul's mind that the glorious Being before him was the Crucified One.
By saying whom thou persecutest, Christ identifies Himself with His suffering people in the person of His saints. In persecuting, despising and seeking to destroy His followers, Saul struck directly against the Lord of heaven. In falsely accusing and testifying against them, he falsely accused the Saviour of the world and testified against Him. What Paul saw and heard ended his unbelief that Christ should rise from the dead. For he looked upon and talked with the risen Saviour as truly as Cephas, James, John and the other disciples had, and could therefore testify that Christ had risen.
Transformation Commission and Example
The glory revealed was divine, with Jesus enthroned in it as the One Paul had despised and sought to destroy in His followers, and the sight first struck Paul with terror and unspeakable terror. Light poured into his mind to expose the ignorance and error of his former life, showing that his supposed service to God had been serving Satan, and convicting him that the claims of the disciples and the testimony of Stephen concerning the crucified, risen and ascended Messiah foretold by the prophets were true. By transforming mercy that terror was turned into his greatest consolation and source of comfort, making him from that hour a new man, a penitent, sincere and fervent believer in Jesus as the world's Redeemer, called to be an apostle by God's will.
The words belong to Christ's appointment of Saul to rise and serve as minister and witness both of what he had seen and of what Christ would yet show him, delivered from the people and the Gentiles to whom Christ sent him under Jesus' authority. He was sent to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Jesus. Commanded to proclaim the gospel of a risen Saviour, whom he had looked upon and talked with as truly risen, he could not disobey, so in Damascus, in Jerusalem, throughout all Judea and in regions afar off he bore witness of Jesus the crucified to Jews and Gentiles. He called all classes to repentance and faith, to repent and turn to God with confession, to do works meet for repentance, and to a changed life, and that same work of opening eyes and turning sinners from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God unto repentance, confession, forgiveness and inheritance is given to every minister.
Paul afterward related this account of his conversion before kings, governors, rulers and nobles, and his testimony about Jesus and His power to convert a persecutor into a preacher helped convince listeners that Jesus was the Son of God, leaving them without excuse. His imprisonment thus brought the message of Jesus before powerful hearers, just as the confession of the Reformation was later proclaimed before the princes of the empire.
The answer itself shows Jesus addressing Paul with courtesy even though Paul had persecuted Him, extending courtesy even to a persecutor. Paul's speech before Agrippa likewise illustrates that same spirit of dignified, true courtesy joined with persuasive eloquence. True Christian courtesy of this kind comes from kindness of heart, not merely from formal politeness.
At midday near Damascus a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun left Saul prostrate while Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified and risen Christ enthroned in divine glory, spoke to him. In saying whom thou persecutest He identified Himself with His suffering people, so that in persecuting and seeking to destroy His followers Saul struck directly against the Lord of heaven Himself. The glory at first filled Paul with terror, then poured light into his mind to show the ignorance and error of his former life and the truth of the crucified, risen and ascended Messiah, making him from that hour a new man and a sincere believer in Jesus as the world's Redeemer. By these words Christ appointed him to rise and serve as a minister and witness, sent to Jews and Gentiles under Jesus' authority to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness and inheritance among the sanctified by faith. Paul afterward related his conversion before kings, governors and nobles, and his testimony about Jesus helped convince listeners that Jesus was the Son of God and left them without excuse.
Vision Setting and Meaning
This answer belongs to Paul's defense of his faith before King Agrippa and a gathered company of officials, prominent citizens, rulers and nobles. That hearing was made possible by the delay before his voyage to Rome. The words themselves were spoken at the gate of Damascus, near Damascus at midday. Then a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun left Saul prostrate. His companions heard a voice without seeing anyone or understanding what was said.
The speaker is Jesus, the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified and risen Christ enthroned in divine glory. He is the same who walked the streets of Jerusalem, died on Calvary, broke the bands of death and ascended to heaven triumphant over death and the grave. He is the long-looked-for Messiah, the Consolation and Redeemer of Israel. He is the divine Son who appeared as a man in fulfillment of every specification of Moses and the prophets and endured the cross to redeem a lost world. The vision displayed divine glory, leaving no doubt in Saul's mind that the glorious Being before him was the Crucified One.
By saying whom thou persecutest, Christ identifies Himself with His suffering people in the person of His saints. In persecuting, despising and seeking to destroy His followers, Saul struck directly against the Lord of heaven. In falsely accusing and testifying against them, he falsely accused the Saviour of the world and testified against Him. What Paul saw and heard ended his unbelief that Christ should rise from the dead. For he looked upon and talked with the risen Saviour as truly as Cephas, James, John and the other disciples had, and could therefore testify that Christ had risen.
Transformation Commission and Example
The glory revealed was divine, with Jesus enthroned in it as the One Paul had despised and sought to destroy in His followers, and the sight first struck Paul with terror and unspeakable terror. Light poured into his mind to expose the ignorance and error of his former life, showing that his supposed service to God had been serving Satan, and convicting him that the claims of the disciples and the testimony of Stephen concerning the crucified, risen and ascended Messiah foretold by the prophets were true. By transforming mercy that terror was turned into his greatest consolation and source of comfort, making him from that hour a new man, a penitent, sincere and fervent believer in Jesus as the world's Redeemer, called to be an apostle by God's will.
The words belong to Christ's appointment of Saul to rise and serve as minister and witness both of what he had seen and of what Christ would yet show him, delivered from the people and the Gentiles to whom Christ sent him under Jesus' authority. He was sent to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Jesus. Commanded to proclaim the gospel of a risen Saviour, whom he had looked upon and talked with as truly risen, he could not disobey, so in Damascus, in Jerusalem, throughout all Judea and in regions afar off he bore witness of Jesus the crucified to Jews and Gentiles. He called all classes to repentance and faith, to repent and turn to God with confession, to do works meet for repentance, and to a changed life, and that same work of opening eyes and turning sinners from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God unto repentance, confession, forgiveness and inheritance is given to every minister.
Paul afterward related this account of his conversion before kings, governors, rulers and nobles, and his testimony about Jesus and His power to convert a persecutor into a preacher helped convince listeners that Jesus was the Son of God, leaving them without excuse. His imprisonment thus brought the message of Jesus before powerful hearers, just as the confession of the Reformation was later proclaimed before the princes of the empire.
The answer itself shows Jesus addressing Paul with courtesy even though Paul had persecuted Him, extending courtesy even to a persecutor. Paul's speech before Agrippa likewise illustrates that same spirit of dignified, true courtesy joined with persuasive eloquence. True Christian courtesy of this kind comes from kindness of heart, not merely from formal politeness.