1. Saul: Verging on Violence (vv.1,2)
The account of Philip's ministry in ch.8 has left a significant issue in the air. When Stephen was killed, a young Jew by the name of Saul was there giving his approval and then going from house to house, dragging Christians off to prison. So while the believers were being scattered and Philip saw such blessing both in Samaria and with the Eunuch, what has happened with Saul?
The answer is given in the opening verse of this chapter: "Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples". And here we find him intent on causing more trouble by going to Damascus to try to get Christians extradited from there to Jerusalem.
Here is a man very zealous for all things Jewish - the law, the temple, the customs, the land, Jewish exclusiveness - and yet his zeal is without knowledge. He persecutes followers of 'the Way' which is shorthand for 'Way of Salvation'.
Here were people who believed the law had been fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth, who saw him as the true temple, and who were intent of taking the message of salvation in this Jesus to the ends of the earth. No wonder Saul was angry!
How will the Lord deal with this man? As we've seen, God is in complete control of the mission. He could quite easily wipe him out; there are times when persecutors are simply taken away (see Herod in 12:23). But the Lord has other plans for this angry young man. He has the situation in hand, as he always does, and acts here with power and grace. Never despair for the church, nor for societies or individuals - the Lord is in control!
2. Saul: Confronted, Converted, Commissioned (vv.3-19a)
As Saul travels to Damascus, he is confronted by the reality of the risen Lord Jesus Christ in his majesty and power. This is not a psychological vision that Saul has, it is historically real; those who were with him "stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone" (v.7).
Now, Saul doesn't realise who he is seeing and hearing at first and asks who is speaking. The answer he gets is completely devastating: "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting".
From this moment, Saul is blind - blinded by the light physically but his blindness also functions symbolically in this passage. He has been acting in grave ignorance of the truth. Saul is completely devastated by what he has seen and heard. When he gets to the house on Straight Street, he eats and drinks nothing for three days.
Why is he so utterly devastated? The answer lies in what this vision of Jesus has shown him. The fact that Jesus is alive, that he truly was raised from the dead, as the church had been proclaiming, changed everything. It meant, as Saul so soon began to preach, that Jesus was the Son of God, that he was the Messiah.
Jesus really had fulfilled the law; he was the true temple, and the gospel was for all nations. The kingdom of God had been inaugurated, God had acted to save his people and the message was to be taken into all the nations and the Gentiles brought in.
Saul had to go through a complete rethink; he had to repent, change his whole outlook, especially as regards the person and work of Jesus. Once he had regarded him from a fleshly point of view but no longer; he sees him as the fulfilment of God's plans, the 'yes' to all the promises of God.
Saul changes his mind in deep contrition for his sin, especially persecuting the Lord's people and comes to faith in Jesus.
There is much about Saul's conversion that is quite out of the ordinary, particularly the vision of Jesus, and that is tied to the plans the Lord has to use him. But having said that, we still see here what is involved in all true conversion: a change of mind, sorrow for sin and faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
Saul is confronted and converted, and what the Lord did for him he can do for others who seem so far from him; don't stop praying!
Having been converted, Saul is also commissioned to serve the Lord he has so recently persecuted. The Lord uses a man named Ananias to further his work in Saul's life. Now, quite understandably, Ananias is very reluctant to go to Saul! But the Lord says that Saul "is praying", a phrase that is deeply significant and shows Ananias that Saul is now his brother.
Ananias lays his hands on Saul and tells him that the Lord Jesus has sent him so that Saul may receive the Holy Spirit. Here is the great sign that the new age has arrived, that the Messiah has come. And the Messiah is Jesus! As his hands are laid on Saul, his recovers his sight - a physical symbol of what is also true of him in a spiritual sense.
But he is not going to be left as he is. Ananias has been told that the Lord has plans for Saul, unexpected and glorious plans. The one who persecuted the Way will be a preacher of the Way. And he will suffer for the sake of Jesus' name.
Of course, this commission is quite specific to Saul but, as with his conversion, it also makes a general point worth noting and learning from: when we are saved, we are called into service. And although that service will include the very real possibility of suffering for Jesus' sake, it remains a glorious calling.
3. Saul: Preaching and Persecuted (vv.19b-31)
What happens next is that Saul "at once...began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God" (v.20). He obeyed his commission. Where once his zeal was without knowledge, now he knows the truth, it has set him free and he glories in it, preaching to all that Jesus is the Messiah.
Given that this is such an about-turn, how do the Jews in Damascus react? At first they are dumbfounded but then they get deadly in their intent. No matter that this man was once one of them, he must be dealt with.
And the same happens in Jerusalem. He is integrated into the Christian community there, thanks to the brave stand of Barnabas, and the Jews are infuriated and, again, look to try and kill him.
However remarkable a conversion may be, however clearly it displays the powerful mercy of God, however persuasive the testimony to the Lord Jesus, apart from the grace of God, the world's reaction will be to turn away and to reject.
4. The Church At Peace
But the final picture in this chapter gives us an example of the times of peace and blessing that the Lord is able to give to his church. In Judea, Galilee and Samaria, the church "enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord" (v.31).
In the conversion of Saul, the amazing grace and power of God is seen; in this brief cameo of the church at large, those attributes are no less evident. The Lord is in control of his mission. He can bring even the most hardened person to their knees and change their hearts; he can grow his church, even where persecution is rife. We need to hold onto that and seek him with all our hearts.
