⁹In fact, I myself supposed it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. ^w¹⁰I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. ^x¹¹In all the synagogues I often tried to make them blaspheme by punishing them. ^yI even pursued them to foreign cities since I was greatly enraged at them.

Paul’s Account of His Conversion and Commission

¹²“I was traveling to Damascus under ^zthese circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. ¹³King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. ¹⁴We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ^a^b

¹⁵“Then I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’

“And the Lord replied: ‘I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting. ¹⁶But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen ^cand of what I will reveal to you. ^d¹⁷I will rescue you from the people and from the Gentiles. I now send you to them ^e¹⁸to open their eyes ^fso they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that by faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are ^•sanctified.’ ^g

Read in Logos

Footnotes

a26:14 Sharp sticks used to prod animals, such as oxen in plowing
c26:16 Other read things in which you have seen Me
•The work of the Holy Spirit that separates believers in Jesus from the world; at the time of saving faith in Jesus, the believer is made a saint; therefore, all believers are saints. The believer participates with the Spirit in a process of transformation that continues until glorification. The goal of sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.

Cross references

w26:9 Jn 16:2; 1Tm 1:13
x26:10 Ac 8:3; 9:13–14, 21; 22:5, 20
y26:11 Ac 25:21, 25; 26:32; 28:19
z26:12–18 Ac 9:3–8; 22:6–11
b26:14 Ac 9:7; 21:40
d26:16 Ezk 2:1; Dn 10:11; Ac 22:14–15
e26:17 1Ch 16:35; Jr 1:8, 19; Ac 9:15
f26:18 Is 35:5; 42:7
g26:18 Ac 20:32; Eph 5:8; Col 1:13; 1Pt 2:9