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

¹⁹“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. ²⁰Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. ^h

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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
h26:20 Mt 3:8; Lk 3:8; Ac 9:19–20, 22, 26–29; 13:46; 22:17–20