Paul’s Defense to the Crowd

Paul asks the crowd to hear his defense, and when they hear him speaking Hebrew they grow still more quiet. He identifies himself as a Jew trained in Jerusalem under Gamaliel and once as zealous as they are, reminding them that the high priest and council can confirm how fiercely he persecuted the followers of Jesus even on the road to Damascus.

“¹Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” ²When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. ³Then Paul declared, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. ⁴I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison, ⁵as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

Near Damascus at noon, a bright light from heaven flashes around Paul and a voice confronts him by name for persecuting Jesus. Blinded by the light, he can only ask what he should do and be led into the city by his companions.

⁶About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. ⁷I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ ⁸‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ⁹‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me. ¹⁰Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ¹¹Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.

In Damascus, Ananias, a devout man respected by the Jews there, restores Paul’s sight and tells him he has been appointed to know God’s will, see the Righteous One, and bear witness to what he has seen and heard. He then urges Paul to rise, be baptized, and call on the Lord’s name.

¹²There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, ¹³came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him. ¹⁴Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice. ¹⁵You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’

Later, while praying in the temple at Jerusalem, Paul falls into a trance and hears the Lord tell him to leave quickly because the city will not receive his testimony. Even Paul’s appeal to his former persecution and approval of Stephen’s death does not change the commission: he is to go far away to the Gentiles.

¹⁷Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’ ¹⁹‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You. ²⁰And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ ²¹Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”