Acts 26:9-18
9 “So I thought to myself that I had to act in strong opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, after receiving authority from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being put to death.
11 And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was extremely enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
12 “While so engaged, as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
13 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me.
14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
16 But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you,
17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’
Paul’s Defense (2)
Conversion experience
(1) Paul’s former faith was as follows: (a) He could not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. (b) On the contrary, he believed he must strongly oppose Him. (c) Using the authority given to him by the chief priests, he imprisoned many of the saints. (d) He cast his vote in favor of their execution (agreeing with the Sanhedrin’s decision). (e) In every synagogue, he punished them and tried to force them to blaspheme the Name. In other words, he sought to make them say, “Jesus is cursed.” (f) Furthermore, consumed with rage, he extended his pursuit beyond Israel’s borders.
(2) Next, Paul recounted his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. In this account, two pieces of information appear that were not mentioned before. (a) “We all fell to the ground.” When the heavenly light shone, all of Paul’s companions fell to the ground. This light was not merely a vision but a real and powerful force. (b) The voice spoke to him in Hebrew. Any Jew would recognize that the name “Saul (Saulos)” was originally Hebrew (Sha’ul), but Gentiles would not. Therefore, it was explicitly mentioned that the voice spoke in Hebrew. This detail subtly indicated that the One speaking was the God of Israel.
(3) “To kick against the goads” was a proverbial expression meaning to resist authority. Shepherds used goads (sticks with sharp points) to guide their livestock. Through painful experiences, the animals learned obedience to their master. For Paul, persecuting Christians was, in reality, an act that brought harm upon himself.
(4) “And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you…’” Paul combined three different messages from the Lord into one account: (a) The words he directly heard from Jesus on the road to Damascus. (b) The words of the Lord Jesus delivered to him through Ananias. (c) The words spoken to him in a vision while he was praying in the temple in Jerusalem. Paul emphasized that he was an apostle sent to the Gentiles. This was intended to gain the favor of the Gentile audience.
Paul’s authority as an apostle was given to him by the risen Christ. Therefore, his mission was to faithfully proclaim the gospel revealed to him by Christ. The gospel we have believed is the power of God for salvation. We are saved by grace through faith.
Today's prayer
Father God, the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Please help me to proclaim this Gospel faithfully. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.