A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture/XC. The Conversion of Saul (about A. D. 37)

by Friedrich Justus Knecht

Chapter XC.

THE CONVERSION OF SAUL (about A. D. 37).

[Acts 9, 1 — 30.]

SAUL, still^[1] breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, went to the High Priest, and asked^[2] him for letters to Damascus^[3], that he might bring the disciples whom he found there prisoners^[4] to Jerusalem.

As he journeyed on the road ^[5] to Damascus, suddenly a great light^[6] from heaven shone around him. Struck as if by lightning, he fell to the ground. At the same moment, he heard a voice saying: “Saul, Saul, why^[7] dost thou persecute Me?” Saul asked: ‘Who art Thou, Lord?”^[8] The voice replied: “I am Jesus^[9], whom thou dost persecute.” Trembling with fear, and much astonished, Saul said: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” The Lord replied: “Arise, and go into the city ^[10], and there it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

Saul rose up from the ground and opened his eyes, but he had lost his sight^[11]. His companions then took him by the hand^[12] and led him^[13] into the city. There he remained^[14] three days without eating^[15] or drinking.

Now, there dwelt in Damascus a certain disciple of Jesus, named Ananias^[16]. The Lord appeared to him in a vision ^[17], saying: “Arise, and go into the street that is called Strait, and seek, in the house of Judas, Saul of Tarsus, for, behold, he prayeth.”

Ananias answered: “Lord^[18], I have heard from many of this man, how great evils he hath done to Thy saints^[19] at Jerusalem." The Lord said to him: “Go, for this man is a vessel ^[20] of election to Me, to carry My Name before the Gentiles ^[21], and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer^[22] for the sake of My Name."

Ananias went, and entering into the house where Saul was, he laid his hands upon him, and said: “Brother Saul^[23], the Lord Jesus hath sent me, He who appeared to thee in the way as thou earnest, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.” And suddenly there fell from the eyes of Saul, as it were, scales, and he received his sight^[24], and, rising up, was baptized^[25]. Immediately he began to preach^[26] in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God^[27].

COMMENTARY.

The Divinity of Jesus Christ. The story of Saul’s conversion bears testimony in several ways to the divinity of our Lord. i. Saul himself saw our Lord Jesus in glory, and was thus, like Stephen, an eye-witness of His Godhead. 2. Saul repeatedly addressed Jesus as “Lord”, that is, God, and preached in Damascus that “Jesus is the Son of God”. 3. The marvellous and sudden conversion of Saul shows the omnipotence of Jesus, for only God can turn the hearts of men. 4. Our Lord also appeared to Ananias, and foretold to him certain things which afterwards came to pass, namely, that Saul would preach the Name of Jesus before Jews and Gentiles, and that he would suffer much for His sake. 5. Ananias confessed Him to be God, addressing Him as “Lord”, and saying to Saul: “The Lord Jesus hath sent me.” 6. Ananias was sent by Jesus, and in His Name he worked a great miracle, for by the touch of his hand Saul recovered his sight. He who, in spite of all these proofs and testimonies, does not believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, is indeed inexcusable.

The Mercy of Jesus. Our Lord loved Saul, who hated and persecuted Him. He sought him out and enlightened him at the very moment when he was most thirsting for blood and was least deserving of grace. He did not speak to him in a terrifying manner, but with loving words of expostulation. He did not punish him, but forgave him all his sins, accepted him as a disciple, and even raised him to be an apostle. When He was on earth, Jesus was merciful to sinners, and lovingly went in search of His lost sheep; and, now that He is in glory in heaven, He is as full as ever of compassion and mercy towards sinners.

The power of divine grace. Our Blessed Lord prevented Saul with His grace, enlightened his understanding, moved his heart, and prepared his will to do all that was commanded him. In the very midst of his sinful career grace called to Saul to stop, and changed his heart so completely that the bitter enemy of Jesus Christ was transformed into an apostle, all aglow with love; and the persecutor of the Christian faith became its indefatigable defender and advocate. Thus St. Paul was able to say of himself: “By the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace in me hath not been void, but I have laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Cor. 15, 10).

We must correspond with grace if we wish to be saved. In the passage just quoted St. Paul says: “God’s grace in me hath not been void.” In other words, it was effectual because, instead of resisting it, he co-operated with it. He did not shut his soul to the light of grace, but believed and submitted himself to the will of God. He repented of his sins, fasted, prayed, and prepared himself for holy Baptism. And after he was a Christian he did not fear the scorn and hatred of the Jews, but fearlessly confessed and preached the Christian faith.

Prayer for sinners. The Church has always held the belief that the conversion of Saul was in answer to the prayer of St. Stephen. Thus St. Augustine writes: “Stephen’s prayer was already granted even while Saul was still raging.” We should, therefore, never despair of the conversion of a sinner, be he never so far removed from God, for the mighty grace of God can change his heart at any moment. Let us then pray for sinners with zeal and with confidence, that God may grant to them the grace of conversion.

Whoever persecutes the Church, persecutes Jesus Christ. It was the disciples of Jesus whom Saul was persecuting, and yet our Lord said to him: “Why persecutest thou Me?" Did Saul, then, in any way injure our Lord in the glory of heaven? No, but he was persecuting the disciples on account of their Lord, and because they believed in Him and loved Him. Now, in the same way that our Blessed Lord regards the smallest act of kindness done to his disciples for His sake, as done to Himself, so does He count the injuries done to His followers on His account, and because of their faith in Him, exactly as if they were done personally to Himself.

Sanctifying grace. Saul received sanctifying grace, if not by his perfect contrition, certainly by his Baptism, and was justified by it; that is, after his Baptism he was no longer a sinner, but a child and friend of God, and an heir to heaven.

Good works performed in a state of sin. During the three days before he was baptized, Saul fasted rigorously and prayed without ceasing. He was perhaps all this time in a state of sin, for he had not yet received holy Baptism and with it sanctifying grace. Were then his works of prayer and penance of no value? No! they were not without value, for they obtained for him the grace of a greater knowledge of himself, a deeper sense of contrition, and an ardent desire for Baptism and reconciliation with God; all of which prepared him better for the reception of the holy Sacrament of regeneration.

Christians should be Saints. Ananias called the disciples in Jerusalem “saints”. And why? Because they had been made holy in Baptism, and led holy lives.

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Application. You too have persecuted and injured your Divine Lord by sins against your neighbours who are His disciples. Have you deeply repented of these sins as Saul did, and amended your ways as sincerely as he did? Make a firm resolution never again to commit a wilful sin. Remember whom you offend when you sin, even your Lord and Saviour, the King of everlasting glory. Often make the ejaculation: “My Jesus, mercy!’’

1. Still. It is said that he was “still" full of fury against the Christians, because this hatred had already been alluded to (see chapter LXXXVIII and LXXXIX).
2. Asked. He had not, therefore, been commissioned by the High Priest to act as he was doing, but volunteered his services, and in fact begged as a favour to be allowed to take the measures he proposed. He now received a commission from the Sanhedrin, and with it a company of armed men to serve as an escort and to help him in his deeds of violence.
3. Damascus. This, the chief city of Syria, is seven days’ journey from Jerusalem (see Map). Many thousands of Jews lived there; and when the persecution against our Lord’s disciples broke out in Jerusalem, a number of them fled to Damascus, there being constant commercial intercourse between that populous city and Jerusalem. Saul, therefore, made sure that he would find there a great many Christians. The fact that he was ready to go so far out of his way to persecute them, shows the intensity of his hatred of the followers of Jesus Christ.
4. Prisoners. He intended to arrest all Christians, regardless of age or sex, and take them bound to Jerusalem, there to be judged by the Sanhedrin. Our Lord Himself, however, set a limit to his vindictive career.
5. On the road. According to tradition he was within an hour’s journey of Damascus.
6. Great light. Which, according to the Acts of the Apostles (26, 13), was brighter than the sun, for it was the glory which surrounded the glorified Redeemer. The vision occurred in the brightness of mid-day (Acts 22, 6), and in the glimpse vouchsafed to him Saul beheld our Lord Himself, in His glorified Body (1 Cor. 9, 1 and 15, 8).
7. Why. “What have I done to you that you persecute Me?”
8. Lord. He said “Lord”, for he perceived very well that the wonderful vision could proceed from God alone.
9. I am Jesus. This reply stirred Saul’s heart to its very depths. What! had he then been persecuting his Redeemer? He “trembled” at the sight of our Lord’s divine majesty, and he “was astonished”, because Jesus of Nazareth, whom he considered to be dead, now appeared to him, clothed with divine glory. He perceived that he had been living in a state of awful blindness. But now he believed, and addressed Jesus as “Lord”, i. e. God, and declared himself ready to obey Him humbly and do everything that He commanded him to do.
10. The city. i. e. to Damascus.
11. His sight. For his eyes were blinded by that glimpse of the glory of heaven. Within him, all was bright with the light of faith, but all without was dark
12. By the hand. Like a helpless child.
13. Led him. How different was this entry into Damascus from that which he had anticipated! “He, who had intended to lead away men and women captive from the city, was himself led into it dependent on the compassion of others” (St. Chrysostom).
14. Remained. In a state of complete blindness.
15. Without eating. But praying earnestly. Who can tell what passed in Saul’s great soul during those three days? Hitherto, he had hated Jesus for being, as he thought, a false Messias, and had, on that account, persecuted His disciples. He had believed that he was acting rightly, and was pleasing God by thus zealously opposing the Crucified One and His followers. Now, however, he had seen Jesus in His divine glory and had heard His voice; he knew that He had risen from the dead and was in heaven; and he knew that He was in truth the Messias and the Son of God. He recalled to mind all the prophecies with which he, as a scribe, was well acquainted; grace enlightened his understanding, so that he now perceived their real meaning, and that they were all fulfilled in Jesus. He could not understand his previous blindness of heart; deep contrition filled his soul; the blood of the innocent Stephen rose up in judgment against him, and all his cruel violence towards the followers of Jesus accused him. He had persecuted the friends and beloved of God, yea, even the Son of God Himself, and the words of his Divine Redeemer: “Why persecutest thou Me”, rang continually in his ears. He could not touch food; he could only humble himself, and pray earnestly to God to forgive him, to grant him still more light, and to give him the grace to make amends for the wrong he had done. His prayer was heard.
16. Ananias. According to tradition Ananias was one of our Lord’s seventy disciples, and, later on, died a martyr’s death.
17. A vision. While he was praying.
18. Lord. Ananias was amazed at the commission entrusted to him, and, in his astonishment, remonstrated in the words that follow.
19. Thy saints. Thy disciples.
20. Is a vessel. He is no longer a persecutor of My followers, but a believer and a vessel of election to Me.
21. Before the Gentiles. I have chosen him, especially, to proclaim the Gospel to the pagan world.
22. He must suffer. So complete is his conversion that he, the former persecutor, will in his turn be persecuted, and will suffer much for My sake.
23. Brother Saul. Ananias lovingly addressed him as brother, for he knew that Saul had become his brother in the faith.
24. Received his sight. And was, by this miracle, confirmed in faith.
25. Was baptized. Because he had by prayer and fasting prepared himself for Baptism.
26. To preach. Saul later took the name of Paul, while preaching^ the Gospel in the Roman empire. It is, therefore, said: “From (the unbelieving) Saul proceeded (the believing and holy) Paul."
27. The Son of God, and promised Messias. Paul proved his words from the prophecies which relate to the Messias, and showed that they all found their fulfilment in Jesus. The Jews, who could not answer his arguments, tried to kill him, and kept guard over the gates of the city lest he should escape them; but the disciples lowered him down over the walls in a basket, and thus he escaped. We shall next hear of him at Antioch (XCIV).