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| 1 Men brethren and fathers, hear you of me the to you now apology. |
Hear ye my defence – The noble address was a model of skill, logic and eloquence. R1559:5
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| 2 Hearing and that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, more they kept silence. And he said: |
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| 3 I indeed am a man a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of the Cilicia, having been brought up and in the city this, at the feet of Gamaliel having been taught with accuracy the ancestral law, a zealot being of the God, even as all you are to-day; |
Of Gamaliel – Saul had received a special course in theology or Jewish Law at Jerusalem, under Gamaliel, one of the greatest teachers of that time. R2117:3
An advanced school or seminary, attended by few except the sons of the rich, implying that Paul's parents were rich. R4355:2
The custom was that the pupils would ask questions and get the views of the teachers. R5553:1
Zealous toward God – Paul was zealous toward God long before his conversion from Judaism to Christianity. R1671:6
His heart being in a right attitude of loyalty. R2823:5
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| 4 who this the way I persecuted till death, binding and delivering into prisons men both and women, |
Persecuted this way – He had a religious zeal which led him to persecute Christ and his followers, the Church. R2823:3,5
The Lord's people. F339
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| 5 as also the high-priest testifies to me, and all the eldership; from whom also letters having received to the brethren, to Damascus I went, going to lead and those there being; having been bound into Jerusalem, that they might be punished. |
Went to Damascus – Armed with authority for the apprehension of the Lord's followers, accompanied by others who seemingly were under his command as a police force. R2823:6
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| 6 It happened and to me traveling and drawing near to the Damascus, about noon suddenly out of the heaven to shine round a light great about me; |
A great light – Evidently a supernatural one, because the light was far brighter than the sun at noon. R2969:4
Exceedingly bright light, glaringly brilliant. R2824:1
Round about me – Saul himself was evidently the center of the manifestation. R2117:5
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| 7 fell and on the ground, and heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why me persecutest thou? |
And I fell – Immediately prostrated himself. R2824:1
Unto the ground – Seeing Jesus in his glory, unveiled, Saul was smitten to the earth and seriously blinded. R5299:2
Heard a voice – The voice spoke in the Hebrew tongue; whereas those who were with Saul probably spoke in the Syriac or Greek language. R2969:5
Saul, Saul – Hebrew, Saul; Greek, Paul. R2823:2
Persecutest thou me – Fighting the truth ignorantly. R2823:3
Those who touch his saints, touch him; "He is the head of the body, the church" (Col. 1:18); "Now are ye the body of R2824:2
"Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me." (Matt. 25:40) R92:4
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| 8 I and answered: Who art thou, O sir? He said and to me: I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecutest. |
Who art thou, Lord? – Paul recognized that this was a lordly, powerful one--yet he wished to make no mistake, he wished to know who thus reproved him, that he might benefit more. R2824:1
Thou persecutest – Those who touch his saints, members of the Body of Christ, touch him. R2824:2
Whoever is a faultfinder and busybody in the affairs of the brethren is doing this against the flesh of Jesus. R5274:3
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| 9 Those and with me being the indeed light saw, and terrified they were, the but voice not they heard of the speaking to me. |
The light – But not the vision which Saul saw representing the Son of Man in his glorified condition. R2969:4
The voice – Only Saul could distinguish the words, which were meant for him alone. R2117:6, 2969:5
The voice was heard by all, but the message by Saul only. R2824:3
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| 10 I said and : What shall I do, O Lord? The and Lord said to me: Having arisen go thou into Damascus; and there to thee it shall be told concerning all things, which have been appointed for thee to do. |
What shall I do – I am ready to obey. R2824:3
It meant, I am not more sincere now than I was a moment ago, but the eyes of my understanding have been opened. I am anxious now to undo what I have been heretofore mistakenly doing. R2824:3
We can but admire the promptness with which Saul at once laid down the arms of his opposition, and placed himself on the side of the one whose cause he had so recently persecuted. R2117:6
There is more hope of those who are outspoken in their opposition to the truth, but who, though blinded, are truly consecrated to the Lord, than for some of those who are its very cool and indifferent friends. R2824:5
Appointed for thee to do – This shows us that Paul was in the divine mind and plan beforehand. R2824:4
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| 11 As and not I saw from the glory of the light of that, being led by the hand by those being with me, I came into Damascus. |
I could not see – The wonderful light which flashed upon his eyes destroyed his sight. R2824:5
Of that light – Saul was but a man and could not see the fullness of the glory which no man can see and live, but he did see as much of a representation of that glory as was possible. R2824:6
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| 12 Ananias and one, a man pious according to the law, being testified to by all the residing Jews, |
Ananias – The name Ananias signifies, "Jah is gracious." R2118:6
A devout man – We should always expect that those whom the Lord would choose as his special messengers would be good men, devout men, pious men. 2824:6
A good report – Ananias was esteemed amongst the Jews as a good man. R2824:6
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| 13 having come to me and having stood said to me: Saul O brother, look up. And I in this the hour looked on him. |
Receive thy sight – His eyes were never restored to their former strength. R2825:1, 2118:2
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| 14 He and said: The God of the fathers of us destined thee to know the will of himself, and to see the righteous one, and to hear a voice out of the mouth of him; |
Hath chosen thee – "No man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him." (John 6:44) R2825:2
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| 15 because thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and thou hast heard. |
Unto all men – Henceforth it was open to all. R3023:5
Seen and heard – We are not to attempt to tell others things which we have not seen and have not heard ourselves. R2825:3
In mental vision Paul was "caught up to the third heaven" (2 Cor. 12:2); granted a glimpse of the R1558:3; A70
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| 16 And now why dost thou delay? having arisen be thou dipped, and wash thyself from the sins of thee, having invoked the name of him. |
Why tarriest thou? – We should urge our friends who see the truth to prompt, full and complete consecration and obedience. R2825:4
Baptized – Greek, baptizo; immersed. 251:5
Which our Lord and his apostles practiced and enjoined upon all followers. R1539:3
Wash away thy sins – This relates to Jews, either natural born or proselyted. R1421:1
Jews were called to repent and to be baptized for the remission of sins against their Covenant. John's baptism was for Jews only, and were, so to speak, transferred from Moses into Christ. R2825:5, 1541:6
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| 17 It happened and to me having returned to Jerusalem, and praying of me in the temple, to have been me in an ecstacy, |
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| 18 and to see him saying to me: Do thou hasten, and come out with speed from Jerusalem; because not they will receive of thee the testimony concerning me. |
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| 19 And I said: O Lord, they know, that I was imprisoning and beating in the synagogues those believing on thee; |
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| 20 and when was poured out the blood of Stephen the martyr of thee, and myself was having been standing, and approving, and keeping the mantles of those killing him. |
I also – Saul of Tarsus was probably a member of the Sanhedrin, which tried Stephen. R2958:4
Paul tells us that he was a sort of ringleader amongst those who killed him. R2952:3
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| 21 And he said to me: Go thou; for I to nations at distance will send thee. |
Unto the Gentiles – They heard the Apostle in peace and with profound attention up to this point. Then all their prejudices seemed to be aroused with the thought that this man taught that Gentiles could have favor with God equal to the Jews. R3189:3
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| 22 They heard and him till this the word, and they raised the voice of them, saying: Lift up from the earth the such a person; not for it is fit him to live. |
Away with such a fellow – They cried against him in much the same language that they used against the Lord. R3189:3
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| 23 Crying out and of them and tossing up the mantles, and dust throwing into the air, |
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| 24 ordered the commander to lead him into the castle, saying with scourges to examine him; that he might know, on account of what cause thus they were crying against him. |
Examined by scourging – The Roman Colonel commanded that the Apostle must be whipped until he confessed what he had done wrong. R4485:5, 3189:4
That he might know – The Roman commander, not understanding the Hebrew language, had not been able to follow the Apostle's discourse. R3189:3
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| 25 As and they stretched out him with the thongs, said to the standing by centurion the Paul: If a man a Roman and uncondemned it is lawful for you to scourge? |
They bound him – To a bent whipping post. R4485:5
Is it lawful – He did not say, "If you beat me, I will make it a sad day for you!" R5897:6
Paul more than once appealed to the Law for justice. R954:3*
We are at liberty to use any legitimate means for our own deliverance, even as St. Paul took advantage of his Roman citizenship. R5942:3, 4485:6
That is a Roman – Saul's family must have been one of the most influential families of Tarsus to also be a citizen of Rome. R2117:2
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| 26 Having heard and the centurion, having gone to the commander reported, saying: what are thou about to do? the for man this a Roman is. |
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| 27 Having come to and the commander said to him: Tell me, thou a Roman art? He and said: Yes. |
Yea – The Colonel took the Apostle's word for it that he was a Roman citizen; for an untruthful claim would have meant sure death. R4485:5
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| 28 Answered and the commander: I of a great sum of money the citizenship this purchased. The and Paul said: I but even have been born. |
A great sum – Paul's Roman citizenship was worth a great sum. R478:5
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| 29 Immediately then went away from him those being about him to examine. And the commander also was afraid, having ascertained that a Roman he is, and that he was him having been bound. |
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| 30 On the and morrow wishing to know the certainty, that was he was accused of by the Jews, he loosed him, and ordered to come together the high-priests and all the sanhedrim; and having led down the Paul, he stood among them. |
Council to appear – The point of dispute was a religious one. R4485:3, 5952:1
Paul was afforded another opportunity to witness the Gospel to the Jews, to their most influential Court of Seventy. R4485:6
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