Lesson Seventeen: Saul's Conversion

Acts 9:1-22

Key Verse

"And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."

— Acts 9:6

Lesson Questions

Read Acts 9:1-22 carefully before answering these questions.

1. Review: Overview of Acts chapters one through eight.

2. What did Saul do? 9:1-2. (Enter Damascus on your map)

3. What happened as Saul came near Damascus? 9:3-4

4. Tell about the conversation between Jesus and Saul. 9:5-6

5. Then what happened? 9:7-9

6. To whom did the Lord appear? What did the Lord tell him? 9:10-12

7. What did Ananias say to the Lord? 9:13-14

8. What did the Lord tell Ananias? 9:15-16

9. What did Ananias do? 9:17. What resulted? 9:18

10. What did Saul begin preaching? How did men react? 9:19-21

11. What was Saul proving to the Jews in Damascus? 9:22

Thought Questions

A. From Acts 7:58 - 9:22, list all you learn about Saul.

B. Was Saul saved on the road to Damascus? Explain your answer.

C. At what point was Saul saved? Give proof for your answer.

D. Why do you think Jesus appeared to Saul?

Supplementary Materials

Who Was Saul of Tarsus? Before examining his conversion, consider what we know about Saul:

Detail	Scripture & Significance
From Tarsus	Acts 9:11; 21:39 — A major city in Cilicia, known for education and culture. "No mean city."
Roman citizen	Acts 22:25-28 — Born a citizen; a significant privilege that protected him throughout his ministry.
Hebrew of Hebrews	Phil. 3:5 — Of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised the eighth day, pure Jewish lineage.
A Pharisee	Phil. 3:5; Acts 23:6 — The strictest sect of Judaism. Zealous for the law and traditions.
Trained under Gamaliel	Acts 22:3 — The most respected rabbi of the day. Saul had the finest theological education available.
A tentmaker	Acts 18:3 — Rabbis were expected to have a trade. This later allowed Paul to support himself.
"A young man" at Stephen's	Acts 7:58 — Probably in his late 20s or early 30s at this time. death
Zealous persecutor	Acts 8:3; 9:1-2; 22:4; 26:10-11; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:6 — He "made havock" of the church.

Key Point: Saul was not ignorant or misguided. He was brilliant, educated, zealous, and utterly sincere — yet sincerely wrong. Sincerity alone does not save.

The Intensity of Saul's Persecution Consider the severity of Saul's actions against the church:

"Consenting unto his death" (Acts 8:1) — Approved Stephen's murder
"Made havock of the church" (Acts 8:3) — The word means to ravage, devastate, destroy
"Entering into every house" (Acts 8:3) — Systematic, thorough persecution
"Haling men and women" (Acts 8:3) — Dragging them to prison; no mercy for women
"Breathing out threatenings and slaughter" (Acts 9:1) — Murder was his very breath
Pursued Christians to foreign cities (Acts 9:2; 26:11) — Damascus was about 150 miles from Jerusalem
"Compelled them to blaspheme" (Acts 26:11) — Tortured them to deny Christ
"Exceedingly mad against them" (Acts 26:11) — Driven by intense rage

Paul later called himself "the chief of sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15) and "not meet to be called an apostle" (1 Cor. 15:9). He never forgot what he had done — or the grace that saved him.

The Encounter on the Damascus Road (9:3-9)

Element	Description & Significance
Light from heaven	"Above the brightness of the sun" (Acts 26:13). At midday! Divine glory.
Fell to the earth	Saul and all with him (Acts 26:14). Overwhelmed by divine presence.
Voice speaking	"In the Hebrew tongue" (Acts 26:14). Personal, direct communication.
"Saul, Saul"	Repeated name — urgency and intimacy (cf. "Abraham, Abraham" Gen. 22:11; "Moses, Moses" Ex. 3:4).
"Why persecutest	Not "my followers" but "me." To persecute Christians is to persecute
thou me?"	Christ (Matt. 25:40, 45).
"Who art thou,	Saul recognized divine authority but didn't know which divine being. Lord?"
"I am Jesus"	The answer that changed everything. The One Saul was fighting was alive, exalted, and Lord!
"Hard to kick against	Acts 26:14 — Like an ox kicking against the goad, only hurting itself.
the pricks"	Saul had been fighting God.
Saul blinded	For three days (9:9). Physical blindness mirrored his former spiritual blindness.
Neither ate nor	Three days of fasting and prayer (9:9, 11). Deep soul-searching and
drank	repentance.

Was Saul Saved on the Damascus Road? Some claim Saul was saved the moment he believed on the road. But consider what happened AFTER the road: On the Road (Before Ananias) After Ananias Came Saul believed (9:5-6) "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins" (22:16) Saul called Jesus "Lord" (9:5-6) Sins were washed away AT baptism (22:16) Saul was praying (9:11) "Why tarriest thou?" — stop waiting! (22:16) Saul was fasting (9:9) He "arose, and was baptized" (9:18) Saul still had his sins THEN he ate and was strengthened (9:19)

The Evidence Is Clear: Saul was not saved until he was baptized. Three days of believing, praying, and fasting did not wash away his sins. Ananias told him to stop waiting and be baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16). Faith was necessary but not sufficient.

Ananias: God's Chosen Instrument (9:10-19)

Who Was Ananias?

"A certain disciple" (9:10) — A Christian, but not an apostle
"A devout man according to the law" (22:12) — Respected by Jews and Christians alike
"Having a good report of all the Jews" (22:12) — His reputation was beyond reproach

Ananias's Hesitation (9:13-14) Ananias knew Saul's reputation: "I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem." His hesitation was understandable — he was being asked to seek out Christianity's most dangerous enemy!

God's Answer (9:15-16) God revealed Saul's future mission:

"A chosen vessel" — Selected by God for a specific purpose
"To bear my name before the Gentiles" — His primary mission field
"And kings" — He would stand before rulers (Felix, Festus, Agrippa, likely Caesar)
"And the children of Israel" — Jews would also hear
"How great things he must suffer" — The persecutor would become the persecuted

"Brother Saul" (9:17) When Ananias arrived, he addressed Saul as "Brother Saul." What did this mean?

Not yet a Christian brother — Saul's sins had not yet been washed away (22:16)
A fellow Jew — "Brother" was commonly used among Jews (Acts 2:29; 3:17; 7:2)
An expression of acceptance — Ananias was extending grace to his former enemy

The same man who had terrorized Christians was now welcomed by one. What a picture of the reconciling power of the gospel!

Saul's Conversion: Three Accounts Compared Luke records Saul's conversion three times in Acts. Each account adds details: Detail Acts 9 Acts 22 Acts 26 Speaker Luke (narrative) Paul (defense) Paul (defense) Audience Theophilus/readers Jerusalem mob King Agrippa Light brightness "Light from heaven" "Great light" "Above the sun" Time of day Not stated "About noon" "At midday" Language spoken Not stated Not stated "Hebrew tongue" "Kick against pricks" Not stated Not stated Included Ananias described "A certain disciple" "Devout, good report" Not mentioned "Wash away sins" Not stated Included (22:16) Not stated

Note: The three accounts are complementary, not contradictory. Each emphasizes different aspects for different audiences. Together they give the complete picture.

Saul's Immediate Transformation (9:20-22)

The change in Saul was immediate and dramatic: Before After Destroyed those who called on Jesus' name Preached Christ in the synagogues (9:20) Denied Jesus was the Son of God Proclaimed "He is the Son of God" (9:20) Came to Damascus to arrest Christians Preached in Damascus as a Christian (9:20-22) Sought to silence the message Confounded opponents, proving Jesus is Christ (9:22)

"All that heard him were amazed" (9:21). The transformation was so complete that people couldn't believe it was the same man!

Geographic Notes

Damascus — One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. About 150 miles northeast of Jerusalem. Had a significant Jewish population with multiple synagogues.
The street called Straight (9:11) — A major east-west thoroughfare in Damascus, still identifiable today. About a mile long.
House of Judas (9:11) — Where Saul stayed during his three days of blindness and fasting.

Key Cross-References

Reference	Acts Verse	Connection
Acts 22:1-21	Acts 9:1-19	Paul's account to the Jerusalem mob
Acts 26:1-23	Acts 9:1-19	Paul's account before King Agrippa
1 Tim. 1:12-16	Acts 9:1	Paul's reflection: "chief of sinners"
Gal. 1:11-17	Acts 9:1-22	Paul's account of his early life and conversion
Phil. 3:4-9	Acts 9:1-2	Paul's credentials and what he counted as loss
1 Cor. 15:8-10	Acts 9:3-6	Christ appeared to Paul; "born out of due time"
Matt. 25:40, 45	Acts 9:4	What is done to Christ's people is done to Him

Lessons from Saul's Conversion 1. Sincerity is not enough — Saul was sincere but lost (cf. Prov. 14:12). 2. No one is beyond God's grace — if Saul could be saved, anyone can. 3. Faith alone does not save — Saul believed on the road but still had sins to wash away. 4. Baptism washes away sins — Ananias's command makes this unmistakably clear (22:16). 5. True conversion produces immediate change — Saul immediately preached what he had persecuted. 6. God uses ordinary people — Ananias was not an apostle, yet God used him for this crucial task.