1 John 4:7-21; Acts 9:1-20

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God.

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 And God showed his love for us by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might have life through him.

10 This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.

11 Dear friends, if this is how God loved us, then we should love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in union with us, and his love is made perfect in us.

13 We are sure that we live in union with God and that he lives in union with us, because he has given us his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and tell others that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 If we declare that Jesus is the Son of God, we live in union with God and God lives in union with us.

16 And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them.

17 Love is made perfect in us in order that we may have courage on the Judgment Day; and we will have it because our life in this world is the same as Christ's.

18 There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment.

19 We love because God first loved us.

20 If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen.

21 The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love others also.

1 In the meantime Saul kept up his violent threats of murder against the followers of the Lord. He went to the High Priest

2 and asked for letters of introduction to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he should find there any followers of the Way of the Lord, he would be able to arrest them, both men and women, and bring them back to Jerusalem.

3 As Saul was coming near the city of Damascus, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him.

4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?"

5 "Who are you, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you persecute," the voice said.

6 "But get up and go into the city, where you will be told what you must do."

7 The men who were traveling with Saul had stopped, not saying a word; they heard the voice but could not see anyone.

8 Saul got up from the ground and opened his eyes, but could not see a thing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.

9 For three days he was not able to see, and during that time he did not eat or drink anything.

10 There was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. He had a vision, in which the Lord said to him, "Ananias!" "Here I am, Lord," he answered.

11 The Lord said to him, "Get ready and go to Straight Street, and at the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying,

12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he might see again."

13 Ananias answered, "Lord, many people have told me about this man and about all the terrible things he has done to your people in Jerusalem.

14 And he has come to Damascus with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who worship you."

15 The Lord said to him, "Go, because I have chosen him to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles and kings and to the people of Israel.

16 And I myself will show him all that he must suffer for my sake."

17 So Ananias went, entered the house where Saul was, and placed his hands on him. "Brother Saul," he said, "the Lord has sent me - Jesus himself, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here. He sent me so that you might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

18 At once something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he was able to see again. He stood up and was baptized;

19 and after he had eaten, his strength came back. Saul stayed for a few days with the believers in Damascus.

20 He went straight to the synagogues and began to preach that Jesus was the Son of God.