From Terrorist to Evangelist

Acts 9:1-31

Main Idea: In a dramatic display of God’s saving grace, Luke records the most famous conversion in church history: that of Saul of Tarsus.

1. Saul’s Epic Transformation (9:1-19a)
   1. The risen Jesus confronts Saul (9:1-9).
   2. The risen Jesus commissions Saul (9:10-19a).
2. Saul’s Early Trials (9:19b-31)
   1. In Damascus: Astonishment, conspiracy, and escape (9:19b-25)
   2. In Jerusalem: Suspicion, conspiracy, and escape (9:26-30)
   3. Peace in the midst of trials (9:31)

For the past ten years I have had the privilege of teaching annually in Kiev, Ukraine, for a one- to two-week church-planting class. One of the joys of this experience has been taking other guys with me to meet the students. Recently I took my friend, Ben, from Buffalo. As I was showing Ben a map dotted with the locations of church planters from across the former Soviet Union who have come through Kiev Theological Seminary, I said, “Half of these guys are former drug dealers.”

While that may have been an exaggeration, it’s true that many of these pastors came from rough backgrounds. One brother named Emmanuel used to be in prison. The only time he touched a Bible in those days was to use its pages as rolling paper for his tobacco habit. He’s a huge guy with tattoos on each finger, and his handshake hurts. But because of Christ’s work in his heart, Emmanuel is now one of the most humble and gentle pastors you could ever meet. Instead of smoking the Bible, he’s proclaiming it!

Major before-and-after-meeting-Christ stories like this brother’s remind us that no one is so bad that he’s beyond the reach of God’s saving grace. God can change the most hardened sinners, the vilest men and women, and turn them into great ambassadors of the kingdom. Such transformation is called conversion.

In Acts 9 we read of perhaps the most famous conversion in the history of Christianity. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus is actually one of the most important events—aside from Jesus’s resurrection—in the history of the world. Saul’s conversion plays a monumental role in the advancement of the kingdom across nations and centuries.

This passage elevates our view of God’s converting power, and it also reminds us of the various trials that accompany believers as they seek to obey the God who redeemed them.

Saul’s Epic Transformation

Acts 9:1-19a

Luke narrates Saul’s conversion here in Acts 9. Later, in Acts 22, Paul retells it to a mob in the temple and then again to King Agrippa in Acts 26. He also reflects on God’s transforming grace in other places, including Romans 1:1-5; 1 Corinthians 15:8-10; Galatians 1:11-24; Philippians 3:4-11; and 1 Timothy 1:12-17. This event changed everything for this man.

The Risen Jesus Confronts Saul (9:1-9)

This passage begins with Saul’s persecuting the church intensely. He isn’t content with merely persecuting believers in Jerusalem (8:3); his campaign extends to Damascus (9:1-2; see 26:11). Only the spilling of more blood will satisfy his obsessive hatred of Christians. He wants to liquidate every vestige of Christianity. The arrest warrants he receives from the high priest, authorizing him to arrest believers, fill him with the hope that others will soon face a fate similar to Stephen’s.

The earliest Christ followers probably took on the title “the Way” based on the words of Jesus, who referred to himself as “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6; see Acts 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22). Saul, the text says, hoped to eradicate men and women belonging to “the Way” as he headed north toward Damascus.

But something happens along his journey. The risen Christ arrests Saul. A light representing the blinding glory of God (cf. Luke 2:9) flashes around the persecutor. Like the prophets who were called through the vision of God’s glorious light, so this man is now confronted with the Holy One. The encounter happens around noon (see Acts 22:6), yet the midday sunshine is swallowed up by the greater light. Traumatized, Saul falls to the ground.

Like many Old Testament individuals, Saul is summoned by name. Then, as he wonders whose voice he hears, Jesus stuns him by identifying himself as the speaker (v. 5). Saul had thought he was on a righteous mission to eradicate followers of this very Person, but now he’s quivering on the ground before the blinding glory of Christ, and he’s made aware that he’s on the wrong team. Saul learns that to persecute the church is to persecute Jesus. The Lord identifies with his bride. Theirs is an amazing union.

The risen Lord then directs Saul to go to the city in order to receive further instructions (vv. 5-6). Saul did not see, eat, or drink for three days (v. 9).

Saul’s worldview got demolished. A new one was about to take its place. Jesus humbled this arrogant and violent man, turning the terrorist into a soon-to-be evangelist. The self-righteous persecutor is about to become the Christ-centered apostle.

The Risen Jesus Commissions Saul (9:10-19a)

In contrast with the Ananias mentioned in Acts 5, this Ananias in verse 10 is a faithful Christian who is set to welcome Saul into the company of disciples (cf. 22:12). When first the Lord tells him to go meet Saul, Ananias objects. Saul was well known for his violent acts in Jerusalem, and Ananias knew Saul’s intentions in Damascus. The Lord, however, calms Ananias’s fears; he describes Saul’s entirely new identity and purpose. God’s word would prove true. In the following chapters Saul—who would soon be known as Paul—addresses “Gentiles, kings, and Israelites.” He suffers much for the sake of Christ; he will be shipwrecked, slandered, imprisoned, and worse.

Ananias goes, lays his hand on the waiting Saul, and says, “Brother Saul . . .” (v. 17). This means that the first word Saul hears from this man, this follower of the Way, is “brother.” What a comfort! Surely in that moment Saul not only received his new identity but recognized that in Christ he also received a new family. Becoming a follower of Jesus involves coming into a family of brothers and sisters in the faith.

Ananias then reported why he came: Saul was to regain his sight and be filled with the Spirit. And just like that, boom! Everything changed. Saul can suddenly see again and gets baptized (vv. 18-19). Imagine it! Saul of Tarsus, who once despised Christ and his church, is now being buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. From this point forward, he is identified with Christ and with Christ’s people. The adversary thus becomes the apostle. He is no longer corrupt but cleansed, no longer a church foe but part of the family. What grace!

Paul says that his conversion is an “example” of Jesus’s saving grace and mercy (1 Tim 1:16). While his conversion and commissioning are unique, we still can learn several lessons about all conversions by studying this one.

Salvation is by God’s amazing grace (cf. 1 Cor 15:10). Instead of executing Saul on that Damascus road, Jesus shows him unspeakable grace (1 Tim 1:16). Later Saul would become a theologian of grace, writing breathtaking passages about the nature of salvation (cf. Eph 2:1-10). The good news of the gospel is that God pursues sinners. Saul was not on a quest to find salvation; he was on a quest to persecute Christians! Yet God arrested Saul by his sovereign grace (cf. Gal 1:13-16).

All conversions involve a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Conversion happens dramatically for some, but for others it happens quietly. In Acts 16 we find the dramatic conversion of a jailor. God sends in an earthquake, and then the man asks, “What must I do to be saved?” (16:30). In a previous story, however, a lady named Lydia converted more quietly. She simply heard the gospel, God opened her heart to it, and she repented and believed (16:14-15). Both individuals were changed after an encounter with Jesus.

All conversions involve a surrender to Jesus Christ. Saul can only humbly surrender to the sovereign Lord. Jesus humbles Saul by showing him the truth, namely that the resurrection is true. This Jesus, whom Saul once thought a phony, showed himself in power. Jesus also humbles Saul by blinding him, forcing the tough guy to be led by the hand. And Jesus further humbles him by sending him to Damascus to await instructions. All of this helps Saul realize that he isn’t in charge. The King is. Saul can only surrender.

While one may not have the same blinding experience as Saul, the metaphor of blindness to sight, darkness to light, applies to every Christian theologically. Saul’s blindness pictured the spiritual darkness and ignorance in which he had been living, but God showed him the glory of the truth about Christ. Paul writes about this to the Corinthians:

The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake. For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 4:4-6)

Though Paul thought he was righteous (Phil 3:6), he was actually walking in spiritual darkness until Jesus arrested and transformed him. If God has transferred you out of darkness and into the kingdom of his beloved Son, then your heart should soar in praise to him (Col 1:13-14).

Sincerity alone doesn’t save. Saul truly believed he was righteous, yet he couldn’t have been more wrong. All of his good deeds, all of his careful rule keeping amounted to nothing. To our culture’s expression, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, just be sincere,” we must object. Saul was sincerely wrong about Jesus and the way of salvation, like many today (Rom 10:1-4). One must put faith in Christ alone for salvation (Acts 4:12).

Conversion involves the receiving of the Spirit. As Saul received the Spirit, so does every Christian who truly repents and turns to Christ for salvation. Saul would later go on to write much about the Spirit’s involvement in Christians’ lives (e.g., Rom 8:9-17).

God can save the worst of sinners. Some people think the least likely person to be converted to faith in Jesus is a terrorist, yet this story disproves the theory. Imagine a leader of the terrorist group ISIS being converted and then preaching Christ to his former jihadists. Would that not be remarkable? Yet here we have Saul, ravaging the church, “terribly enraged,” persecuting them “even to foreign cities” (26:11), who suddenly begins preaching about Jesus because Jesus captured his heart. Don’t doubt God’s power to convert the worst of sinners. Pray even for the salvation of terrorists.

When you become a new person, you also receive a new purpose. All Christians are sent on a mission to preach the good news to the spiritually blind and to tell sinners how to find forgiveness (26:16-18). Saul was elected not just to salvation, but also for mission. Too many Christians walk around pontificating about theological topics like predestination without ever sharing the good news with lost people. This doesn’t square with the Bible’s idea of election. With the privilege of receiving salvation comes the responsibility of making much of Jesus in word and deed in this broken world. And when we share the good news, we can be confident that some people will say yes. If you’re a Christian, you’re a chosen instrument in the hands of God to be used for mission (cf. Eph 3:7-10).

Conversion involves receiving a new family. As Christians we participate in Christ’s mission of making him known by partnering together. Saul will soon write some wonderful pieces about the body of Christ serving Christ and one another faithfully (cf. 1 Cor 12).

The ultimate question this passage invites us to ask is this: have I truly experienced conversion? John Stott emphasizes this need as he summarizes how we should apply Saul’s conversion narrative:

We too can (and must) experience a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, surrender to him in penitence and faith, and receive his summons to service. Provided that we distinguish between the historically particular and the universal, between the dramatic outward accompaniments and the essential inward experience, what happened to Saul remains an instructive case study in Christian conversion. Moreover, Christ’s display of “unlimited patience” towards him was meant to be an encouraging “example” to others. (Message of Acts, 166)

Have you surrendered to Christ in repentance and faith, receiving his summons to service? If so, then allow the grace of God to encourage you as you live on mission. God saves sinners, and he wants to reach others through you. Rejoice! If you haven’t surrendered to him, then do so now. You can’t use the excuse that you’re too bad or even count on all of your religious efforts to buy your salvation. Look at Saul! You are just the right candidate for grace.

Saul’s Early Trials

Acts 9:19b-31

Jesus never promised Saul that his ministry would be easy, so it shouldn’t have surprised Saul when he faced trials right after conversion. His life soon followed this pattern: Saul preached Christ boldly; Saul became the object of a murderous plot; Saul escaped. Welcome to the ministry, Saul!

In Damascus: Astonishment, Conspiracy, and Escape (9:19b-25)

At this point in Acts, Saul has a new family and a new message (vv. 19-20). He’s undergone a total transformation! Saul is telling everyone about the One who changed him—Jesus, the Son of God (v. 22). This guy became an entirely new person through the work of Christ. Saul’s whole ministry would be Christ exalting from beginning to end.

Everyone was “astounded” by Saul’s transformation. He had raised havoc in Jerusalem, persecuting everyone who called on Jesus’s name (v. 21; cf. 1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13,23; 1 Tim 1:13). Here the very name Saul once despised is the name he powerfully and unceasingly declares.

Over time Saul “grew stronger” (v. 22). This seems to reference spiritual strength. God continued to empower Saul to testify to the good news of the gospel. Soon the man’s ministry began to frustrate the Jews in Damascus because they couldn’t counter his claims about Jesus as the Christ. How I love that Scripture includes that detail because this same thing happened in Stephen’s case: no one could withstand the wisdom with which he spoke either (6:10). Saul, in effect then, has taken Stephen’s place (vv. 22-23), and it’s not long before he too faces the threat of death. The Lord, however, doesn’t allow a murderous scheme against him to succeed; he has much more work for the apostle to do. Verses 24-25 detail Saul’s Indiana Jones-like escape.

Following Jesus isn’t easy, but he is with us. Jesus’s grace is sufficient. In 2 Corinthians Paul rattles off a host of trials he endured as he followed Christ. Chapter 11 of that book culminates in the escape from Damascus. He said,

[I have faced] far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, [and have been] many times near death.

Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing. Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. In Damascus, a ruler under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me. So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands. (2 Cor 11:23-33)

Paul’s words give us a needed dose of realism. Living in a fallen world is difficult, and following Jesus in a fallen world involves even more suffering (2 Tim 3:12). So don’t be surprised when you face trials and opposition for proclaiming Christ.

Paul’s words also remind us that in the midst of trials we still can rely on and rejoice in the all-sufficient grace of Jesus. In the next chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul expresses this very fact—that Christ’s power is made perfect in weaknesses (2 Cor 12:9). So go to Jesus to be strengthened by grace (2 Tim 2:1).

Finally, this testimony of Paul reminds us that no one can thwart the sovereign Lord’s plans. Neither the city’s governor nor a host of other people could capture Paul because Jesus was in charge and wouldn’t allow them to succeed. In the midst of your trials, remember that there’s only one sovereign Lord. Live with confident trust in him.

In Jerusalem: Suspicion, Conspiracy, and Escape (9:26-30)

In Jerusalem the Christians who’d received reports about Saul’s conversion were full of suspicion. When he tried to join the disciples, they were afraid of him and did not even believe that he was a Christ follower (v. 26).

Enter Barnabas. Thankfully, the “Son of Encouragement” gave Saul a hearing and trusted his story. Barnabas then advocated for Saul, describing all of the previous transforming events in Saul’s life to the apostles (v. 27) and vouching for him. Because of Barnabas’s intervention, the disciples received Saul as a brother.

Twice Luke says that Saul preached “boldly in the name of the Lord/Jesus” (vv. 27-28). Based on some of Paul’s writings, we shouldn’t attribute that courage to a brash personality. True, he was a zealous man. But the former persecutor told the Corinthians that his preaching involved feeling “weakness,” “fear,” and enduring “much trembling” (1 Cor 2:3). Paul asked the churches in Ephesus and Colossae to pray for him so he might preach the gospel fearlessly (Eph 6:19-20; Col 4:3-4). This is a reminder that boldness, for all believers, is a gift of God, who gives it to those who humbly ask him (Acts 4:29,31). Let’s ask God to grant us this boldness as we make Christ known.

In Acts 9:29 Saul is disputing with the Hellenists—a group that showed up in 6:9 at Stephen’s trial. Saul was likely a leader in the Greek-speaking synagogue. Now he’s disputing about Jesus with the men who once trusted his leadership!

As a result of Saul’s bold preaching, he faces the same problem he faced in Damascus: he becomes the target of a murderous plot (v. 29). His Christian brothers send him away to Tarsus (v. 30), leading the narrative to close with Saul en route to his hometown (21:39; 22:3). Saul will reenter the Acts account when Barnabas retrieves him so that together they may visit the church in Antioch (11:25-26; cf. Gal 1:21).

This passage underscores the nature of being a witness and is a reminder of the importance of being an encourager to other believers. Regarding the former, Saul gives us a pattern for a faithful witness. Faithful witnesses are first Christ centered. Saul goes about preaching Christ, not talking about himself or giving some how-to-live-a-better-life sermon. Second, a faithful witness is empowered. Saul was strengthened through his personal relationship with Christ (v. 22). Third, a faithful witness is bold (vv. 27-28). Fourth, a faithful witness will suffer. Let’s pray for the Lord to empower us to proclaim Christ boldly even in the face of suffering.

Regarding the need to encourage other brothers and sisters, Barnabas, once again, provides a wonderful model for us. I love how Luke says, “Barnabas took him” (v. 27). It tells us Barnabas spent time with Saul. He listened. He encouraged. He advocated for him. He befriended him. Later he retrieved Saul and ministered alongside him. The investments this man made involved time, risk, and humility. He truly was filled with grace. Be on the lookout for ways you can be a Barnabas to other believers this week.

Peace in the Midst of Trials (9:31)

Luke moves the whole Acts narrative along with this summary:

So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was strengthened. Living in fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. (9:31)

This tells us that though the church faced many threats and trials externally, it experienced great peace inwardly. We experience peace through a right relationship with God through Christ. This relationship involves walking by the Spirit and walking humbly before the God who is to be feared. When we walk humbly, prayerfully, and dependently, we find peace—even though we may be in a time of crisis.

In addition to enjoying these spiritual blessings, the church multiplied numerically. Jesus continued to build his church despite murderous plots and heated opposition. Both the conversion of Saul and the growth of the church showcase God’s amazing grace. Both give us reason to give God praise.

Not long ago I took our family to watch the remake of the movie Annie. The film touched on many important themes and gave me many talking points for dinner-table discussion. One of the songs in particular gave me opportunity to talk with my family about the gospel.

Toward the end of the movie, Will Stacks (a wealthy cell-phone tycoon who runs for mayor) and Hannigan (a horrible foster mom) sing, “Who Am I?” The lyrics of their song are antigospel, revealing that both characters live for money. Self-centered and greedy, each realizes that change is in order. It’s time to start thinking about other people.

But becoming less self-centered or even wildly dedicated to humanitarian causes doesn’t really fix anything. The chorus, “I want to start again, so I’ll look within,” rings hollow—though it’s based on a popular twenty-first-century notion. People can change their diets, their habits, even their passions, but self-effort alone can’t completely change a life, alter a person’s eternal destiny. People need the Life-Changer to do that.

Saul’s life wasn’t changed as a result of karma or looking within or because he followed a self-help plan. His following lists of religious rules fell short. Jesus is what changed Saul into Paul. Jesus changed him forever. So if you want to start again, look to him, the Life-Changer, Jesus Christ. In him there is hope for both the self-righteous moralist and the unrighteous hedonist. He can make all things new.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Read some of the other passages related to Saul’s conversion and note the similarities and differences: Acts 22:1-21; 26:12-23; Romans 1:1-5; 1 Corinthians 15:8-10; Galatians 1:11-24; Philippians 3:4-11; and 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
2. What are some of the similarities between Saul’s conversion experience and other conversion experiences? What are some differences?
3. What does this passage teach about God’s grace in salvation?
4. What does this passage teach about Jesus?
5. What practical lessons might be learned from Ananias’s inclusion in this story?
6. What about Jesus’s commission of Saul most resonates with you?
7. What can we learn from Saul’s trials?
8. Why is Barnabas an example worth following?
9. How can you speak with greater boldness?
10. How can Christians have peace even in times of crisis?