Acts 9 Footnotes

9:1 Saul’s murderous anger was no exaggeration. Ananias (v. 13) knew it well (see Php 3:6).

9:2 Saul desired to bring Christians from Damascus to Jerusalem, which remained the center of Judaism. “The Way” (a reference to Jesus in Jn 14:6) was a common name for early Christians (19:9,23; 22:4; 24:22).

9:5 How did Saul know who spoke to him? Saul recognized this as Jesus’s voice (the divine “Lord” [kyrios], rather than “sir”) for several reasons. First, the voice asked, “Why are you persecuting me?” (9:4). Second, Saul knew he was persecuting Christians. Third, the flashing light was a sensational phenomenon. And fourth, Ananias, recognizing Jesus’s voice, also used “Lord” (vv. 10,13). The voice spoke in Aramaic (26:14).

9:7 Paul’s other conversion accounts (22:6-11; 26:12-18) revealed that his traveling companions heard something but did not recognize what was said since the comments were directed to Paul.

9:10 Ananias was a Christian in the Damascus church (perhaps begun as a result of Pentecost or by those fleeing persecution, 8:1). Saul’s travel to Damascus to persecute Christians indicates a known Christian community there.

9:17-18 The ordering of events in Saul’s conversion may have been altered from the standard pattern so that baptism was the final event (indicating full initiation into the Christian faith).

9:20 Paul’s missionary strategy—from start to finish (28:17)—was to begin in Jewish synagogues to present Jesus as “the Son of God” (used here as a messianic title for God’s unique representative) to Jews.

9:32 The gospel may have reached Lydda just after Pentecost (2:9-11), following the persecution that scattered believers throughout Judea (8:1), or through Philip’s ministry (8:40).

9:43 Tanners were often considered impure because of their contact with dead animals. Either Jewish law had became more relaxed with regard to this trade, or Peter was enjoying freedom from the Jewish law based on his liberty in Christ (10:6,32).