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- Acts Chapter 9
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
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👉🏽 Read Chapter 9 before reading my notes. If you don’t, my notes won’t make sense.
You can access my previous notes on Acts and Luke by signing into your account. Click 'Read Online' at the top right of this post and scroll down to find them waiting for you.
Evening notes! 🌛
When I think of Acts, I think of the Apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit, I think of Stephen being martyred, and I think of Saul on the road to Damascus.
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
The letters would have been easy to get since the High Priest was Caiaphas, the same high priest who presided over the Sanhedrin during the trial and crucifixion of Jesus—the same high priest who condemned Jesus to death.
The Way?
Early Christians were referred to as "The Way." It was used to describe the followers of Jesus Christ before the term "Christian" became more known.
The name "The Way" most likely comes from Jesus' teaching in John 14:6, where He says,
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"
Calling themselves "The Way" showed that Christianity was not just a set of beliefs but a way of life—a path to follow, centered on Jesus.
The term "Christians" is first used in the Bible in Acts 11:26:
"And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians."
Why was Paul going to Damascus?
Damascus is about 135 miles (217 kilometers) north of Jerusalem. If someone were to walk from Jerusalem to Damascus, it would take approximately 5-7 days.
© Stephen M. Miller
After Stephen was stoned, a wave of persecution hit Jerusalem, causing many believers to scatter to different cities and regions, including Damascus.
Saul was determined to cleanse Judaism of this new movement. He marched toward Damascus under the approval of the highest religious authority, ready to hunt down every follower of "The Way" and drag every single one of them back to Jerusalem in chains.
And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Two things stood out to me.
Jesus uses Saul’s name twice. Repeating a person's name is a sign of deep emotion, urgency, or importance.
Here are a few examples:
"But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.'"
"And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, 'Jacob, Jacob.' And he said, 'Here I am.'"
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat."
The second thing that stood out to me was when Jesus asked, 'Why are you persecuting Me?’
Jesus identifies so closely with His believers that any persecution against them is, in essence, an attack on Him personally. This shows just how united Christ is with His Church—whatever happens to His followers, happens to Him.
"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’"
Saul wasn’t looking for Jesus, but Jesus was looking for Saul. And I think that’s the way it is for so many of our testimonies.
When we came to faith, we may not have been actively seeking God; in fact, we might have been running in the opposite direction, caught up in our own plans, passions, or even sins.
But Jesus, in His relentless love, pursued us. He met us in our brokenness, in our doubts, in our rebellion, and He called us to Himself.
Maybe you’re running from Him now?
In Acts Chapter 26, Paul shares more details about his encounter on the road to Damascus. He describes being on the ground, blinded by a light brighter than the sun.
“While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.
Stunned and disoriented, he asks,
“Who are You, Lord?”
The original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament were written in a continuous stream of text without spaces, punctuation, or even lowercase letters.
“And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?'” (Acts 9:5) might have looked something like this:
ΚΑΙΕΙΠΕΝΤΙΣΕΙΚΥΡΙΕ
No punctuation.
No spacing.
No fun.
The absence of punctuation and spacing meant that early readers needed to be skilled at interpreting the text as they read it, relying heavily on context and their familiarity with the language.
I like reading Acts 9:5 with the comma. “Who are you, Lord?”
It’s like Saul is asking, “Who are you? Lord?” or “Is it You God?”
I generally study from the English Standard Version translation of the Bible. It’s a Word-for-Word Bible like the New King James Version. Both are great Bibles.
But in the ESV, verse 6 is slightly different than the NKJV.
So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
Why the difference?
The ESV and NIV leave out Paul’s question because it wasn’t included in the earliest transcripts.
However, the fact that the phrase appears in Acts 22 but not in Acts 9 suggests that Paul likely did ask, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" during his encounter with Jesus. The author of Acts (Luke) just chose to focus on different details in each account.
Acts 9 gives us the story of Paul's conversion from an outside perspective, while Acts 22 and 26 share Paul's own version of the event, with each account highlighting different parts of the experience.
This shows that Luke was recording the same event from different viewpoints, depending on the purpose of each passage.
Two life-changing questions.
“Who are you, Lord?” and “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
If you want to know who Jesus is, dive into the Gospels. Read them out loud. Read them again.
Let His words and actions sink deep into your heart. As you do, you'll begin to understand His character, His love, and His purpose for your life.
When was the last time you prayed, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
It’s a dangerous prayer.
Jesus tells Paul to continue to Damascus, where he’ll get further instructions.
Don’t be surprised if God doesn’t share an entire plan for your life. For the last twelve years, as missionaries, He’s only shown my wife and me…
one
step
at
a
time
As my wife and I have prayed that exact prayer, here are a few of the very clear answers we’ve received:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
I want to encourage you to pray dangerous prayers, but even more than that, I want to encourage you to do what He says.
Just take the next step.
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George
Uncovering Scripture
George Sisneros is a full-time missionary in Guatemala and the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 26 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family are expanding to Cuba in 2024.