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The Conversion of Saul

^1 (C1)Now ^(F1)Saul, still ^(C2)breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord and relentless in his search for believers, went to the ^(F2)high priest,² and he asked for ^(C1)letters of authority from him to ^(C2)the synagogues at ^(C3)Damascus, so that if he found any men or women there belonging to ^(F1)(C4)the Way believers, followers of Jesus the Messiah, men and women alike, he could arrest them and bring them bound with chains to Jerusalem.³ As he traveled he approached Damascus, and ^(C1)suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him displaying the glory and majesty of Christ;⁴ and ^(C1)he fell to the ground and heard a voice from heaven saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting and oppressing Me?"⁵ And Saul said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He answered, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,⁶ now get up and go into the city, and ^(C1)you will be told what you must do."⁷ The men who were traveling with him were terrified and ^(C1)stood speechless, ^(C2)hearing the voice but seeing no one.⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but ^(C1)though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into ^(C2)Damascus.⁹ And he was unable to see for three days, and he neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ Now in ^(C1)Damascus there was a disciple named ^(C2)Ananias; and the Lord said to him in ^(C3)a vision, "Ananias." And he answered, "Here I am, Lord."¹¹ And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called ^(F1)Straight, and ask at the house of Judas for a man from ^(C1)Tarsus named Saul; for he is praying there,¹² and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and ^(C1)place his hands on him, so that he may regain his sight."¹³ But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, especially ^(C1)how much suffering and evil he has brought on ^(C2)Your saints (God's people) at Jerusalem;¹⁴ and here in Damascus he ^(C1)has authority from the high priests to put in chains all who ^(C2)call on Your name confessing You as Savior."¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, "Go, for ^(C1)this man is a deliberately chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before ^(C2)the Gentiles and ^(C3)kings and the sons of Israel;¹⁶ for ^(C1)I will make clear to him how much he must suffer and endure for My name's sake."¹⁷ So Ananias left and entered the house, and he ^(C1)laid his hands on Saul and said, "^(C2)Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came to Damascus, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be ^(C3)filled with the Holy Spirit in order to proclaim Christ to both Jews and Gentiles."¹⁸ Immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized;

¹⁹ and he took some food and was strengthened. Saul Begins to Preach Christ ^(C1)For several days afterward Saul remained with ^(C2)the disciples who were at Damascus.²⁰ And immediately he began proclaiming Jesus ^(C1)in the synagogues, saying, "This Man is ^(C2)the Son of God the promised Messiah!"²¹ All those who heard him continued to be amazed and said, "Is this not the man who in Jerusalem ^(C1)attacked those who ^(C2)called on this name of Jesus, and had come here to Damascus for the express purpose of bringing them bound with chains before the chief priests?"²² But Saul increased in strength more and more, and continued to perplex the Jews who lived in Damascus by examining theological evidence and proving with Scripture that this Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

²³ After ^(C1)considerable time had passed about three years or so, ^(C2)the Jews plotted together to kill him,²⁴ but ^(C1)their plot became known to Saul. ^(C2)They were also watching the city's gates day and night so they could kill him;²⁵ but his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

^26 (C1)When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.²⁷ However, ^(F1)(C1)Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and described to them how Saul had ^(C2)seen the Lord on the road to Damascus, and how He had spoken to him, and how ^(C3)at Damascus Saul had ^(C4)preached openly and spoken confidently in the name of Jesus.²⁸ So he was with them, moving around freely as one among them in Jerusalem, ^(C1)speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.²⁹ He was talking and arguing with the ^(F1)(C1)Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews); but they were attempting to kill him.³⁰ When ^(C1)the brothers found out about the plot, they brought him down to ^(F1)(C2)Caesarea Maritima and ^(C3)sent him off to ^(C4)Tarsus his home town.

³¹ So ^(C1)the church throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace without persecution, being built up in wisdom, virtue, and faith; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to grow in numbers.

Peter's Ministry

³² Now as Peter was traveling throughout the land, he went down to visit ^(C1)the ^(F1)saints (God's people) who lived at ^(C2)Lydda.³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed.³⁴ Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed." Immediately Aeneas got up.³⁵ Then all who lived at ^(C1)Lydda and the plain of ^(C2)Sharon saw what had happened to him, and they ^(C3)turned to the Lord.

³⁶ Now in ^(F1)(C1)Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, (which translated into Greek means Dorcas). She was rich in acts of kindness and charity which she continually did.³⁷ During that time it happened that she became sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an ^(C1)upstairs room.³⁸ Since Lydda was near ^(C1)Joppa, ^(C2)the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Come to us without delay."³⁹ So Peter got up at once and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the ^(C1)upstairs room; and all the ^(C2)widows stood beside him, weeping and showing him all the ^(F1)tunics and robes that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.⁴⁰ But Peter ^(C1)sent them all out of the room and ^(C2)knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, "^(C3)Tabitha, arise!" And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.⁴¹ And he gave her his hand and helped her up; and then he called in ^(C1)the ^(F1)saints (God's people) and ^(C2)the widows, and he presented her to them alive.⁴² This became known all over ^(C1)Joppa, and ^(C2)many came to believe in the Lord that is, to adhere to and trust in and rely on Jesus as Christ and Savior.⁴³ And so it was that Peter stayed in ^(C1)Joppa for many days with Simon, ^(F1)(C2)a tanner.