Study Desk

"You yourselves know that these hands served my own needs and the men who were with me.

But Paul said, "I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."

"But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus at about noon, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,

and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'

"And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.'

"And those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

"And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that has been appointed for you to do.'

"But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I came into Damascus being led by the hand by those who were with me.

came to me, and standing nearby he said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I looked up at him.

and I saw Him saying to me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'

"And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

The commander came and said to Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he said, "Yes."

Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law, order me to be struck?"

But on the following night, the Lord stood near him and said, "Be courageous! For as you have testified to the truth about Me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome also."

So he took him and led him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called me over to him and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."

The commander took him by the hand, and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, "What is it that you have to report to me?"

Then the commander let the young man go, instructing him, "Tell no one that you have notified me of these things."

"And neither in the temple did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself.

"Nor can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me.

in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been purified, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from Asia—