Saul meets Jesus
1 ① Meanwhile Saul considered nothing but violence and death for the disciples of the Lord. 2He went to the High Priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus that would authorize him to arrest and bring to Jerusalem anyone he might find, man or woman, belonging to the Way.
3As he traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?” 5And he asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice replied, “I am Jesus whom you persecute. 6Now get up and go into the city; there you will be told what you are to do.”
7The men who were traveling with him stood there speechless: they had heard the sound, but could see no one. 8Saul got up from the ground and, opening his eyes, he could not see. They took him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. 9He was blind and he did not eat or drink for three days.
10There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, to whom the Lord called in a vision, “Ananias!” He answered, “Here I am, Lord!” 11Then the Lord said to him, “Go at once to Straight Street and ask, at the house of Judas, for a man of Tarsus named Saul. You will find him praying, 12for he has just seen in a vision that a man named Ananias has come in and placed his hands upon him, to restore his sight.”
13Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 14and now he is here with authority from the High Priest to arrest all who call upon your name.” 15But the Lord said to him, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to bring my name to the pagan nations and their kings, and the people of Israel as well. 16I myself will show him how much he will have to suffer for my name.”
17So Ananias left and went to the house. He laid his hands upon Saul and said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me to you so that you may receive your sight and be filled with Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he could see; he got up and was baptized. 19 ② Then he took food and was strengthened. For several days Saul stayed with the disciples at Damascus, 20and he soon began to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. 21All who heard were astonished and said, “Is this not the one who cast out in Jerusalem all those calling upon this Name? Did he not come here to bring them bound before the chief priests?”
22But Saul grew more and more powerful, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus when he proved that Jesus was the Messiah.
23After a fairly long time, the Jews conspired together to kill him. 24But Saul became aware of their plan: Day and night they kept watching at the city gate in order to kill him. 25So his disciples took him one night and let him down from the top of the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26When Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples there, but they were afraid of him because they could not believe that he was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He recounted to them how Saul had seen the Lord on his way and the words the Lord had spoken to him. He told them also how Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
28Then Saul began to live with them. He moved about freely in Jerusalem and preached openly in the name of the Lord. 29He also spoke to the Hellenists and argued with them, but they wanted to kill him. 30When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31Meanwhile, the Church had peace. It was building up throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria with eyes turned to the Lord and filled with comfort from the Holy Spirit.
Peter visits the churches
32 ③ As Peter traveled around, he went to visit the saints who lived in Lydda. 33There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralyzed, and had been bedridden for eight years. 34Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!” And the man got up at once. 35All the people living in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
36There was a disciple in Joppa named Tabitha, which means Dorcas or Gazelle. She was always doing good works and helping the poor. 37At that time she fell sick and died. After having washed her body, they laid her in the upstairs room.
38As Lydda is near Joppa, the disciples, on hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.”
39So Peter went with them. On his arrival they took him upstairs to the room. All the widows crowded around him in tears, showing him the clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Peter made them all leave the room and then he knelt down and prayed. Turning to the dead body he said, “Tabitha, stand up.” She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. 41Peter gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the saints and widows and presented her to them alive. 42This became known throughout all of Joppa and many people believed in the Lord because of it. 43As for Peter, he remained for some time in Joppa at the house of Simon, a tanner of leather.
- Acts 9,1 This is a decisive event in the beginning of the Church. Christ comes in person to win over the most fierce persecutor of the Christians. The conversion of Saul, who will become Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, is also found in Acts 22 and 26. It would be wrong to present Paul as an evil man who finally finds the right path. As shown in Acts 22:3-4; Gal 1:14 and Phil 3:4-11, Paul from his youth felt the need to dedicate himself to the service of God. This is why he went to Jerusalem to study the Law, that is, religion, with the best teachers of his day. His interest in the things of God made him uninterested in looking for a wife: he did not marry. To this young man, dependable and responsible, the Jews entrusted the difficult task of eliminating from their communities the new and suspicious doctrine of the Christians. Paul is in charge of the repression of Christ's followers and he does this in a very harsh way, for the good of his religion. Why do you persecute me? (v. 4) Who is this Lord who calls me a persecutor, when my only ambition is to serve God? Until that time Paul felt good, like the Pharisee of the parable (Lk 18:9), and thanked God for having made him a responsible, dependable and active believer. Now, faced with the light of Christ, he discovers that his merits and services are of no use to God; his faith is mainly human fanaticism; his self-assurance as a believer is disguised pride. Paul sees himself as a sinner, violent and rebellious; but at the same time, he understands that God has welcomed him, chosen him and forgiven him: this man is my chosen instrument (v. 15). Paul is no longer the Pharisee of the parable, rather he has put himself in the place of the publican. My God, have mercy on me, a sinner! This is the characteristic conversion of a militant Christian. However active we may be, we will be unable to present ourselves as witnesses to Christ, if we do not admit to being forgiven sinners. This is why there is such Christian concern for universal reconciliation. From then on, Saul (who will take the name Paul) will be a chosen instrument of Christ to spread the Church to other countries. Until then the Church, which was led by and made up of Jews, did not go beyond the Jewish people. Paul was a Jew too, but had been educated outside his country. He enjoyed the culture of the Greeks as much as that of his own race. Because of that and because of his exceptional personality, he was to be the apostle to the Greeks. The Church must constantly renew itself, and is renewed through the conversion of adults. Christian communities, even when they want to be open to people who do not participate in community affairs (for example, workers, or at times, young people), are usually unable to be really open. Thus the Lord calls some people from different walks of life who, once they have received the faith of the Church, will be able to evangelize those of their own milieu and to preserve their freedom with regard to traditional groups. In crucial times in history, Christ called new men and women which his Church needed: Francis of Assisi and, closer to us, John XXIII. The Way: this is what Christianity was called; the word expressed the fact that it is not only a matter of religious teachings, but rather a new way of life enlightened by hope. Acts 9,19 For three years Paul preaches his faith and relates his own experience in the province of Damascus, also called Arabia (see Gal 1:16 and 2 Cor 11:32). Paul is already going his own way. He does not separate from the Church, as his journey to Jerusalem shows, since he goes there to meet the apostles. Yet he preserves his independence as he waits for the promptings of the Spirit. Acts 9,32 Peter appears in his role of inspector of the churches (the word bishop means inspector). It is said here that he visits the saints. In the years prior to Christ, the word saints, namely, those consecrated to God, was used especially to designate the new people of God since the coming of the Messiah (see Dn 7:27). Christians are the new people of God since they are the Church (see 5:11); they are also the saints. The raising of Tabitha is similar to what Jesus did. It is an echo of the Resurrection of Christ, as the raising of Lazarus (Jn 11) or the widow's son had been (Lk 8:11). God wished to grant these signs to strengthen faith in Jesus' resurrection. Besides the people who had been witnesses of his Resurrection, it was necessary that, in various places, the communities could see for themselves that God raises the dead (see Heb 11:19). Similar resurrections have been seen in the Church even in this century.
- Acts 9,1 This is a decisive event in the beginning of the Church. Christ comes in person to win over the most fierce persecutor of the Christians. The conversion of Saul, who will become Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, is also found in Acts 22 and 26. It would be wrong to present Paul as an evil man who finally finds the right path. As shown in Acts 22:3-4; Gal 1:14 and Phil 3:4-11, Paul from his youth felt the need to dedicate himself to the service of God. This is why he went to Jerusalem to study the Law, that is, religion, with the best teachers of his day. His interest in the things of God made him uninterested in looking for a wife: he did not marry. To this young man, dependable and responsible, the Jews entrusted the difficult task of eliminating from their communities the new and suspicious doctrine of the Christians. Paul is in charge of the repression of Christ's followers and he does this in a very harsh way, for the good of his religion. Why do you persecute me? (v. 4) Who is this Lord who calls me a persecutor, when my only ambition is to serve God? Until that time Paul felt good, like the Pharisee of the parable (Lk 18:9), and thanked God for having made him a responsible, dependable and active believer. Now, faced with the light of Christ, he discovers that his merits and services are of no use to God; his faith is mainly human fanaticism; his self-assurance as a believer is disguised pride. Paul sees himself as a sinner, violent and rebellious; but at the same time, he understands that God has welcomed him, chosen him and forgiven him: this man is my chosen instrument (v. 15). Paul is no longer the Pharisee of the parable, rather he has put himself in the place of the publican. My God, have mercy on me, a sinner! This is the characteristic conversion of a militant Christian. However active we may be, we will be unable to present ourselves as witnesses to Christ, if we do not admit to being forgiven sinners. This is why there is such Christian concern for universal reconciliation. From then on, Saul (who will take the name Paul) will be a chosen instrument of Christ to spread the Church to other countries. Until then the Church, which was led by and made up of Jews, did not go beyond the Jewish people. Paul was a Jew too, but had been educated outside his country. He enjoyed the culture of the Greeks as much as that of his own race. Because of that and because of his exceptional personality, he was to be the apostle to the Greeks. The Church must constantly renew itself, and is renewed through the conversion of adults. Christian communities, even when they want to be open to people who do not participate in community affairs (for example, workers, or at times, young people), are usually unable to be really open. Thus the Lord calls some people from different walks of life who, once they have received the faith of the Church, will be able to evangelize those of their own milieu and to preserve their freedom with regard to traditional groups. In crucial times in history, Christ called new men and women which his Church needed: Francis of Assisi and, closer to us, John XXIII. The Way: this is what Christianity was called; the word expressed the fact that it is not only a matter of religious teachings, but rather a new way of life enlightened by hope. Acts 9,19 For three years Paul preaches his faith and relates his own experience in the province of Damascus, also called Arabia (see Gal 1:16 and 2 Cor 11:32). Paul is already going his own way. He does not separate from the Church, as his journey to Jerusalem shows, since he goes there to meet the apostles. Yet he preserves his independence as he waits for the promptings of the Spirit. Acts 9,32 Peter appears in his role of inspector of the churches (the word bishop means inspector). It is said here that he visits the saints. In the years prior to Christ, the word saints, namely, those consecrated to God, was used especially to designate the new people of God since the coming of the Messiah (see Dn 7:27). Christians are the new people of God since they are the Church (see 5:11); they are also the saints. The raising of Tabitha is similar to what Jesus did. It is an echo of the Resurrection of Christ, as the raising of Lazarus (Jn 11) or the widow's son had been (Lk 8:11). God wished to grant these signs to strengthen faith in Jesus' resurrection. Besides the people who had been witnesses of his Resurrection, it was necessary that, in various places, the communities could see for themselves that God raises the dead (see Heb 11:19). Similar resurrections have been seen in the Church even in this century.
- Acts 9,1 This is a decisive event in the beginning of the Church. Christ comes in person to win over the most fierce persecutor of the Christians. The conversion of Saul, who will become Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, is also found in Acts 22 and 26. It would be wrong to present Paul as an evil man who finally finds the right path. As shown in Acts 22:3-4; Gal 1:14 and Phil 3:4-11, Paul from his youth felt the need to dedicate himself to the service of God. This is why he went to Jerusalem to study the Law, that is, religion, with the best teachers of his day. His interest in the things of God made him uninterested in looking for a wife: he did not marry. To this young man, dependable and responsible, the Jews entrusted the difficult task of eliminating from their communities the new and suspicious doctrine of the Christians. Paul is in charge of the repression of Christ's followers and he does this in a very harsh way, for the good of his religion. Why do you persecute me? (v. 4) Who is this Lord who calls me a persecutor, when my only ambition is to serve God? Until that time Paul felt good, like the Pharisee of the parable (Lk 18:9), and thanked God for having made him a responsible, dependable and active believer. Now, faced with the light of Christ, he discovers that his merits and services are of no use to God; his faith is mainly human fanaticism; his self-assurance as a believer is disguised pride. Paul sees himself as a sinner, violent and rebellious; but at the same time, he understands that God has welcomed him, chosen him and forgiven him: this man is my chosen instrument (v. 15). Paul is no longer the Pharisee of the parable, rather he has put himself in the place of the publican. My God, have mercy on me, a sinner! This is the characteristic conversion of a militant Christian. However active we may be, we will be unable to present ourselves as witnesses to Christ, if we do not admit to being forgiven sinners. This is why there is such Christian concern for universal reconciliation. From then on, Saul (who will take the name Paul) will be a chosen instrument of Christ to spread the Church to other countries. Until then the Church, which was led by and made up of Jews, did not go beyond the Jewish people. Paul was a Jew too, but had been educated outside his country. He enjoyed the culture of the Greeks as much as that of his own race. Because of that and because of his exceptional personality, he was to be the apostle to the Greeks. The Church must constantly renew itself, and is renewed through the conversion of adults. Christian communities, even when they want to be open to people who do not participate in community affairs (for example, workers, or at times, young people), are usually unable to be really open. Thus the Lord calls some people from different walks of life who, once they have received the faith of the Church, will be able to evangelize those of their own milieu and to preserve their freedom with regard to traditional groups. In crucial times in history, Christ called new men and women which his Church needed: Francis of Assisi and, closer to us, John XXIII. The Way: this is what Christianity was called; the word expressed the fact that it is not only a matter of religious teachings, but rather a new way of life enlightened by hope. Acts 9,19 For three years Paul preaches his faith and relates his own experience in the province of Damascus, also called Arabia (see Gal 1:16 and 2 Cor 11:32). Paul is already going his own way. He does not separate from the Church, as his journey to Jerusalem shows, since he goes there to meet the apostles. Yet he preserves his independence as he waits for the promptings of the Spirit. Acts 9,32 Peter appears in his role of inspector of the churches (the word bishop means inspector). It is said here that he visits the saints. In the years prior to Christ, the word saints, namely, those consecrated to God, was used especially to designate the new people of God since the coming of the Messiah (see Dn 7:27). Christians are the new people of God since they are the Church (see 5:11); they are also the saints. The raising of Tabitha is similar to what Jesus did. It is an echo of the Resurrection of Christ, as the raising of Lazarus (Jn 11) or the widow's son had been (Lk 8:11). God wished to grant these signs to strengthen faith in Jesus' resurrection. Besides the people who had been witnesses of his Resurrection, it was necessary that, in various places, the communities could see for themselves that God raises the dead (see Heb 11:19). Similar resurrections have been seen in the Church even in this century.
