Saul on the Road to Damascus
An enemy meets Jesus
The story begins after Stephen is stoned to death, and includes threats, prison, and a plot to kill Saul.
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Saul: A young Jewish man from the city of Tarsus. He was a Pharisee, deeply devoted to God's law (Philippians 3:5). He is not King Saul, who lived about 1,000 years earlier. Later he is also known as Paul (see "Why is he called Saul here?" below).
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. He had risen from the dead and gone back to heaven. In this story, he speaks to Saul.
- Ananias: A follower of Jesus who lived in Damascus.
- Barnabas: A follower of Jesus from the island of Cyprus. The apostles gave him this name. It means "Son of Encouragement" (4:36).
- The believers: Jewish people who followed Jesus. They were called "the Way."
Setting
- The long road north from Jerusalem to Damascus, a big, very old city in Syria. Then a house on a street called Straight Street. Later, back in Jerusalem.
When
- A few years after Jesus rose from the dead, about 2,000 years ago.
Before the Story
Stephen was killed for following Jesus. A crowd dragged him out of Jerusalem and stoned him to death. As he died, Stephen prayed, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (7:60).
A young man named Saul was there. The witnesses laid their coats at his feet (7:58). Saul approved of Stephen's death (8:1).
Then Saul went after the church. He went from house to house. He dragged off men and women and put them in prison (8:3). Many believers fled from Jerusalem.
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Stephen saw Jesus standing at God's right hand (7:55-56). That same Jesus is about to meet Saul.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Letters for Damascus | 9:1-2 | Saul gets permission to arrest believers |
| 2. A light from heaven | 9:3-6 | Jesus speaks to Saul on the road |
| 3. Three dark days | 9:7-9 | Saul is blind and does not eat |
| 4. Ananias is afraid | 9:10-16 | The Lord sends Ananias to Saul |
| 5. "Brother Saul" | 9:17-19 | Saul sees again and is baptized |
| 6. The hunter preaches | 9:20-22 | Saul tells people Jesus is the Son of God |
| 7. A basket in the wall | 9:23-25 | Saul escapes a plot to kill him |
| 8. Barnabas speaks up | 9:26-31 | Barnabas brings Saul to the apostles |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 8Letters for Damascus
Saul was still full of anger at the followers of Jesus. The Bible says he was "breathing out murderous threats" (9:1). This is a word picture. His threats came out of him as easily as breath.
Saul went to the high priest, the chief leader of the temple in Jerusalem. He asked for letters to the synagogues in Damascus. A synagogue is a local meeting place for Jewish worship and study.
The letters gave Saul permission to hunt for anyone who belonged to "the Way." If he found any men or women, he could bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners.
"The Way" was an early name for the followers of Jesus. They were Jewish people who believed Jesus was the Messiah, the king God promised. Saul was sure they were wrong.
The Bible doesn't say every reason Saul was so angry. But years later he wrote that he had been "extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers" (Galatians 1:14). Zealous means burning with devotion.
Scene 2 of 8A Light from Heaven
It was a long trip. At last Saul came near Damascus.
Suddenly a light from heaven flashed all around him. Saul fell to the ground.
Then he heard a voice say, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" (9:4). To persecute means to hurt people again and again because of what they believe.
Saul asked, "Who are You, Lord?" (9:5).
The answer came. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (9:5).
Saul had never touched Jesus. He had hurt Jesus's followers. But Jesus said Saul was persecuting him. Jesus counts his people as part of himself. When they are hurt, he is hurt.
Jesus told Saul to get up and go into the city. There he would be told what to do.
Scene 3 of 8Three Dark Days
The men traveling with Saul stood there without a word. They heard the voice, but they did not see anyone.
Saul got up from the ground. He opened his eyes, but he could not see anything.
Saul had come to Damascus to lead people away as prisoners. Now he had to be led. The men led Saul by the hand into Damascus.
For three days Saul could not see. He did not eat or drink anything.
The Bible doesn't say what Saul felt in those three days. But he now knew the one he had been fighting was Jesus. Remember, Saul had watched Stephen die. He had gone from house to house, dragging people off to prison (8:3).
Scene 4 of 8Ananias Is Afraid
In Damascus there lived a follower of Jesus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision. A vision is something God lets a person see that others usually cannot see.
The Lord called Ananias by name. Ananias answered, "Here I am, Lord" (9:10).
The Lord told him to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. There he should ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. "He is praying," the Lord said (9:11). The Lord said Saul had seen a vision too. In it, a man named Ananias came and put his hands on Saul, so Saul could see again.
Ananias was afraid, and he told the Lord so. Many people had told him about Saul. Saul had done great harm to God's people in Jerusalem. Now Saul had come with power from the chief priests to arrest everyone who called on Jesus's name. That meant Ananias too.
The Lord told Ananias to go anyway. "This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel" (9:15). An instrument is a tool. This is a comparison. God would use Saul to tell people about Jesus. Gentiles are people who are not Jewish. Saul would tell Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel.
The Lord also said Saul would have to suffer for the Lord's name.
Halfway thereThis is a good place for a break. Your spot is saved on this device.
Scene 5 of 8"Brother Saul"
So Ananias went. He found the house. He placed his hands on Saul.
"Brother Saul," he said (9:17). Ananias had been afraid of Saul. Now his first word to Saul was "brother."
Ananias said the Lord Jesus had sent him. It was the same Jesus who had appeared to Saul on the road. Jesus sent Ananias so that Saul could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
At that instant, "something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes" (9:18). Scales are the thin, flat pieces that cover a fish's skin. This is a comparison. Something fell away, and Saul could see again.
Saul got up and was baptized. Then he ate some food, and his strength came back.
He stayed several days with the followers of Jesus in Damascus. These were the very people he had come to arrest.
Scene 6 of 8The Hunter Preaches
Right away, Saul began to speak in the synagogues. He said this about Jesus: "He is the Son of God" (9:20).
Everyone who heard him was amazed. They asked, "Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name?" (9:21). "Wreaked havoc" means caused great damage. They also asked if Saul had come to take believers as prisoners to the chief priests.
But Saul's preaching grew more and more powerful. He proved that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. The Jewish people in Damascus who argued with him could not answer him.
Scene 7 of 8A Basket in the Wall
Many days passed. Then some of the Jewish people in Damascus who opposed Saul made a plan to kill him. Saul was Jewish too, and so were the believers who helped him.
Saul found out about the plot. Day and night, the people who made the plan watched the city gates. They were waiting to kill Saul when he tried to leave.
But one night, Saul's own followers helped him. They put him in a basket. They lowered him down through a window in the city wall.
Saul had come to Damascus with letters that gave him power from the high priest. He left at night, lowered in a basket. Years later, Saul told this story himself (2 Corinthians 11:32-33).
Scene 8 of 8Barnabas Speaks Up
Saul went back to Jerusalem. He tried to join the followers of Jesus there. But they were all afraid of him. They did not believe Saul was really a follower of Jesus.
Their fear made sense. Saul had dragged their friends to prison.
Then Barnabas helped. Barnabas brought Saul to the apostles. Barnabas told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road, and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. Barnabas also told them how Saul had spoken boldly in Damascus in the name of Jesus.
So Saul stayed with them. He moved freely around Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
Saul talked and debated with Greek-speaking Jewish people. Before Stephen died, men from Cilicia, Saul's home area, had argued with Stephen (6:9). Now the Greek-speaking Jewish people Saul debated tried to kill him.
When the believers learned about this plan, they took Saul to the port city of Caesarea. They sent him home to Tarsus.
Then the church all through Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. It grew stronger and larger. The believers lived in awe of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit encouraged them.
Stephen had prayed for the people who killed him. Saul had stood there and approved. Now Saul belonged to the same family as Stephen.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Breathing out murderous threats" (9:1) | A word picture. Saul was full of anger. He wanted the believers stopped, even killed. |
| "Saul, Saul" (9:4) | Jesus called him by name, twice. God called Moses the same way, from the burning bush (Exodus 3:4). |
| "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (9:5) | Jesus takes what happens to his people personally. Paul later wrote, "Now you are the body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27). |
| "This man is My chosen instrument" (9:15) | God chose Saul before Saul did anything good. God would use him to carry the good news to Jewish people and to Gentiles. |
| "Brother Saul" (9:17) | Ananias welcomed Saul into God's family with his first words. |
| "Something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes" (9:18) | A comparison. Saul's sight came back all at once. Luke may also mean a second thing. Saul now understood who Jesus is. |
| "He is the Son of God" (9:20) | The man who fought against Jesus's name now said who Jesus is. |
Back Then
Damascus is one of the oldest cities in that part of the world. It is about 133 miles north of Jerusalem. (Easton's Bible Dictionary) That is a trip of several days on foot.
Straight Street, where Judas lived, was the main street of Damascus. It was still the main street when Easton's dictionary was written, over 100 years ago. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Tarsus was the main city of Cilicia, in what is now southern Turkey. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Acts names three different men called Ananias. One is in Acts 5:1, one is in this story, and one is a high priest (23:2). (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Saul was born a Roman citizen (22:28). "Saul" was his Hebrew name at home. "Paul" was probably also given to him as a child, for use among people who were not Jewish. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Literal Reader Alert
Why is he called Saul here? Saul is the name Acts uses for him until chapter 13. Then Luke writes, "Saul, who was also called Paul" (13:9). After that, Acts calls him Paul. Many people think God changed his name when Jesus met him. The Bible does not say that. Paul was a second name he already had, not a new name. Jesus called him "Saul" on the road, and Ananias called him "Brother Saul."
Did Saul fall off a horse? The Bible doesn't mention a horse. Many famous paintings show one. Acts says only that he fell to the ground (9:4).
Did the other men hear the voice or not? Here Luke says they heard the voice but saw no one (9:7). When Paul tells the story again in Acts 22, he says they saw the light but "could not understand the voice" (22:9). It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries. One likely answer: they heard a sound but did not understand the words.
Did Saul stop being Jewish? No. Years later he still said, "I am a Jew" (22:3). He wrote, "I am an Israelite myself" (Romans 11:1). Saul did not leave Israel's God. He came to believe that Jesus is the Messiah that God promised Israel. Many people call this day Saul's "conversion." Some scholars say "calling" fits better. Paul himself used calling words. He wrote that God "called me by His grace" (Galatians 1:15), the way God called Israel's prophets. Both words can be used with care.
Is Luke blaming all Jewish people for the plot? No. Saul was Jewish. So were Ananias, Barnabas, the apostles, and the believers who saved Saul's life. Luke writes that "the Jews" plotted (9:23). One likely reason: Luke means the Jewish people in Damascus who opposed Saul and could not answer him (9:22). Luke does not mean Jewish people everywhere. When Paul tells the story himself, he adds that the governor under King Aretas guarded the city to arrest him (2 Corinthians 11:32). For centuries, many Christians, including Martin Luther, used verses like this to blame all Jewish people. That was wrong, and the ELCA has said so. Read our note on this.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult. If you have hurt someone, or someone has hurt you, you do not have to carry it alone.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Saul | Angry | He wanted to stop the followers of Jesus (9:1) |
| Saul | Helpless | He was blind and had to be led by the hand (9:8) |
| Ananias | Afraid | He had heard about the harm Saul had done (9:13-14) |
| People in the synagogues | Amazed | The man who hunted believers was now preaching Jesus (9:21) |
| The believers in Jerusalem | Afraid | They did not believe Saul was really a follower of Jesus (9:26) |
| The church | At peace | The Holy Spirit encouraged them (9:31) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Who do you feel like in this story? Tap one.
Saul, with regrets
Saul had hurt many people. Jesus did not pretend that was okay. Jesus said plainly that Saul was persecuting him. Jesus also called Saul by name. Then Jesus sent Ananias to call Saul "brother."
Ananias, scared to go
Ananias told God the truth: he was afraid. God did not scold him for it. God sent him anyway, and Ananias went. Being afraid and obeying can happen at the same time.
Hurt by a Saul
What Saul did was real harm, and Jesus said so. Grace for Saul did not mean the believers had to trust him right away. They were careful, and Barnabas helped. You can be careful too. If someone is hurting you now, tell a trusted adult.
Like Barnabas
Barnabas took a risk. He stood up for someone nobody trusted. The church needed that. God still uses people like Barnabas to help others belong.
It's really bad right now
Saul spent three days unable to see, and God sent someone to him. You don't have to face this alone. Please tell a trusted adult today. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 any time, day or night. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
You Might Have Heard
"Saul turned his life around, so God could use him."
What's true: Saul's life changed completely. The man who hunted believers became one of them.
What the story is mainly about: Saul did not turn around on his own. He was on his way to arrest people when Jesus stopped him. Saul brought nothing but threats. Jesus came to him first. Then God sent Ananias, and the Holy Spirit filled Saul. The change came after the grace, not before.
Where Jesus is: Right there on the road, calling Saul by name. He is also the one who sent Ananias to the house on Straight Street.
Good News
Saul was not looking for Jesus. He was fighting him. Jesus came to him anyway.
Years later, the letter called 1 Timothy, which begins with Paul's name, looks back on this. It says, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst" (1 Timothy 1:15). It also says why Saul was shown mercy: "so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example" (1 Timothy 1:16).
Saul is the example. Maybe you are afraid you have done too much wrong for God to love you. If so, look at Saul. Jesus met him on the road. Jesus sent a brother to him. In Baptism, Jesus washed him and made him part of God's family. Jesus does the same for you in Baptism.
Jesus saved Saul while Saul was fighting him, so no one has done too much for Jesus to save them.
From the Wider Church
Augustine, a church leader in North Africa about 1,600 years ago, preached a sermon about Stephen (Sermon 382). In it he taught that Stephen's prayer for his enemies helped win Saul for Christ. Stephen prayed for the people who were killing him (7:60). Many Christians see Saul's story as part of God's answer to that prayer.
Big Idea
Jesus stopped his enemy on the road, called him by name, and made him a brother.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Small Catechism (1529), Luther explains the Third Article of the Creed. He wrote that we cannot believe in Jesus or come to him by our own understanding or strength. Instead, the Holy Spirit calls us through the gospel, the good news about Jesus.
Saul shows this plainly. He did not find his way to Jesus. He was going to arrest Jesus's followers. Jesus called him.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Acts 9:1-6 (with verses 7-20 as an option) on the Third Sunday of Easter in Year C. Many churches, including the ELCA, also remember the Conversion of Paul on January 25. That day ends the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, when Christians of many churches pray together.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting
How did that feel?