"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink."
Today's quote relates how Saul , who would later become Paul, the chosen Apostle to the Gentiles, was struck blind by Jesus as he traveled to Damascus to further persecute Christianity.
As Saul was humbled on the ground, Jesus asked, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Trembling with fear and not understanding what was happening, Saul in essence, asked Jesus what was expected of him, to which Jesus answered, go into Damascus and wait for further instructions.
After his encounter with Jesus, Paul remained blind and without food for three days.
The gospel account of Saul's conversion, as we will learn in these next few lessons, is very important for many reasons. Every detail of what was said and what occurred during Saul's experience should be very carefully analyzed. This encounter explains in vivid detail how a lost soul, even someone so evil as Saul, can be saved. It also demonstrates the awesome power of the Holy Spirit and faith in Him.~
No comments:
Post a Comment