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ACTS OF THE
APOSTLES
9 Saul kept on
threatening to kill the LORD'S
followers. He even went to the high priest and asked for letters to their
leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to
Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the LORD'S
Way. 3When
Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly
flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice
that said, "Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?"
5"Who
are you?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus," the LORD
answered. "I am the one you are so cruel to. 6Now get up
and go into the city, where you will be told what to do."
7The men
with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had
not seen anyone. 8Saul
got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a
thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, 9and for
three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.
10A
follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the LORD
spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, "LORD,
here I am."
11The
LORD
said to him, "Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street.
When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of
Tarsus. Saul is praying, 12and he has seen a vision. He saw a
man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so that he
could see again."
13Ananias
replied, "LORD,
a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done
to your followers in Jerusalem. 14Now the chief priests have
given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your
name."
15The
LORD
said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings,
and the people of Israel about me. 16I will show him how much
he must suffer for worshiping in my name."
17Ananias
left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his
hands on him and said, "Saul, the LORD
Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road.
He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy
Spirit."
18Suddenly
something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see. He got
up and was baptized. 19Then he ate and felt much better.
Saul Preaches in Damascus
For several days Saul stayed with the LORD'S
followers in Damascus. 20Soon he went to
the Jewish meeting places and started telling people that Jesus is the Son
of God. 21Everyone who heard Saul was amazed and said,
"Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble for those people in
Jerusalem who worship in the name of Jesus? Didn't he come here to arrest
them and take them to the chief priests?"
22Saul
preached with such power that he completely confused the Jewish people in
Damascus, as he tried to show them that Jesus is the Messiah.
23Later
some of them made plans to kill Saul, 24but he found out about
it. He learned that they were guarding the gates of the city day and night
in order to kill him. 25Then one night his followers let him
down over the city wall in a large basket.
(Contemporary English Version) |
The story is from the Acts of
the Apostles. The different colours show examples of different types
of religious experiences:
To start with Paul sees a
VISION of Jesus - nobody
else sees it, though they here a voice.
Then after he is blinded
somehow Ananias heals him by touching him and he is able to see
again - a MIRACLE.
Finally this guy who was
persecuting the Christians, suddenly does a U turn and starts
preaching about how ever one should follow Jesus - a
CONVERSION.
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