The Early Church

When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.

For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!”

As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied.

“Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the ‘Assassins’ into the wilderness?”

But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.”

Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared,

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today.

I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.

I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.

My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.

There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,

came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice.

You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’

Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’

‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.