The Early Church

When Sha’ul got to the steps, he actually had to be carried by the soldiers, because the mob was so wild —

the crowd kept following and screaming, “Kill him!”

As Sha’ul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, “Is it all right if I say something to you?” The commander said, “You know Greek!

Say, aren’t you that Egyptian who tried to start a revolution a while back, and led four thousand armed terrorists out into the desert?”

Sha’ul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; and I ask your permission to let me speak to the people.”

Having received permission, Sha’ul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When they finally became still, he addressed them in Hebrew:

“Brothers and fathers! Listen to me as I make my defense before you now!”

When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they settled down more; so he continued:

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city and trained at the feet of Gamli’el in every detail of the Torah of our forefathers. I was a zealot for God, as all of you are today.

I persecuted to death the followers of this Way, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.

The cohen hagadol and the whole Sanhedrin can also testify to this. Indeed, after receiving letters from them to their colleagues in Dammesek, I was on my way there in order to arrest the ones in that city too and bring them back to Yerushalayim for punishment.

“As I was traveling and approaching Dammesek, around noon, suddenly a brilliant light from heaven flashed all around me!

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Sha’ul! Sha’ul! Why do you keep persecuting me?’

I answered, ‘Sir, who are you?’ ‘I am Yeshua from Natzeret,’ he said to me, ‘and you are persecuting me!’

Those who were with me did see the light, but they didn’t hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

I said ‘What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up, and go into Dammesek, and there you will be told about everything that has been laid out for you to do.’

I had been blinded by the brightness of the light, so my companions led me by the hand into Dammesek.

“A man named Hananyah, an observant follower of the Torah who was highly regarded by the entire Jewish community there,

came to me, stood by me and said, ‘Brother Sha’ul, see again!’ And at that very moment, I recovered my sight and saw him.

He said, ‘The God of our fathers determined in advance that you should know his will, see the Tzaddik and hear his voice;

because you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, immerse yourself and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.’

“After I had returned to Yerushalayim, it happened that as I was praying in the Temple, I went into a trance,

and I saw Yeshua. ‘Hurry!’ he said to me, ‘Get out of Yerushalayim immediately, because they will not accept what you have to say about me.’

I said, ‘Lord, they know themselves that in every synagogue I used to imprison and flog those who trusted in you;