Act 9:1-18 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Acts 9:1-19: 9:1-19 The conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road is of central importance to the narrative of Acts—Luke recounts the story three times (also 22:1-21 ; 26:1-29 ). Paul (Saul) also alludes to this experience several times in his letters (1 Cor 15:8-10 ; Gal 1:11-17 ; Phil 3:4-11 ; see 1 Tim 1:12-17 ). Saul’s conversion was his prophetic call and commission as an apostle (Acts 9:15 ; 22:15 , 21 ; 26:15-18 ). No one is beyond the power of God to reach, redeem, and use for holy purposes—nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37 ). Paul was prepared through his training, upbringing, and experience to play a unique role in taking the gospel into the broader world as the “apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom 11:13 ; see 1 Cor 15:9 ; 2 Cor 12:11-12 ; Gal 1:1 ; Eph 3:8 ).

Summary for Acts 9:1-19: 9:1-19 ^a The conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road is of central importance to the narrative of Acts—Luke recounts the story three times (also 22:1-21 ^b; 26:1-29 ^c). Paul (Saul) also alludes to this experience several times in his letters (1 Cor 15:8-10 ^d; Gal 1:11-17 ^e; Phil 3:4-11 ^f; see 1 Tim 1:12-17 ^g). Saul’s conversion was his prophetic call and commission as an apostle (Acts 9:15 ^h; 22:15 ⁱ, 21 ^j; 26:15-18 ^k). No one is beyond the power of God to reach, redeem, and use for holy purposes—nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37 ^l). Paul was prepared through his training, upbringing, and experience to play a unique role in taking the gospel into the broader world as the “apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom 11:13 ^m; see 1 Cor 15:9 ⁿ; 2 Cor 12:11-12 ^o; Gal 1:1 ^p; Eph 3:8 ^q).
9:2 ^r The synagogues (Greek sunagōgē, “gathering place”) were local Jewish meeting places. After the Exile, Jews began to meet in local synagogues as places of instruction and centers of worship. Synagogue services consisted of the reading of the Law and the Prophets, exposition of the Scriptures, prayer, praise, and thanksgiving (see 13:15 ^s; 15:21 ^t; Neh 9:5 ^u; Matt 6:5 ^v; Luke 4:16-21 ^w). Jesus attended, taught, preached, and performed miracles in synagogues (Matt 12:9-10 ^x; Mark 1:21 ^y, 39 ^z; Luke 4:16 ^aa; 13:10-13 ^ab; John 6:59 ^ac; 18:20 ^ad), as did the apostles (see Acts 9:20 ^ae; 13:5 ^af, 14 ^ag; 14:1 ^ah; 17:1 ^ai, 10 ^aj, 17 ^ak; 18:4 ^al, 19 ^am, 26 ^an).

• Damascus, the capital of Syria, was an important center with a long and distinguished past and the nearest major city outside of Palestine. It took from four to six days to reach Damascus from Jerusalem, a fact that highlights Saul’s earnestness (9:1-5 ^ao; see 22:4-8 ^ap; 26:9-15 ^aq).

• The expression the Way is used in Acts for Christianity (see 19:9 ^ar, 23 ^as; 24:14 ^at, 22 ^au)—it is “the way of God” (18:26 ^av) that tells people “how to be saved” (16:17 ^aw, literally the way of salvation). See also John 14:6 ^ax; 2 Pet 2:2 ^ay.
9:10 ^az Ananias: See also 22:12 ^ba. The name Ananias was quite common (note the husband of Sapphira, 5:1 ^bb, and the Jewish high priest [AD 47–59], 23:2 ^bc).

• a vision: See thematic note for Visions at end of chapter.
9:15 ^bd Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles: In God’s plan for spreading the Good News, the Gentiles were the next step (see 1:8 ^be; cp. chs 10–11 ^bf). Saul of Tarsus (Paul) was God’s choice to spearhead this expansive missionary effort to bring the Christian message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. The rest of Acts illustrates Saul’s (Paul’s) faithfulness in carrying out this divine commission (e.g., 26:19-23 ^bg).
9:16 ^bh As Jesus predicted, Paul suffered greatly for his faith (see 2 Cor 11:23-27 ^bi; see Acts 13:45 ^bj; 14:19 ^bk; 16:22-27 ^bl; 21:30-31 ^bm; 26:21 ^bn; 2 Tim 1:11-12 ^bo).
9:17 ^bp Ananias’s God-given role was to welcome Saul into the Christian family, beginning with laying hands on Saul to heal him and fill him with the Holy Spirit.