--- title: "Conversion of Saul of Tarsus" description: "Saul, a man once feared for hunting down followers of Jesus, has experienced a blinding encounter that transformed him into the movement's most vocal advocate." image: "" book: "Acts" bookId: "ACT" testament: "new" startChapter: 9 startVerse: 1 endChapter: 9 endVerse: 30 coversChapters: [9] aiTitle: "From Persecutor to Proclaimer: The Dramatic Shift of Saul" aiDescription: "Saul, a man once feared for hunting down followers of Jesus, has experienced a blinding encounter that transformed him into the movement's most vocal advocate." hasAiStory: true location: "Damascus" persons: ["Saul","High Priests","Jesus","Ananias","Judas","Gentiles","Israel","Barnabas","Apostles","Grecian Jews"] hashtags: ["baptism","persecution","redemption","repentance"] genre: "history" readingTime: 3 type: "adaptive" slug: "ACT/conversion-of-saul-of-tarsus" canonicalId: "ACT.9.1-9.30" chronologicalOrder: 1546 relatedSlugs: ["ACT/paul-addresses-the-crowd","GAL/authentication-of-the-messenger","ACT/paul-before-agrippa","ACT/the-stoning-of-stephen-saul-persecutes-the-church","1TI/timothys-commission","2CO/pauls-suffering-and-service-pauls-revelation","1CO/the-resurrection-of-christ","ROM/israel-in-the-future","2TI/instructions-for-timothy","2TI/warning-of-difficulties-ahead","1TH/timothys-visit-timothys-encouraging-report","EPH/the-mystery-of-the-gospel","2TI/pauls-greeting-to-timothy-faithfulness-under-persecution","JHN/the-hatred-of-the-world-persecution-foretold","MAT/the-commissioning-of-the-twelve","1SA/the-lord-calls-samuel","JHN/jesus-appears-to-thomas-the-purpose-of-johns-book","GEN/abraham","2CH/manasseh","ROM/paul-greets-the-saints-in-rome"] prevSlug: "ACT/philips-ministry" nextSlug: "ACT/the-healing-of-aeneas-the-raising-of-tabitha" --- In an unexpected turn of events, [Saul](/persons/saul) of Tarsus—a man previously known for his aggressive campaign to imprison followers of the Way—has undergone a total reversal. Witnesses report that while traveling to track down dissenters, Saul was struck by a blinding light and claims to have had a personal confrontation with [Jesus](/persons/jesus) himself. The fallout was immediate. Saul was left completely blind for three days, refusing all food and water. The situation shifted again when a local leader named [Ananias](/persons/ananias), acting on a personal vision, visited Saul to restore his sight. Upon being touched by Ananias, Saul regained his vision and was immediately initiated into the movement through baptism. In a move that has left many stunned, Saul has begun appearing in local gathering spots to argue that Jesus is the Son of God. His former allies are reportedly outraged by this betrayal, while those he once targeted are finding it hard to believe his transformation is genuine. The tension reached a boiling point when local authorities plotted to have Saul killed at the city gates. In a narrow escape, his new allies helped him flee under the cover of night by lowering him in a basket through a window in the city wall. Saul’s attempt to integrate into the leadership circle in the capital was initially met with intense suspicion. It took the intervention of [Barnabas](/persons/barnabas) to convince the others that Saul’s change of heart was real. Now, Saul is back to his old habit of speaking with boldness, though this has once again put his life in immediate danger, forcing his peers to move him to safety in Tarsus. ### The Road to Damascus Meanwhile, [Saul](/persons/saul) was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the [high priest](/persons/high%20priests) and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” “Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am [Jesus](/persons/jesus), whom you are persecuting,” He replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see a thing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything. ### [Ananias](/persons/ananias) Baptizes Saul In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Here I am, Lord,” he answered. “Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of [Judas](/persons/judas) on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.” “Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the [Gentiles](/persons/gentiles) and their kings, and before the people of [Israel](/persons/israel). I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. ### Saul Preaches at Damascus Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.” All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. ### The Escape from Damascus After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him. One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall. ### Saul in Jerusalem When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Then [Barnabas](/persons/barnabas) brought him to the [apostles](/persons/apostles) and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who spoke to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the [Grecian Jews](/persons/grecian%20jews), but they tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

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