The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

(Acts 22:1–21; Acts 26:1–23)

Meanwhile, Saul angrily continued to threaten to kill those who followed the Lord. He went to the high priest in Jerusalem

and requested him to write letters introducing him to the leaders of the Jewish synagogues in Damascus. The letters asked them to give Saul power to seize any man or woman who followed the way that Jesus had taught, and to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem so that the Jewish leaders could judge and punish them.

While Saul and those with him were traveling, they were approaching Damascus. Suddenly a brilliant light from heaven shone around Saul.

Immediately he fell down to the ground. Then he heard the voice of someone say to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you trying to hurt me?”

Saul asked him, “Lord, who are you?” He replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are hurting.

Now stand up and go into the city! Someone there will tell you what I want you to do.”

The men who were traveling with Saul were so astonished that they could not say anything. They just stood there. They heard the Lord speak, but they did not see anyone.

Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see anything. So the men with him took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.

For the next three days Saul could not see anything, and he did not eat or drink anything.

Ananias Baptizes Saul

In Damascus there was a follower of Jesus named Ananias. The Lord Jesus made him see a vision and said to him, “Ananias!” He replied, “Lord, I am listening.”

The Lord Jesus told him, “Go to Straight Street to the house that belongs to Judas. Ask someone there if you can talk to a man named Saul of Tarsus, because he is praying to me at this moment.

Saul has seen a vision in which a man named Ananias entered the house where he was staying and put his hands on him in order that he might see again.”

Ananias answered, “But Lord, many people have told me about this man! He has done many evil things to the people in Jerusalem who believe in you!

The chief priests have given him power to come here to Damascus in order to arrest all those who believe in you!”

But the Lord Jesus told Ananias, “Go to Saul! Do what I say, because I have chosen him to serve me in order that he might speak about me both to non-Jewish people and their kings and to the Israelite people.

I myself will tell him that he must often suffer in order to tell people about me.”

So Ananias went, and after he found the house where Saul was, he entered it. Then, as soon as he met Saul, he put his hands on him, and he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus himself commanded me to come to you. He is the same one who appeared to you while you were traveling along the road to Damascus. He sent me to you in order that you might see again and that you might be completely controlled by the Holy Spirit.”

Instantly, things like fish scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he was able to see again. Then he stood up and was baptized.

After Saul ate some food, he became strong again. Saul stayed with the other believers in Damascus for several days.

Saul Preaches at Damascus

Right away he began to preach about Jesus in the Jewish synagogues. He told them that Jesus is the Son of God.

All the people who heard him preach were amazed. Some of them were saying, “We can hardly believe that this is the same man who pursued the believers in Jerusalem and who has come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests in Jerusalem!”

But God enabled Saul to preach to many people even more convincingly. He was proving from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. So the Jewish leaders in Damascus could not think how to disprove what he said.

The Escape from Damascus

Some time later, the Jewish leaders there plotted to kill him.

During each day and night those Jews were continually watching the people passing through the city gates, in order that when they saw Saul they might kill him. However, someone told Saul what they planned to do.

So some of those whom he had led to believe in Jesus took him one night to the high stone wall that surrounded the city. They used ropes to lower him in a large basket through an opening in the wall. In this way he escaped from Damascus.

Saul in Jerusalem

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with other believers. However, almost all of them continued to be afraid of him, because they did not believe that he had become a believer.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He explained to the apostles how, while Saul was traveling along the road to Damascus, he had seen the Lord Jesus and how the Lord had spoken to him there. He also told them how Saul had preached boldly about Jesus to people in Damascus.

So Saul began to meet with the apostles and other believers throughout Jerusalem, and he spoke boldly to people about the Lord Jesus.

Saul was also speaking about Jesus with Jews who spoke Greek, and he was debating with them. But they were continually trying to think of a way to kill him.

When the other believers heard that they were planning to kill him, some of them took Saul down to the city of Caesarea. There they put him on a ship going to Tarsus, his hometown.

The Healing of Aeneas

So the groups of believers throughout the entire regions of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria lived peacefully because no one was persecuting them anymore. The Holy Spirit was strengthening them and encouraging them. They were continuing to honor the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit was enabling many other people to become believers.

While Peter was traveling throughout those regions, once he went to the coastal plain to visit the believers who lived in the town of Lydda.

There he met a man whose name was Aeneas. Aeneas had not been able to get up from his bed for eight years because he was paralyzed.

Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and roll up your mat!” Right away Aeneas stood up.

Most of the people who lived in Lydda and on Sharon Plain saw Aeneas after the Lord had healed him, so they believed in the Lord Jesus.

The Raising of Tabitha

(John 11:38–44)

In the town of Joppa there was a believer whose name was Tabitha. Her name in the Greek language was Dorcas. She was always doing good deeds for poor people by giving them things that they needed.

During the time that Peter was in Lydda, she became sick and died. Some women there washed her body according to the Jewish custom. Then they covered her body with cloth and placed it in an upstairs room in her house.

Lydda was near the city of Joppa, so when the disciples heard that Peter was still in Lydda, they sent two men to go to Peter. When they arrived where Peter was, they urged him, “Please come immediately with us to Joppa!”

Peter got ready right away and went with them. When he arrived at the house in Joppa, they took him to the upstairs room where Dorcas’ body was lying. All the widows there stood around him. They were crying and showing him the tunics and other garments that Dorcas had made for people while she was still alive.

But Peter sent them all out of the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. Then, turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, stand up!” Immediately she opened her eyes and, when she saw Peter, she sat up.

He grasped one of her hands and helped her to stand up. After he had summoned the believers and especially the widows among them to come back in, he showed them that she was alive again.

Soon people everywhere in Joppa knew about that miracle, and as a result many people believed in the Lord Jesus.

Peter stayed in Joppa many days with a man named Simon who made leather from animal skins.

(Acts 22:1–21; Acts 26:1–23)

But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.

He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. (a)

But (b) rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.”

The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one.

Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

Ananias Baptizes Saul

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.”

The Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah (c) for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying,

and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.”

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.

For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

Ananias departed and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

Saul Preaches at Damascus

Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God.

All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”

But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

The Escape from Damascus

When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him,

but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,

but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

Saul in Jerusalem

When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

He was with them entering into

(d)

Jerusalem,

preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus.(e) He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists,(f) but they were seeking to kill him.

When the brothers(g) knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

The Healing of Aeneas

So the assemblies throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

As Peter went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years because he was paralyzed.

Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!” Immediately he arose.

All who lived at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

The Raising of Tabitha

(John 11:38–44)

Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated means Dorcas.(h) This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did.

In those days, she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men

(i)

to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.

Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the tunics and other garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

Peter sent them all out, and knelt down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

He gave her his hand and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

He stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.

Footnotes

(a)9:5 TR adds “It’s hard for you to kick against the cattle prods.”

(b)9:6 TR omits “But”

(d)9:28 TR and NU add “and going out”

(e)9:29 TR and NU omit “Jesus” and reverse the order of verses 28 &29.

(f)9:29 The Hellenists were Hebrews who used Greek language and culture.

(g)9:30 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(h)9:36 “Dorcas” is Greek for “Gazelle.”

(i)9:38 Reading from NU, TR; MT omits “two men”