THE CONVERSION OF SAUL This chapter begins by the conversion of Saul of Tarsus to the Christian faith and the dedication of all his energies to the edification of the Church of Christ, after they were completely directed to persecuting her and opposing the Christian faith. By his conversion, the Lord dedicated his energies to work among the Gentiles, by the power of the Holy Spirit and to establish many Churches in the world. 1- The conversion of Saul 1 – 9 2- The confrontation of Saul with Ananias 10 – 19 3- Saul setting forth to preach 20 – 21 4- Saul fleeing from Damascus 22 – 25 5- Saul in Jerusalem 26 – 31 6- The apostle Peter in Lydda and Joppa 32 – 43 1- THE CONVERSION OF SAUL Saul was from the city of Tarsus, in the plains of Cecilia, south-east of Asia Minor, which was under the Roman authority. His parents were Jews, who were in the Diaspora, very conservative, as far as the Jewish tradition and customs were concerned. Because his father was a prominent personality, who did great achievements, the Roman State awarded him the Roman citizenship that provided him, as well as his family, with all the privileges of Roman citizens. But Saul was proud of being a Hebrew and became a scholar in the Greek language and philosophy. Like his father, he was also a Pharisee, I.E. belonging to the highest Jewish sect, who led a very strict and literal life according to the law, and counted himself, concerning the law, as righteous. Saul embraced a heart kindled with zeal for the tradition of his fathers and was ready to give his life even to death, for the sake of his faithfulness to his religion. His epistles reveal a very gentle personality, easily shedding tears in love and compassion toward everyone. Yet, once he believes in a certain principle, he becomes like a fierce beast in defending that principle (before receiving the Christian faith), assuming that in so doing, he is serving God and defending the Truth. St. John Chrysostom calls the apostle Paul the teacher of the catholic Church1. “Then Saul, still breathing threat and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest” (Acts 9: 1). It was not possible for Saul to find peace, as long as any Christian was safe. So knowing that the Christians in Damascus were living in peace, he set forth furiously to charge them. Counting the name of Jesus as representing a catastrophe against the Jewish religion, he came upon the Church in Jerusalem, breathing threat and murder. “And asked letters from him to the Synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the way, whether men or women, he might bring them down to Jerusalem” (Acts 9: 2). The high priest was in no need for someone to provoke him to persecute the followers of Jesus, But he found in that young man, who was furiously zealous for the 1 Baptismal Instructions, 4.7. 440 glory of God, His people, His law, His temple, and for the traditions of the fathers, what flared him more. Beside dedicating the energies of the Sanhedrin to this task, the high priest found it a chance to demonstrate his heroism, not just in Jerusalem, but outside it. So he provided that young man with letters, commanding the synagogues everywhere and all Jews to oppose anyone who believed in Jesus Christ. The young man likewise found in the heart of the high priest what would realize his own desire to serve God with all zeal and to oppose what he believed to be a dangerous heresy against the whole people of God. Asking for letters from the Sanhedrin probably reveals its religious authority at that time over all the Jewish synagogues in the world; or the Sanhedrin probably found its chance to make that authority more steadfast, through demonstrating zeal for the glory of God and opposing every heresy wherever it was. Damascus: it was the capital of Syria, in an excellent location, 120 miles northeast of Jerusalem, and 190 miles south-east of Antioch, in a very spacious plain surrounded by Cypress and palm trees, a very fertile land, irrigated by the River Barady, previously called Abanah (2 kings 5: 12). about five miles far from the city, the River Barady connects to another river, then divides into six or seven tributaries that spread over the plain to irrigate all the land, and to form one of the most beautiful sceneries in the world, called by the people there, ‘the paradise of earth’. It was referred to in the Old Testament as a city in the days of Abraham (Gen 15: .2), but no information about who built it is known. David took it (2 Sam 8: 6; 1 Chron. 18: 6); and it was mentioned as one of the most important locations in the conflict between the Jews and Syria (2 Kings 13: 25, 16: 5; Isa 9: 11). It was taken by the Romans in about the year 60 BC, by the Arabs in the year 713 AD, by the Christians in the year 1250 AD, during the Crusade wars, then by Sultan Selim in the year 1517 AD, to become under the reign of the Ottomans, as one of the most important commercial centers, known for the steal industry. It was therefore called ‘The steal Damascus’. The synagogues As the Jews spread over the entire region around Judea, there had to be a great number of them in Damascus, and several synagogues. The Historian Josephus confirms that 10, 000 Jews were slain there in a single hour, and 18, 000 men, women, and children in another occasion1. Some of them were probably among those who believed in the Lord Christ on the day of the Pentecost, who on returning from Jerusalem, began to preach the Gospel in Syria. Saul set forth to Damascus to bring those Christians bound to Jerusalem to be tried before the Sanhedrin, that considered itself responsible for the religious affairs of the Jews, who, even the foreigners among them, respected its religious authority. The way: The new belief was so called, probably by the Jews, who counted it as some way deviating from that of Moses, the law and the sanctification of the temple of God. The believers probably so called themselves, having found the way to the Truth, 1 Jewish Wars, 2.20.2; 7.8.7. 441 along which to go until they reach their eternal home. As long as they were in the world, they considered themselves as being on the way. "(for elsewhere our Discipline is called "the Way" that when, set in "the way" of prayer, we go not unto "the Father" with anger"1. Scholar Tertullian “And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven” (Acts 9: 3). In the darkest moments of his evil, the light of the Righteous Holy One shone on him, to be exposed before himself, to make him return to enjoy the light of righteousness. The Lord, in His love for men, always long to meet with them, having come, not for the well, but for the sick among them. Nobody knows where that took place, whether it was just outside the eastern gate of the city, as some believe, or one mile far from it. The light that shone on Saul’s face was no doubt the splendor of the glory of the Lord Christ. The apostle Paul says, “Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one untimely born” (1 Cor 15: 8), and, “Have I not seen our Lord Jesus Christ?” (1cor 9: 1) Barnabas also proclaimed how Saul saw the Lord, as he was on his way to Damascus (Acts 9: 27). God used to appear to the Jews in a cloud, a pillar of smoke or fire, as well as proclaiming His presence over the Ark of the Covenant. Those signs represented the glory of Jehovah (Exod 16: 7; Isa 6: 1-4). And when the Lord Christ transfigured on Mount Tabor, He was surrounded by glory (Matt 17: 1-5). That vision did not happen inside the temple, or in the midst of an assembly of believers, but in the open air, for Saul to realize that the Spirit of God does not confine His work to a certain place, and in order that no one would think that what happened could be a product of deceit by the believers assembling around him. It did not happen in Jerusalem, the city of God, but close to Damascus, as it was fitting for him, who was called to preach among the Gentiles, to be converted to the Truth in a Gentile land, so that his heart would not be attached or confined to the Jews, to Jerusalem, or to the temple of Solomon. The Lord Christ did not appear to him until he was very close to Damascus, probably in some moments when his thoughts reached a climax, imagining himself returning to Jerusalem, bringing many of the Christians in chains, to be humiliated and committed to blaspheme the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, the shining of the Lord Christ with the light of His glory on Saul of Tarsus, and His appearance to him, in the critical moments, when Saul was eager to wipe out the name of Jesus out of ignorance, reveals God's longing to have the souls quench their thirst from the fountains of His love and to discover His plan to glorify them. As the deer pants for the water brooks (Ps 42:1), so He descended to shine over Saul (Acts 9: 3), and over His Church, Bethel, namely, the house of God, As the call to Paul is a strength to the Church2. St. Ambrose 1 on Prayer, 11. 2 Isaac or the Soul, 3.31. 442 “Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me”? (Acts 9: 4). What happened to Saul of Tarsus when a light shone around him is like what happened to the prophet Daniel, when he saw a vision, and “no strength remained in him” (Dan 8: 17, 10: 8). Calling Saul by his name and repeating it revealed to Saul God’s care for him, and His compassion toward his person. God used to repeat the name of the person whom He calls, with the intention of confirming His message (Luke 10: 41, 22: 31, 23: 37). That was how God called “Abraham, Abraham, Moses, Moses, Samuel, Samuel, Martha, Martha, Simon, Simon”. That call bore a warning, as well as an encouragement. By His admonishment, “Why do you persecute me?” He reminds him of the saying,”They hated me for no reason”. Many Christian believers have undoubtedly got the information that Saul was on his way to Damascus, coming like a fierce wolf to attack the helpless lambs; and they were disturbed to hear the news, as is obvious from the words of Ananias (Acts 9: 13-14). Yet they did not realize that the God of lambs is capable of transforming the fierce wolf into a docile lamb that longs to be slain for the sake of God and to suffer for the sake of those helpless lambs. Saul’s cup got filled with evil, yet, because he did that in ignorance, God’s mercies approached him in the last moments before he reached Damascus, to turn him from his evil, and to grant him enlightenment and a realization of the divine Truth. As the devil dwells in the human soul through the darkness, the Lord of glory, the Light of the world, shines on the soul with His light, to let her enjoy the fellowship of His glory, and to make of the believers, the children of light. Saul most probably fell from his horse to the ground, as the horse got startled and terrified by the sudden light. But God kept Saul, and no bone in him was broken. Saul would not have ascended to the apostolic work by exalted heavenly capabilities, unless he had first fallen on the ground; his eyes got blind; and he had become in need of someone to lead him by the hand. Thus, he would feel his weakness, and his complete helplessness, to be ready to receive the rich grace of God. "heaven, “Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute me” (Acts 9: 4)? struck down the frantic one, raised him up whole, killed the persecutor, quickened the preacher"1. "I am in heaven, and you in earth, and yet you persecute Me. You do not touch the body, but my members you are treading down. Yet what are you doing? What are you gaining?" 2. "He is at once above, and below; above in Himself, below in His; above with the Father, below in us. Whence also was that Voice to Saul, “Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute me?” He would not say, "Saul, Saul," unless that He was above. But Saul was not persecuting Him above. He then who was above would not have said, " Why do you persecute me?” unless He were below also. Fear Christ above; recognize Him below. Have Christ above bestowing His bounty, recognize Him here in need. Here He is poor, there He is rich. That Christ is poor here, He tells us Himself for me, “I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was a stranger, I was 1 Sermons on N.T. Lessons, 37.15. Sermons on N.T. Lessons, 37:15. 2 Sermons on N.T. Lessons, 66.7. 443 naked, I was sick, I was in prison” (Matt. 25: 35). That Christ is Rich, who knows not? And even here it was a property of these riches to turn the water into wine. If he who has wine is rich, how rich is He who makes wine? So then Christ is rich and poor; as God, rich; as Man, poor. Yea rich too now as Very Man He has ascended into heaven, sits at the right Hand of the Father; yet still He is poor and hungry here, thirsty, and naked"1. St. Augustine Take heed that the Lord Himself said that He is in heaven (John 3: 13), And He is on earth, as we, dear brethren, confess that the Lord Christ is the Head of the Church. If this is true, so He is in heaven, being the Head, and on earth, concerning the body. Moreover, when the blessed apostle Paul was persecuting the Church, Christ proclaimed to Him, “Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute Me?” He did not ask him, “Why do you persecute My ministers?” Or “Why do you persecute My members?” But said, “Why do you persecute Me?” Because the tongue screams, when the foot is trodden, “You treaded on Me.” Although nobody can ever tread on the tongue; yet through the harmony of love, the Head screams on behalf of all the other members2. Caesarius, bishop of Arles “And he said, ‘Who are You Lord?’, And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads’” (Acts 9: 5). He got out of Jerusalem, heading to Damascus, assuming that he was consummating an exalted divine mission, and confronting a blasphemy against God. But he could never imagine that his plans would evaporate and vanish, and that he would never return to Jerusalem as a Jew and a Pharisee. Together with the exhaustive journey, his fierce actions against the Christians were disturbing his conscience. He could never forget the face of St. Stephen, which was like an angel, or the inner peace of the Christians that reflected on their behavior, even during their sufferings. Their voices echoed in his ears, as they testified that they see heaven open, and enjoy seeing Jesus Christ sitting on the right hand of God the Father. All that was goading his conscience, but he kept trying to suppress it, confirming to himself that he was rendering a service to God. Amid that whirlpool, the Lord shone with His face from heaven on Saul, who, unable to look at the splendor of His glory, fell on the ground as a dead man. When he heard the voice, he thought that it was that of an ordinary man, but he was surprised at realizing that it is of the living Jesus, rebuking and warning him. Saul could not recognize the Speaker, as he did not expect it to be Jesus, who did not keep the law, who said, “bring down the temple”, who made Himself greater than Abraham, counted Himself as having been there before him, and greater than Moses who brought Manna from heaven. But when Jesus soon let him recognize His identity, he realized that he has indeed completely lost his way, persecuted the Church of Christ, opposed the divine Truth, and brought grief to the heart of God. He realized that he has surely cast himself in eternal perdition, while thinking that he was serving God. He spoke to him as though to someone on the rim of a great abyss, into which he was about to fall, and from which the God of heaven Himself moved to rescue him. How amazingly rich God’s exalted love is, even toward His opponents among people! 1 Sermons on N.T. Lessons, 74.4. 2 Sermon 87.3. 444 “I am Jesus”: it is obvious that it was a personal appearance of the Savior to Saul. But was it the Son of Man in His glory, or was it just His divine light? That, no one can confirm. He proclaimed to him that He is Jesus who was recently crucified, as though saying to him, “I was crucified for your sake, but now I want to be crucified through you. I want you to share with Me the passions of love.” “Of Nazareth”: That was the title that Saul used to ridicule the Christian believers. We never heard Jesus complaining that somebody persecutes Him. It was the first time for Him to admonish someone so strongly. He readily accepted his cross, yet then, He moaned together with His people; He stood to turn His persecutors into witnesses to His divine love. “Goads”: the iron part at the end of a stick, by which one pricks a horse or an ox to get it moving. It is written that “Shamgar killed 600 men with an ox goad” (Judg 3: 31). It is not possible for man to oppose God, His plan, and law, and stay happy. Saul was called a “young man” only when he was guarding the clothes of those who were stoning St. Stephen (Acts 7: 58). However, Christ saw him while the light shone around him (Acts 9: 3), as young men are called back from sin, through fear more than through convincing. Therefore, the Lord Christ mercifully told him not to kick against the goads1. St. Ambrosell “So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?' And the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do'” (Acts 9: 6). It was not a dream while sleeping, but a true vision, during which he entered into a conversation with Jesus Christ, the Lord in heaven. He saw light that blinded his eyes, and knocked him down to the ground. He heard a clear voice, and entered into a debate while completely conscious. Saul of Tarsus trembled and was astonished. In his own sight, in the sight of the Sanhedrin, and in the sight of God Himself, as he wrongly assumed, he was a righteous man and a faithful minister, who was ready to give his own life and his energies, to the account of God’s glory. So what was the crime that he has committed? He probably, at the beginning, could not realize the significance of that strange encounter and the identity of the One who spoke to him. Saul’s soul bowed in contrition, to proclaim its readiness to give up all its concepts and knowledge, even its obedience to the Sanhedrin, to obey that heavenly voice. He then refused to submit to any authority on earth, once that heavenly being proclaimed Himself to him. The Lord Christ instructed him to go to Damascus in order to know the way to his salvation through the Church. Because Saul was converted to faith by an exalted miraculous work by the Savior Himself, who appeared in His glory to him, He no longer had any doubt that He is the Messiah, for whom he for so long waited. The first thing to which a believer is committed is to obey the will of God and to attach himself to Him through His holy Church. That is why the divine command to him was to go to the city, 1 Joseph. 10.58. 445 and there, the Church would tell him what he should do. Saul did not, for one moment, think about his reputation, or his long history, or what other people might think of him. Those were awesome moments, when the Lord Christ chose a (vessel), which has, for so long, reviled and blasphemed the name and the Church of Christ, to turn him into a ‘chosen vessel’, who bore love for both the Gentiles and the Jews and opened his heart to everyone he encountered. Saul enjoyed the open heaven and the open conversation, as the Lord Christ did not talk to him through riddles, as He did with St. Peter, when he saw a great sheet coming down from heaven, and a voice talking to him in riddles. "And when Christ in His own Person called and addressed Paul, although He might have opened out to him at once the way of perfection, yet He chose rather to direct him to Ananias and commanded him to learn the way of truth from him, saying: “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9: 6). So He sends him to an older man, and thinks good to have him instructed by his teaching rather than His own, lest what might have been rightly done in the case of Paul might set a bad example of self-sufficiency, if each one were to persuade himself that he also ought in like manner to be trained by the government and teaching of God alone rather than by the instruction of the Elders. And this self-sufficiency the apostle himself teaches, not only by his letters but by his acts and deeds, ought to be shunned with all possible care, as he says that he went up to Jerusalem solely for this reason; viz., to communicate in a private and informal conference with his co-apostles and those who were before him that Gospel which he preached to the Gentiles, the grace of the Holy Spirit accompanying him with powerful signs and wonders: as he says “I communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain” (Gal 2: 2). Who then is so self-sufficient and blind as to dare to trust in his own judgment and discretion when the chosen vessel confesses that he had need of conference with his fellow apostles? Whence we clearly see that the Lord does not Himself show the way of perfection to anyone who having the opportunity of learning depises the teaching and training of the Elders, paying no heed to that saying which ought most carefully to be observed: “Ask your father, and he will show you, Your elders, and they will tell you” (Deut 32: 7)" 1. Abbot Moses "Let us beware of such dangerous temptations of pride, and let us rather consider the fact that the Apostle Paul himself, although stricken down and admonished by the voice of God from heaven, was yet sent to a man to receive the sacraments and be admitted into the Church; and that Cornelius the centurion, although an angel announced to him that his prayers were heard and his alms had in remembrance, was yet handed over to Peter for instruction, and not only received the sacraments from the apostle's hands, but was also instructed by him as to the proper objects of faith, hope, and love"2. St. Augustine St. Augustine resumes that such behavior grants man dignity, as God talks through His human temple, as “For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Cor 3: 17). He also adds that such behavior binds humans together by love. Moreover, 1 St. John Cassian. Conferences. 2.15. 2 on the Christian Doctrines. Pref. 6. 446 love itself that binds humans together by a bond of unity would not have the means to pour a soul into another, as though mixing them up, unless men learn things from their fellow humans1. “And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one” (Acts 9: 7). It seems that at first they had fallen to the ground (Acts 26: 14), when the light shone, then arose when they heard the voice, although they could not discern the words. They stood speechless, realizing that a conversation was going on between Saul and a certain heavenly being. They heard Saul’s voice and understood it, but could not discern what that heavenly voice was saying. Saul was still helplessly lying on the ground, as the divine light deprived him of the outer sight, to reveal to him the extent of darkness that filled his heart and all his inner being. All of them have fallen down when the light shone, but all got to their feet, except for Saul. They all heard the voice; but Saul alone could discern every word, answer, and enquire. Those around him stood speechless, seeing no one. It was a personal appearance for Saul alone, who, accordingly, counted himself as one of those chosen by the Lord, to whom He proclaimed Himself, “Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me” (1 Cor 15: 8). That encounter had its special significance to Saul of Tarsus, who counted it as a practical testimonial to the resurrection of the Lord from the dead, and His ascension to heaven. That encounter was a call to testify to the living Christ, raised from the dead. That encounter opened Saul’s insight, to realize God’s plan for salvation, to accept the incarnation of the divine Word, to confess His Deity, to believe in the cross as a unique sacrifice for the salvation of the world, and to get in touch with the power of the heavenly Christ, who loves His Church and defends it. “Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus” (Acts 9: 8). When the light shone, he had to close his eyes; and in his astonishment, he did not think of opening them until the debate came to an end. When he tried eventually to open them, he realized that he could no longer see. That blindness is something natural that happens as a result of the intense glare of the light, something called ‘gutta serens, or amourosis’, which happens when one directly stirs at the sun, especially in the equatorial regions, and when one stirs at the sun while in eclipse. Saul’s physically collapsed; and he temporarily lost his outer sight, to receive in his depths what is more exalted, to recognize the Person of the Lord Christ, to praise Him, saying, “By Your light, O Lord, we see the light” (Ps 26: 49 lxx). Saul, who once thought of himself as a mighty one capable of shaking and destroying the Church was then tracing his way like a blind man, helped and led by those around him. He entered into Damascus, not haughtily but silent and speechless, and reluctant to eat or to drink. In Judah’s house, he sat in a corner, recalling the events of all his life, and those that happened on his way to Damascus. He felt in need of the rich grace of God and of the guidance of His Holy Spirit, to start a new life and to accompany him until the end. That vision terrified him. Yet at the same time, it granted him an exalted longing to see the face of our Lord Jesus and to hear His voice. He experienced the concept of repentance in 1 on the Christian Doctrines. Pref. 6. 447 a magnificent way, when the soul bows to hearken the divine voice, and groans in longing to encounter with Him within the circle of love. Paul, the fierce wolf, the little ‘Benjamin’, got blinded, to gain his insight, that the sudden terror of the surrounding darkness would lead him to call the One Whom he persecuted in His believers, a Lord. St. Jerome "Would the persecutor Saul have died, unless he were wounded from heaven (Acts 4: 9); or would the preacher be raised up, unless by life given him from His (Christ's) blood?" 1. "Saul the persecutor was overthrown, Paul the preacher built. So is said to Jeremiah, “I have this day set you, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant” (Jer 1: 10). Thence is that voice of the Lord, “I wound and I heal” (Deut 32: 39). He smites the rottenness of the deed, He heals the pain of the wound. Physicians do thus when they cut; they smite and heal; they arm themselves (use a scalpel) in order to strike, they carry steel, and come to cure"2. His eyes were shut to the vanities of this world, yet his insight was enlightened. What was so far a vessel for perdition became a chosen vessel of God3. St. Augustine “And he was three days without sight; and neither ate or drank” (Acts 9: 9). He abstained from eating and drinking, probably because he could not figure how he could fall into such a great sin, to oppose the Messiah whom the fathers and prophets longed to see and to enjoy His salvation work. He realized that he blasphemed against God, and violently persecuted His Church. For three days he remained greatly confused, as what he considered as a service to God, and as righteousness, he ultimately discovered that it was an opposition to the divine Truth, and a destruction to every Truth. I do not think that he abstained from eating and drinking as an optional fasting, but it was a natural reaction of the bitterness of his soul, because of what he has done in ignorance. He realized that he had intentionally rejected the light and fallen under the authority of the hosts of darkness. "He was blinded, but in the body only, that he might be enlightened in heart"4. St. Augustine 2- AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN SAUL AND ANANIAS IN DAMASCUS “Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and to him the Lord said in a vision: ‘Ananias’. And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord’” (Acts 9: 10). We know nothing about Ananias. But it is obvious that he was a resident in Damascus, and not a fugitive from Jerusalem because of the persecution. He was a Jew from Damascus, who probably believed on the day of the Pentecost while he was in Jerusalem for the feast. When he heard the sermon of St. Peter, he believed, repented, and was baptized, then he set forth to Damascus to preach. He probably has been one of the 1 St. Augustine. On Ps. 102. 2 St. Augustine. On Ps. 51. 3 Fr. Caesarius of Arles. Sermon 226.3. 4 Sermons on N.T. Lessons, 66.7. 448 seventy disciples, who heard what Saul of Tarsus was doing, though he did not know him personally. “So the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas, for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying” (Acts 9: 11). God did not forsake Saul, who was blinded, and who abstained from eating and drinking, because of the bitterness of his soul, but He sent Ananias to him. After three days in a condition like being dead, He then granted him healing, for his soul to enjoy the strength of resurrection. God commanded Ananias to go to Saul of Tarsus and not to wait for Saul to come to him. So, as God is the Initiator of love, when He sent us His Son to save us, it is fitting for the minister of God to be likewise an initiator of love, to look for the lost souls, and to seek their healing. Like the woman who lighted a lamp and searched for the lost mite, like the shepherd who left behind the 99 sheep to search for the lost one, and like the father who hastened to throw himself on the neck of his prodigal son to kiss him, God commanded Ananias to hasten to Saul, to let him rejoice in the Lord, together with the heavenly creatures. The good Shepherd found his lost sheep, and there He is inviting His friends to rejoice together with him. The Straight: This way nowadays extends three miles, from the eastern gate of Damascus to its western gate, crossing the whole city in a straight pattern. It came in the tradition that the apostle Paul was baptized on this way, in a spring of water, from which Christians used to drink. “For behold, he is praying”: This phrase reveals how Saul of Tarsus spent his three days of seclusion with no food or drink. He was praying to the One he used to persecute. For the first time, he lifted up his prayer, not as a Pharisee, proud of his righteousness and knowledge, but with a contrite heart before the Crucified, trusting in the richness of the grace of God, that he would gain in the heavenly Jesus Christ. That was a sign of the truth of his conversion to the Truth, that he became a man of prayer. He used before to pray with haughtiness, but then he, with contrition, asked for forgiveness. God intended to say to Ananias, "As a compassionate Father, I can not bear to hear the screams of my little son. Now hasten to him, offer him milk to drink, because he is hungry. He, who was spitting poison like a deadly viper and kicking even against the goads, is now, like a baby, praying and seeking milk to satisfy his hunger." “And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so he might receive his sight” (Acts 9: 12). Now, Saul of Tarsus, in a dream, before the arrival of Ananias, saw him coming to him and putting his hands on him to receive back his sight. To put Ananias’ heart at ease, God told him that Saul, the Persecutor of the Christians, has become a man of prayer, who, in submission, anticipated the free gift of God. Thus, God satisfied Saul's heart showing him that He was not forsaking him in his blindness, but would send him his (Ambassador) to grant him divine comforts and the enlightenment of the heart through Baptism. “Then Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem” (Acts 9: 13). Ananias’ answer does not imply his reluctance to go to Saul, or disobedience of the divine command, or fear of suffering or even death, but all that was in a dream, in 449 which Christ confirmed to him that the man he heard about, either in letters from friends in Jerusalem, or from those who came to Damascus fleeing from persecution in Jerusalem, was called to become truly a chosen vessel to preach among the Gentiles, and that he has become a man of prayers. Thus, God revealed to Ananias His divine plan concerning Saul of Tarsus. “Saints”: Here the believers are called “Saints” or ‘hagioi’, as they are sanctified to the Lord; and their hearts are dedicated by the Holy Spirit to His kingdom. “And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name. But the Lord said to him, ‘Go for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9: 14-15). The Lord Christ, who had chosen His apostles while He was on earth, is He Himself who chose Saul as His apostle after He ascended to heaven. He has previously proclaimed, “You did not choose Me, But I chose you” (John 15: 16). The Lord Christ commanded Ananias to hasten to Saul to give him every possible help, as he became a chosen vessel, a tool in the hand of the Lord Christ, who entrusts him to be an apostle to the Gentiles. He became a vessel of honor, which bears inside the treasure of the gospel to give to many. He is indeed an “earthen vessel” (2 Cor 4: 7), yet he is a chosen vessel used by God Himself, who finds pleasure in it. “To bear My name before Gentiles”: He became a holy tool, moved by the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the exalted knowledge of Christ before the Gentiles, and to bear the joyful good news to the heathen nations. He became the apostle of the Gentiles (Rom 11: 13, 15: 16; Gal 2: 8), to testify to the Lord Christ before kings, like King Agrippa, and Caesar himself (Acts 25: 23, 26: 32, 27: 24), as well as before the children of Israel. He would start his preaching in the Synagogues of the Jews, who would reject him to go to the Gentiles. Intending to encourage Ananias, the Lord Christ confirmed to him that He would let him, not only put an end to his animosity toward the Church and to his persecution of her, but also find pleasure and joy in suffering persecution for her sake. As a matter of fact, wherever Paul went, he was chased by troubles, tribulations, trials, and oppositions, in which he found fellowship with the Crucified. Saul realized the divine Truth, for he is a chosen vessel, called by God, who “separated him from his mother’s womb, and called him through his grace” (Gal 1: 15). He received an evangelic teaching that consummates the law, delivered to him, not on the Mount of Sinai, but from heaven itself. He did not see the shining face of Moses, but that of the Lord which shines more than the sun at noon time, before which the splendor of Moses’ face greatly fades. "Do not, I repeat, weigh faith by years, nor suppose me better than yourself merely because I have enlisted under Christ's banner earlier than you. The apostle Paul, that chosen vessel framed out of a persecutor, though last in the apostolic order is first in merit. For though last he has labored more than they all (1 Cor 15: 10) "1. "The chosen vessel who had Christ's name ever on his lips kept under his body and brought it into subjection. Yet even he was hindered by carnal desire and had to do 1 Letter 58 to Paulinus of Nola, 1. 450 what he would not. As one suffering violence he cries: “O, wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” (Rom 7: 24)?" 1. St. Jerome "He, the least, made great, not by himself, but by Him whom he once persecuted, was sent to the Gentiles, from a robber become a shepherd, from a wolf a sheep. He, the least Apostle, was sent to the Gentiles, and labored much among the Gentiles, and through him the Gentiles believed. His Epistles are the witnesses"2. Paul accepted the yoke of faith, and was chosen as a teacher to the Gentiles, a role model to the martyrs, a terror to the demons, a forgiver of sins, and a vessel for virtues3. St. Augustine Paul was made a chosen vessel. As he was converted only through the deep love of the Lord, he did not refer any thing to his own worthiness, but referred everything to Christ, saying, “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (1 Cor 15: 9, 10). He dwelt in the house (the camp) (Deut 23: 12), that he used to empty of its dwellers. He dwelt in the mansions of Christ, after being used to wander in the forests like a wolf. He was covered by God (Deut 23: 12), when Christ appeared to him, and although he could see nothing, when his eyes were opened (Acts 9: 8), yet he could see Christ, and could hear His voice inside himself4. St. Ambrose Paul, the chosen vessel (Acts 9: 15), interpreted all those blessings (the prophecies) that came in the law, in a spiritual way. Knowing that they are not physical blessings, he says to the Ephesians, “Blessed be the Lord and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing” (Eph 1: 3)"5. Scholar Origen Who is better than all men? Who is he, but that “tentmaker” (Acts 18: 3), the teacher of the whole world, who crossed over the land and the sea, as though with wings, the “chosen vessel, the friend of Christ the Bridegroom, who “planted the Church” (1 Cor 3: 6), the “wise master builder” (1 Cor 3: 10), the “preacher” who ran the race and “fought the good fight” (2 Tim 4: 6), the warrior, the coach of the wrestlers, who left memories of his virtues everywhere in the world? 6. St. John Chrysostom “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9: 16). 1 Letter 125 to Heliodorus, 8. 2 Sermons on N.T. Lessons, 27.6. 3 Sermons, De Apstolis Petro et Paulo. 4 The Patriarchs, 12.58. 5Homilies on Luke. Hom. 39.3. 6 on the Incomprehensible Nature of God, 8.3. 451 When the Lord appeared to Saul to transfer his vision up to heaven, He also appeared to Ananias to call him to go to the house of Judas to encounter Saul of Tarsus, whom He chose as a vessel to bear His name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel, and whom he would show how many things he must suffer for his name’s sake. The Lord chose him a vessel that finds pleasure in suffering for His name’s sake more abundantly than the rest of the apostles (2 Cor 11: 22-23). “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the Church” (Col 1: 24). "No man loved Christ more than Paul: no man exhibited greater zeal, no man was counted worthy of more grace"1. Paul reached greater perfection every day, He was always longing to have greater troubles, greater labors, greater risks, and greater sufferings, for the sake of Christ, in a similar way to the spreading of fire in a forest until the whole forest becomes aflame2. St. John Chrysostom “And Ananias went his way and entered the house, and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9: 17). “Laying his hands on him”: That was a Church rite for presenting divine blessings, and for invoking the Holy Spirit. He called him “Brother Saul”, as a fellow in the Christian faith. “The Lord Jesus”, In Hebrew it came: “The Lord, who is Jesus, sent me”, in order that Saul would realize that the Lord Jehovah whom he worshiped is Himself Jesus. “Who appeared to you on the road as you came”: The Lord informed Ananias in Damascus of what happened to Saul on the road, in order that Saul would be sure that it was from the Lord Jesus. He referred to him indirectly that his call is directly from the Lord, according to the words of the apostle himself: “Paul, an apostle (not from men, or through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)” (Gal 1: 1). “But I make known to you, brethren that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, or was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal 1: 11-12). "Paul the persecutor of the church, that ravening wolf out of Benjamin (Gen 49: 27), bows his head before Ananias one of Christ's sheep, and only recovers his sight when he applies the remedy of baptism"3. "Neither the virtues nor the vices of parents are imputed to their children. God takes account of us only from the time when we are born anew in Christ. Paul, the persecutor of the church, who is in the morning the ravening wolf of Benjamin (Gen 49: 27), that is yields himself up to the sheep Ananias (Acts 9: 17)" 4. St. Jerome 1 on the Priesthood. 1.3 PG 48.645. 2De Laud. S. Pauli, Hom. 1. 3 Letter 69 to Oceanus, 6. 4 Letter 60 to Heliodorus, 8. 452 "And whereas He could Himself have restored to Saul the use of his sight, He nevertheless sent him to His disciple Ananias, that by his blessing Saul's eyes might be restored, the sight of which he had lost" 1. St. Ambrose “Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once, and he arose and was baptized” (Acts 9: 18). No real scales like those of fish fell from his eyes, but “something like scales”. It was imperative that something like scales should fell from his eyes, to receive his sight, because in holding fast to the letter, he was blinded. And once the hands were laid on him, and the Holy Spirit dwelt in him, the scales of darkness fell, the darkness that was scattered by the dwelling of light. It is not a rule that the one who baptizes is greater than the one baptized. Ananias was not greater than Paul. Philip baptized (Acts 8: 13, 38), And Peter gave the Holy Spirit through the laying of hands2. The Scholar Origen The scholar Tertullian3 says that Saul of Tarsus encountered with the Lord, and believed that Lord Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God; but because he was in need to be baptized, the Lord sent him to Ananias. "From a persecutor Paul becomes a preacher. His bodily eyes are blinded to clear the eyes of his soul, and he who once haled Christ's servants in chains before the council of the Jews, lives afterwards to glory in the bonds of Christ"4. St. Jerome Paul was a vessel, and proved himself by his testimony to the Truth, and not to falsehood. He rejected every earthly thing, through the Baptism that removed the scales off his eyes (Acts 9: 18), and became a child to the Holy Spirit, as he was formed from His sweet fragrance. After that, this vessel was made of chosen bronze, and became a vessel in which the wine of the word of God is poured, and filled with knowledge of secrets, that it is in no need of any human work, as Paul did not take his teachings from flesh and blood (Gal 1: 16). But he produces the holy drink, and pours it to those who wants it, whereas the various virtues similar to perfumes with the sweet fragrance of Christ are formulated according to the need of the different persons who receive the word of God: the Jews, the Greeks, men, women, masters, slaves, parents, children, and everyone submitted or not to the law. These various marvelous teachings unite with every virtue, and the perfume is mixed in a vessel according to the need of every person who receives the word of God5. St. Gregory of Nyssa “And when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Paul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus” (Acts 9: 19). Although St. Luke the Evangelist did not mention Saul’s visit to Arabia, he did not deny it either. After his Baptism, Saul spent some days with the believers (the 1 Concerning Repentance, 1.8 (34). 2 Fragment, 52. 3 on Baptism, 13. 4 Letter 16 to Pope Damasus, 1. 5Homilies on Song of Songs, 14. 453 disciples) in Damascus. How long? We do not know. Afterwards, he went from Damascus to Arabia, then returned to Damascus and from it to Jerusalem (Gal 1: 17). Saul’s conversion to the Christian faith bears a strong testimony to the truth of that faith for the following reasons: 1- As a Jew, Saul was known for his knowledge, He so reached the top in Jewish thought, together with a high culture, that his conversion to faith came as a shock to the Jewish leaders, who were hoping that he would remain as a strong tool to uproot Christianity altogether. 2- His conversion to faith was not based upon material benefits or more dignity, as the Christians, then, were poor people, subject to ridicule by both the Jews and the Gentiles, and prone to persecution even to death. So it was not possible for Saul to be exempted from all that, if not more so. 3- Saul’s old concepts were so completely contradictory to the evangelic thought toward which he used to embrace every animosity and hatred, that it was not possible to convert to it so quickly, except by the intervention of the exalted grace of God. 4- Once he accepted the faith, he became a witness and a preacher of the gospel, moving from one city to another, proclaiming his joy for his new faith, and longing, if possible, that all humanity would enjoy what he did. 5- It was not possible for him to convert from a persecutor to a preacher, except through a call from heaven, and through divine work in his heart and his mind, to steer his potentials and talents, to what he used to bear such great animosity. 3- Saul setting forth to preach “Immediately he preached the Christ in the Synagogues, that He is the Son of God” (Acts 9: 20). He immediately started to preach that Jesus is the Christ, not just to confirm his faith, but because his fiery heart that was previously opposing the Truth was converted to realizing the Truth was longing to bring everyone to experience what he did, and to enjoy the Messiah, the desire of the fathers and prophets, the Messiah Son of God, the Backbone of all the Old Testament. Once Saul saw the exalted light of love, and the new covenant by the blood of Jesus the Lord of glory, he arose and was baptized, gained the new birth, and was strengthened by the food of faith. Now the wolf became a lamb, and the enemy became a minister, loving and beloved. He set forth to testify to the light, in the Synagogues, longing for everyone to enjoy what he did. He started to preach that Christ is the Son of God, having experienced the natural sonhood of Christ to God the Father, through his personal enjoyment of sonhood through the grace of Baptism in the name of Jesus. The divine vision, the personal encounter, and Christ’s love granted him a true revelation of the Person of Jesus Christ. He previously was saying together with the prophet Isaiah, “Truly You are God, who hides Yourself, O God of Israel the Savior” (Isa 45: 15). But now he realized the significance of the words of the Lord Christ, “the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father has made Him known” (John 1: 18). St. John Chrysostom speaks of Saul’s setting forth, directly once he was converted, saying, 454 Do you see how faithful Saul’s heart is? Do you see how he confirms to us that what he did before was in ignorance? Anyway, once he knew from the Giver of the law Himself that he was on the wrong path, he did not put off forsaking his sins, or delayed his repentance. But once he was enlightened by the light of the Spirit, he became a preacher of the Truth1. Have you seen him, like a lion, jumping everywhere? Look at him now, changing to a docile lamb! Who used before to put in chains those who believe in Christ, put them in prison, persecute, and chase them, is now being let down through the wall in a large basket, to escape from the plots of the Jews (Acts 9: 25) 2. St. John Chrysostom “Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ‘Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests” (Acts 9.21). That sudden conversion, together with a practical movement, not just to receive the faith, but also to preach it, had amazed everyone. He, who came to destroy the Church in Damascus, became her ally and a worker to her account. Who can imagine the condition of those Synagogues, anticipating the arrival of Saul of Tarsus to lead them on a campaign of an utter persecution and devastation of the Christians, to see him coming to them with a powerful Spirit, to call them to enjoy the grace of the Lord Christ, and his exalted work of salvation and to worship Him with complete submission! Many of them have undoubtedly heard about the Person of Jesus and the signs and miracles done in His name, but the decree of the Sanhedrin was firm and they dispatched Saul of Tarsus to put it into effect. "Paul proclaims Christ, saying, “We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4: 5). Who then is this? The former persecutor. O mighty wonder! The former persecutor himself preaches Christ. He went forth to persecute, and after three days the persecutor is a preacher in Damascus. By what power? Others call friends as witnesses for friends but I have presented to you as a witness the former enemy: and do you still doubt? The testimony of Peter and John, though weighty, was yet of a kind open to suspicion: for they were His friends. But of one who was formerly his enemy, and afterwards dies for His sake, who can any longer doubt the truth? At this point of my discourse I am truly filled with wonder at the wise dispensation of the Holy Spirit; how He confined the Epistles of the rest to a small number, but to Paul the former persecutor gave the privilege of writing fourteen in order that we all might thus be made believers. For all were amazed at Paul, and said, is not this he that was formerly a persecutor (Acts 9: 21)? Did he not come hither, that he might lead us away bound to Jerusalem? Be not amazed, said Paul, I know that it is hard for me to kick against the pricks: I know that I am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God (1 Cor 9: 15); but I did it in ignorance (1 Tim 13: 1) for I thought that the preaching of Christ was destruction of the Law, and knew not that He 1 Baptismal Instructions, 4.7, 9. 2 Baptismal Instructions, 7.10. 455 came Himself to fulfill the Law and not to destroy it (Matt 7: 15). But the grace of God was exceeding abundant in me (1 Tim 14: 1)"1. St. Cyril of Jerusalem “But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9: 22). If the divine proclamation on the road has granted him a confirmation that Jesus is the Christ, the daily work of God with him has granted him a new daily strength that encouraged him more and more to carry out the preaching work with all daring. That daily increasing strength created an atmosphere of excitement among the Jews, who marveled at the Person of that Jesus of Nazareth, who had such an activity, even after His crucifixion and death. St. John Chrysostom2 says that the Jews, having seen the strength of Saul’s preaching, found no time to plan for bringing him to trial, to claim any charges, or to search for witnesses; The situation for them represented great danger that needed swift action. Stephen, who debated and confounded the Jews in the Synagogues in Jerusalem, has been stoned to death, and now, his successor, Saul of Tarsus, who used to oppose him, and had a role in his execution was carrying out his same mission outside Jerusalem. Saul became a witness to the resurrection of Christ, not only depending on the testimony of Stephen, especially at the moments of his stoning, but on his own testimony, as it is said, “For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and the things which I will yet reveal to you” (Acts 26: 16). “Increased all the more in strength”: this conforms to the saying of the Lord, “And the things which I will yet reveal to you.” This proclamation to Saul, as well as to every true believer, is a dynamic work that incessantly grows. Our experience with God is a daily affair that always brings us into deeper knowledge and a greater enjoyment of His power working in us. God wishes to present consistent divine proclamations, as long as the soul is serious in its longing for it. And as the Lord says, “Those who seek me diligently will find me” (Prov 8: 17). “Proving”: Saul seriously started to study the law, the prophecies, and the events, under a new light, to recognize the secrets of God’s kingdom that were hidden due to the scales that were in his eyes. 4- Saul fleeing from Damascus “Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him” (Acts 9: 23). Those many days include the period of two to three years the apostle spent in Arabia (Gal 1: 18). The Jews plotted together with the representative of Aritas the Arab king, to have the apostle killed because of his fiery zeal and the success of his ministry. “But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gate day and night, to kill him” (Acts 9: 24). We do not know how the apostle knew that plot, to which he also referred in his second epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor 11: 32-33). 1 Lect. Catec. 10.17. 2 Cf. Hom. On Acts. Hom. 20. 456 Having felt that the apostle knew of their plot, they watched the gates of the city to keep him from escaping. The ruler was probably a Jew, who shared their views, and intended to get rid of Paul; or he probably was not a Jew, yet, because the Jews in Damascus convinced him that the apostle was an opponent of authorities, he gave commands to watch his movements, his going out and coming into the city. So the apostle Paul turned with an amazing pace from being a persecutor to being a believer, from being a believer to being a preacher, and ultimately from being a preacher to being a man of sufferings, who knows how to suffer for the sake of Christ’s name. The Lord granted him the blessings of entering into many sufferings. “Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket” (Acts 9: 25). The Synagogues were now divided into three categories: the first consists of those who were serious in seeking their salvation, who saw the Truth through the exalted work of God in Saul of Tarsus, and longed to see what he saw and to experience what he was in of the joy of the kingdom. A second category stood perplexed between the literal thoughts they inherited, together with their complete obedience to the Sanhedrin and what Saul of Tarsus proclaimed. The third category has found that the only solution to the situation was to kill Saul, to mute that voice, fiery with the Spirit. They put a plan to watch the gates of Damascus to keep him from escaping. But the disciples hid him by day, and let him down by night through the wall of the city in a large basket, the same way Rahab the harlot did with the two spies of Joshua (Josh 2: 15); and when David escaped from king Saul’s face (1 Sam 19: 12). In this action by the disciples, and the apostle’s consent of it, we see abidance to the commandment of the Lord Christ to His disciples, to flee from one city to another, if they are persecuted (Matt 10: 23). For three years he ministered in the Synagogues (Gal 1: 18), yet his call was to minister to the uncircumcised and not to the circumcised. Therefore he had to be expelled from Damascus, to set forth to the ministry to which he was called. The apostle about the circumstances of this expulsion as follows: “In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to apprehend me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands” (2 Cor 12: 32, 33). The name of that governor who co-operated with the Jews against Paul and gave his orders to guard the gates of the city is not known. That king was Aretas the fourth (40- 9 BC). He reined over the court of the Nuptians, whose capital was Petra, where Paul spent the years of his seclusion. It was called Arabia, and extended from Damascus to the Gulf of Aqaba. Letting Paul down in a basket through a window in the wall constitutes a kind of humiliation to someone for whose movements Jerusalem used to tremble, and for whose arrival as a hero to defend the Truth, Damascus was eagerly waiting. But the apostle accepted this humiliation for the Lord’s sake, and counted it among the tribulations he suffered.(2cor11: 32). Saul of Tarsus began his ministry among the Jews, assuming that their knowledge of how he used to persecute the Church and his history as a Pharisee with a vigorous zeal for keeping the law and the fathers’ traditions would all be points to his credit, in convincing the Jews of the truth of the Christian faith and of Christ’s proclamation to him. But God insisted on making him an apostle to the Gentiles, knowing that it was 457 impossible for the Jews to accept him. And, according to the first homily by St. John Chrysostom on the epistle to the Hebrews, All those circumstances caused the Jews to hate him more, having been one of them, then all of a sudden deserted them and they considered him as a traitor. He was opposed even by the Jews who were converted to Christianity, as being a threat to the law and the Jewish traditions, to which they were still abiding. Some claim that it was unfitting for Paul to escape by the help of his disciples, and not through God’s help. But God’s intervention would be necessary, only when human help fails1. Ambrosiaster 5- SAUL IN JERUSALEM “And when Saul has come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple” (Acts 9: 26). How did the disciples not heard of Saul’s conversion? 1- The means of communication between different countries was not as effective and swift as they are nowadays. 2- There was an animosity between Herod and Aretas king of Arabia, as the former married the daughter of the later then divorced and expelled her later on. That led to war between the two; and there was no communication between both countries. 3- Some Jewish leadership who did hear about Paul’s conversion probably tried to keep the news from reaching the local Christians, who would use it to draw more Jews to the Christian faith. 4- Not coming to Jerusalem directly after his conversion, and his delay for three years, made even those who heard the news, not sure of the truth of what they heard. He tried to join the congregation of Christians, but they could not believe that he truly believed in the Lord Christ, and had their doubts that he was using deceit to enter in their midst, in order to intensify his strikes against them. As a matter of fact, his history presented a bitter portrait of his violent opposition to the Christian faith. When he returned to Jerusalem for the first time after three years, he did not go to the chief priest and the Pharisees, or to the Sanhedrin, but intended to join the believers, who became in his eyes some kind of a heavenly congregation. “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9: 27). St. Barnabas introduced him to St. Peter and St. James (Gal 1: 18-19), probably because the rest of the disciples and apostles were, at the time, away from Jerusalem. “So he was with them at Jerusalem coming in and going out, and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 9: 28). They trusted him and received him in fellowship. Yet his stay in Jerusalem was for only 15 days (Gal 1: 18). “He disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him” (Acts 9: 29). He encountered with the Hellenist Jews who spoke the Greek language, those before whom St. Stephen used to testify to the Lord Christ (Acts 6: 9). As he was boldly speaking before them about Jesus, testifying that He is the Christ, they were unable to 1 Comm. On Paul’s Epistles (2 Cor. 11.33). 458 debate with him, or to oppose the Holy Spirit working in him. Saul, in this short time, entered into the same Synagogue where Stephen was debating. Saul at that time was opposing him. But then, as he was debating with the Jews, with the same Spirit of Stephen, they could not bear it any longer, and they attempted to kill him. “When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him out to Tarsus” (Acts 9: 30). When the believers found out, they feared that Saul would be stoned, the way it happened with St. Stephen three years before or a little more. So they helped Saul to escape to Caesarea, and from there to Tarsus his home town, where he probably was preoccupied with preaching the gospel. The name of Saul of Tarsus was still a source of terror; the three years that he spent in Damascus and Arabia did not help to wipe out his reputation in Jerusalem, because of the bitter persecution that the Christians suffered there on his hands. When he attempted to join the Church, they thought of him as a spy who came to consummate his previous plan to persecute them. But when St. Barnabas introduced him to the apostles, and convinced them of the truth of his conversion, the whole Church rejoiced. They have undoubtedly heard of his conversion during those years, but it was not easy for them to believe what they heard, until they saw him, and got in touch with the grace of God working in him, for which they glorified God for listening to their prayers for his sake. “And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. But they were hearing only, that he who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy. And they glorified God in me” (Gal 1: 22-24). He stayed only fifteen days in Jerusalem, although he had the intention to stay longer to minister to the Jews and the Hellenists (As we said before: those were either Jews who lived before in Greek cities, or proselyte Gentiles who converted to Judaism). While Saul was praying in the temple, the Lord Christ appeared to him in a vision, to command him to hasten to depart from Jerusalem. He tried to convince the Lord that his ministry in Jerusalem would be more effective (Acts 22: 17-21), as, according to his human logic, having been a persecutor of the church before he started preaching the Lord Christ, his ministry would be more effective among the Jews there. But the wisdom of God elected him to minister to the Gentiles, not to the circumcised. The Lord confirmed to him that he had to depart, as he was called to work in several nations. When he informed the brethren, they brought him to Caesarea, and from there to Tarsus, his home town, the capital of the province of Celicia. “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied” (Acts 9: 31). Because the persecution of the church halted for a while, her leaders used the chance to intensify the preaching. The number of believers multiplied, and the church grew, and progressed in spiritual knowledge. The spiritual leaders thus, work in both affliction and peace, finding all things working together for the good of those who love God. Some believe that the Jews at that time, because of certain very serious events that had bearings on their very existence, got preoccupied away from their opposition to the Christians. Dr. Lardner says that when Caligula ascended the throne, the Jews suffered from persecution by the Egyptians in Alexandria that ended in the devastation of all their 459 places of worship there. Moreover, in the third year of his reign (39 AD), Caligula sent Petronius to Syria, with orders to set the Emperor’s statue in the temple of Jerusalem. That Imperial decree, according to Philo the Jew from Alexandria, and the Historian Eusebius, came down like lightening upon the Jews. Eusebius says that Petronius came to Jerusalem with a great army of three garrisons. And, according to the command of the Emperor, those who chose to oppose him, were executed, and all the rest of the inhabitants of the land would be taken captives1. Philo says2 that all the Jews: men, women, children, elders, and youth came out, when Petronius came to Phoenicia (Lebanon), and cast themselves on the ground before him, crying and mourning. They were not temporarily preoccupied with the Christians. But when they saw the statue of the Emperor put by force in the temple of God, and came to know that opposing that would be punished by death and bondage, they temporarily stopped their persecution of the Christians, and peace dwelt in the church. Therefore, the church grew in the regions of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Those circumstances, together with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus to faith, and his stay away in Arabia for the duration of three years, all contributed to the suppression of the wave of persecution in these regions against the Christians, and to the dwelling of peace in the churches. Now, the church set forth, until it reached Samaria, according to the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples and His divine plan. And when the believers heard that many have received faith on the hands of St. Philip, they greatly rejoiced in the Lord. 6- THE APOSTLE PETER IN LYDDA AND JOPPA “And it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda” (Acts 9: 32). Having returned from Samaria together with St. John, the apostle St. Peter seems to have found comfort in the ministry outside Jerusalem, so he set forth to minister in the surrounding province, until he came to Lydda on the sea coast, where St. Philip had once been. Lydda or Lyd: is an ancient city (1 Chron 8: 12; Ezra 2: 33; Neh 11: 53), on the way between Jerusalem and Caesarea Pilippi, 10 or 12 miles south-east of Jaffa, belonging to the tribe of Ephraim. The Greeks used to call it Diospolis or the city of Jupiter, because the temple of Jupiter was probably set there, one time or another, but now it is completely destroyed. According to the Christian tradition, Emperor Justinian built there a church, where the martyr St. George wrestled with the dragon. And it is claimed that the Lord Christ would come to it to kill the great dragon (the anti- Christ). Lydda was known for its purple fabrics. As an apostle, St. Peter did not confine himself to a certain location, or commit himself to a certain church, but visited several of the newly built churches to confirm them in the faith they accepted through the preachers scattered because of the persecution. Setting forth from Jerusalem, he, and the other apostles, was like their Lord, who walked around doing good. 1 See Lardner’s Works. vol. 1, p. 101-102. London, 1829. 2 Philo. DeLegat. Ad Cai. pp. 1024-1025. 460 “To the saints”: Having been characterized by the Spirit of holiness, the new Christian believers were called in the Holy Book, as “saints” (Ps 16: 3). “There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed” (Acts 9: 33). He healed him in the name of Jesus Christ. Aeneas and all those around him must have lost every hope for his healing, and expected that he would stay in his bed of sickness until he goes to his grave. But God, through His apostle Peter, confirmed that He is the God of the impossible. “And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed’. Then he arose immediately” (Acts 9: 34). Paralysis would last for eight years, but in the proper time chosen by God, He works in us to grant us complete recovery from our paralysis, arise from our beds, and move to work incessantly. But before healing the paralyzed man, Peter drew his sight to the true Physician, the Grantor of healing, Jesus Christ. The words of St. Peter bore the power of instant and complete healing, as they presented the name of Jesus Christ, the source of power. He instructed the sick man to arise and to make his bed; I.E. his paralysis turned into health with strength and action. Our Christ, God of the impossible, particularly cares for the sick with hopeless ailments, to proclaim the power of His name as the source of healing, and of the power of resurrection, that the sick would carry his bed, and strongly testify. And through him, souls would turn to the Lord. “So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord” (Acts 9: 35). Having seen the power of the name of Jesus Christ, they turned to the Truth, and received the Lord Jesus in their life. Sharon or Sharona is close to the Plain of Sharon, a fertile land extending to Mount Carmel. “At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did” (Acts 9: 36). St. Luke presents another miracle done by St. Peter to confirm the gospel. That miracle surpasses the previous one, in raising a woman by the name of Tabitha from the dead. Joppa: On the Mediterranean Sea coast, 10 miles north-west of Lydda, 10 miles south of Caesarea, and 45 miles north-west of Jerusalem. It belonged to the tribe of Dan. It was a main port of Palestine, which although modest, yet it was used by King Solomon to receive the wood he imported from Tyre to build the temple (2 Chron 2: 16), and was used for the same purpose in the days of Ezra (Ezra 3: 7). It is a very ancient city, whose name was mentioned in the inscriptions by Tohotmes the third (1490-1436 BC). It was also mentioned in (Josh. 19: 36, as the people of Israel entered into the Promised Land, yet it remained under the Palestinian authority. Jonathan the Maccabee invaded it and took it over from the kings of Syria in the year 148 BC, But Pompei the Roman took it back for the Syrians in the year 47 BC, and was given to Hercanus the second, the Maccabee, the Jewish king and priest. Most of its inhabitants were Greek. It was 461 destroyed by Vespesian in the year 68 BC. Nowadays, Joppa (or Jaffa), in the State of Israel, is known for its gardens and excellent fruits. Tabitha: is A Hebrew name, translated in Greek as Dorcas, meaning (a deer). Having accepted the faith in the Lord Christ, she was baptized and became a disciple of the Lord Christ through one of the preachers. She was full of good works and charitable deeds, as fruits of her living faith, and translated her faith into persistent work. Her testimony to her Christ was not with words, but rather with good works full of love and compassion. “But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room” (Acts 9: 37). They washed her body as it was the custom of many people, and laid her in an upper room, probably anticipating the arrival of St. Peter, as requested by the disciples. “And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them” (Acts 9: 38). The disciples probably sent for St. Peter to comfort the grieving souls, as she has been a support to many widows and poor. Expecting him to raise her from the dead was most probably not there, as we never heard that any of the apostles raised someone from the dead since the ascension of the Lord Christ and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit on the Church. "Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the women stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them” (Acts 9: 39). The widows whom Tabitha dedicated her life to serve read no lamentation or poetry to commend her, but were not embarrassed to demonstrate the products of her love and compassion, as a living testimony of her piety. They had the spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude, and proclaimed their need for such a pious disciple. The tunics in the Jewish and Greek customs were put on over the garments, That is why, as the Lord Christ entered into Jerusalem, they spread tunics on the ground before him, which were their outer garments. Some believe that those widows of Joppa, having experienced the practical and giving love of Tabitha, sent for St. Peter the apostle to walk ten miles and come to raise her from the dead. They amazingly believed in the capability of faith, and the weakness of death before the power of the resurrection of the Lord Christ. When someone approaches death, may his friends, preparing his shrouds, would convince their dying friend to leave something for the poor, to have Christ as his heir1. St. John Chrysostom “But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, ‘Tabitha arise’. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up” (Acts 9: 40). St. Peter put them all out, He did not seek praise from anyone, or vain glory from the world. He came, not to show off his capabilities, but to practice his inner compassion in the Lord. He intended to have a quiet talk with his Savior, away from disturbance. He offered his prayer for God’s help, with the spirit of piety and submission as a minister of 1Homilies on Hebrews. Hom. 27:9. 462 the Lord, unlike his Lord Christ who raised Lazarus from the dead by His own divine authority. St. John Chrysostom1 commends us to have Christ's tongue and to utter his very words, as St. Peter (Acts 9: 40 ) said the same words of Christ (Matt 5: 5), so that when we speak, we utter the very words of Christ, not only to say: “Arise and go” (Matt 5: 5), or “Tabitha arise” (Acts 9: 40). But when reviled I bless, and when harmed I pray for the sake of those who do me harm. For my tongue is the hand that touches the feet of Christ (supplicating to Him). My tongue would be like that of Christ, if it shows fitting zeal, and if it utters things that are fitting for us as His children. What are such things? Words full of meekness and humility, the same way He did when he talked to His crucifiers. “Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive” (Acts 9: 41). She, who helped sustain the suffering widows, was worthy to be restored to life through their supplications2. Martyr Cyprian “And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord” (Acts 9: 42). That was the first miracle of its kind done by the hand of an apostle, through which many realized that the gospel is a heavenly message and believed in it. Raising Tabitha from the dead did not glorify St. Peter, but the Lord Jesus, as “Many believed on the Lord”, having tasted the gospel of salvation. “So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner” (Acts 9: 43). Raising Tabitha from the dead opened the door before St. Peter to preach in Joppa, where he stayed for several days, and where many accepted the faith. He did not stay in Tabitha’s house, although she was rich that no one may assume that he did that sign for personal benefit. It was not also without significance that St. Luke the Evangelist mentioned the profession of Simon with whom the apostle Peter stayed several days, As tanning was not a clean profession in the sight of the Jews, on account of that everything on its premises are defiled, namely, the hides of dead animals, some of which may also be rotten. Here, the apostle Peter began to set himself free from the letter of the law. 1 In Matt. 79. PG. 58.715 A-B. 2 Treatise On Works and Alms, 6. 463 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS 9 TRANSFIGURE IN ME, O LORD TO LET ME TESTIFY TO YOUR LOVE Saul assumed that he was the second man after Gamaliel, As, concerning the law, who was more righteous than he was? And concerning the traditions of his fathers, who was more zealous? Family-wise, he was a true Hebrew, a Roman citizen, and with Greek culture, The right hand of the chief priest, the opponent of Christ and His followers, The strong will in the hand of the Sanhedrin, to destroy the Christians. In his own eyes, who could better serve God and his people? That zealous young man set forth to realize the wish of his heart. He set forth on the road to Damascus, looking for those of the ‘Way’. He set forth on the road of his heart, full of hatred, Seeking those who were on the road of the divine love. As he was approaching Damascus, Thinking only of how to let no one of the ‘Way’ escape from his hand. All of a sudden, he himself fell in the hand of the Philanthropist, Who shone on him with the light of His glory. He did not see Him in a cloud, or through a pillar of smoke or fire. He did not see him in Jerusalem, but on the road to Damascus of the Gentiles. He saw Him in a heavenly divine light. And as it was not possible for his eyes to behold Him, who is Imperceptible, He fell like dead, to arise borne on the arms of Him who is resurrected from the dead. He also temporarily lost his physical sight, To enjoy, together with it, the eternal insight. He heard an accusation, directed to him from the Lord of heaven. Yet not to bring him over into the eternal prison, But to lift him up to an exalted angelic level. Now, he realized who Jesus is: That He is love itself, who pours His love even on His opponents; That he does not destroy those against Him, but transforms them into energies to edify many; That He is the Creator of heaven and earth, who is not confined to Jerusalem, Or to the temple of Solomon. Saul heard the Head of the Church crying out: “Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute Me?” You tread on My feet (the Church), and do not you count it an insult against Me? Whoever touches one of My toes insults the Head itself. Reconsider your situation, to realize whom you are opposing. It is hard for you to kick against the goads. What he previously considered as deceit, When the Christians proclaimed seeing the gates of heaven open, He saw it by himself, 464 And heard the Heavenly talking to him personally. He did not believe his eyes and ears, That He who said, “Destroy the temple” is set, with His heavenly glory, in the divine sanctuaries. He heard the Heavenly One calling Himself “Jesus of Nazareth”. The name that he used in mocking is treasured by the Creator of heaven. The Lord of the Church talked to him. He commanded him to go to His Church. There, he would learn the Truth and enjoy the new life. The Lord did not teach him pride and self esteem, But, instructed him to bow humbly under the hand of Ananias, To receive from the Church the gifts of the Spirit. For three days, he fasted and prayed. He realized that he was in need of divine guidance. For three days, he lived as though in a grave. God sent Ananias to him, to experience the power of resurrection from the dead. He realized that the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is not the product of imagination by any one, But a fact that he lived and experienced every day. The opponent became a witness, He saw Jesus, who resurrected from the dead, And ascended to heaven. The Lord did not send Saul to Ananias. But Ananias set forth to enquire about Saul. He bore the spirit of the Church that seeks those who perished, And searches for the lost mite, And the prodigal son who forsook his father’s house. Something like scales fell from his eyes, To behold by the Spirit the secrets of God, To comprehend the law in a spiritual way, To understand that the prophesies have been realized in the Person of Jesus Christ. The scales of the letter that blind the insight have fallen from his eyes, And he had the unutterable light of the Spirit. Saul became a chosen vessel, Carrying the perfumes of the Holy Spirit and bearing the sweet fragrance of Christ. His perfumes were not the product of his own hands, But the word of God, presented to the Jews, as well as to the Gentiles, To the masters, as well as to the slaves, To the grown-ups, as well as to the children. From this vessel, milk is offered to the children, and solid food to the mature. How amazingly rich is the grace of God! After three days in his unique seclusion, Saul was given the sacrament of Baptism. And from Baptism, he set forth by the Holy Spirit, to preach. 465 He, who came to kill and to destroy believers, was then, longing to die together with them! The persecutor became within moments a preacher of the Truth! He set forth to preach and to testify to what he daily experienced, Having before his eyes, the face of his mentor St. Stephen, at the moments of his stoning. He seriously started anew to study the Old Testament with a different perspective. He started to realize and to discover the secrets of God, by the Spirit of God dwelling in him. He had to be confronted and persecuted. He had to be let brought down in humiliation, through the wall of Damascus, in a basket. He got down to have the doors of ministry opened before him, among the Gentiles. In Jerusalem, the disciples did not welcome him, for fear that he might be deceiving them. But when they got in touch with the work of God in him, they glorified the Lord. He wished to minister to his brethren in Jerusalem, But in the temple, the Lord appeared to him in a vision and commanded him to set forth to the Gentiles. In Complete submission, he abided to God’s command. He Who turned Saul into a preacher, Was working in the rest of the disciples. In the name of Jesus Christ, Peter healed Aeneas, And in His name, he raised Tabitha from the dead. Tabitha prepared for herself shrouds that no mites could touch. She shrouded her body with works of love and compassion. Death could not touch her soul, And even her body was raised from the dead for a certain time, To be raised eternally later on.
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