Pastor John Wright

The so-called "conversion of Saul" story continues in Acts 9. This Saul will become an active character, a major focus of Acts later on. We have seen him aggressively going after messianic believers, and him struck blind in judgment outside Damascus.

Yet as we read the text, we discover more and more how little this is like Paul Tillich's reading of the text. Tillich was an important 20th century theologian who argued that the Christian faith needed to be translated into terms more understandable to modern world. In his famous sermon, "You are Accepted", he refers to "Paul's Damascus Road Experience". He writes that this was "the most overwhelming ad determining experience of his lfie. In the picture of Jesus as the Christ, which appeared to him at the moment of his greatest separation from other men, from himself and God, he found himself accepted in spite of his being rejected. And when he found that he was accepted, he was able to accept himself and to be reconciled to others. The moment in which grace struck him and overwhelmed him, he was reunited with that to which he belonged, and from which he was estranged in utter strangeness."

Tillich represents a common reading of this text today that focuses on the inner psychological experience of Saul as a model for conversion. It is interesting to compare this reading with what the text actually says, and to think about our Christian life in this context.

Read the whole passage, and discuss how much the narrator focuses on Saul. How much description of Saul's inner life does the passage describe? How much direct description of Saul goes on and where is it?

We can divide the passage into two main sections: vv. 10-16 and vv. 17-19.

Vv. 10-16 is a classic prophetic call, from Ananias' response, "Here am I" to his objection to God's reassurance and call falling Ananias' objection.

Why does the text switch from Saul to Ananias? (BTW, I don't know!! -- but I find it interesting!) What is the significance of the Street name? What is Ananias to do once he arrives at the house of Jason?

What is the nature of Ananias' objection? Is it rational? What are his risks in fulfilling the commandment in the vision?

Does God respond to Ananias' objection directly? What is it that God wants ultimately to show Saul? How does this relate to Saul's earlier behavior and the initial voice in v. 4? If Saul follows Christ, what awaits him, according to the voice of the Lord?

Verses 17-19: What does Ananias do? What message does he give Saul? What happens immediately as a result?

What is the metaphorical significance of Saul moving from blindness to sight? What is the significance that it comes from a believer in Jesus?

What is Saul's response to receiving his sight? What does this tell you about the significance of baptism? What is going on in Saul's baptism? Why would the text describe this rather than Saul's inner experience?

What would be the practical function of the events as described in v. 19? Is Saul's vision, curing, and baptism mean that his formation is over in Christ? What is his experience really of?

Now it might be interesting to discuss how this compares with Tillich's reading. See if you can understand your life in the categories given by the text? How does this sound differently than if you talked in language given by Tillich?

Enjoy!