Acts 9 · The Lantern

The Road to Damascus

But Saul, still breathing out threats and murder toward the disciples of the Lord, having gone to the high priest,

Then it was, too, that Paul, when he believed, was baptized; and this is the meaning of the precept which the Lord had given him when smitten with the plague of loss of sight, saying, "Arise, and enter Damascus; there shall be demonstrated to thee what thou oughtest to do," to wit-be baptized, which was the only thing lacking to him.

Often the merciful Lord does not allow us to perpetrate evil deeds so that pricked by remorse we should prostrate ourselves for our sins, just as Saul was checked when he was sent by the priests to Damascus to ravage the church of Christ with the most savage persecution.

Explaining the frenzy of Paul – Saul, the future great apostle Paul – against the faithful and against the Church, Luke shows that he was carried away by impure zeal, because in him was fulfilled what Christ said: "Everyone who kills you will think that he is thereby serving God" (Jn. 16:2). Because he did not do this the way the other Jews did. God forbid!

requested from him letters in Damascus to the synagogues, so that if he shall find any being of the Way, both men and women, he may bring them bound to Jerusalem.

He warned us, to be sure, at that time (for elsewhere our Discipline is called "the Way" ), that when, set in "the way" of prayer, we go not unto "the Father" with anger.

They called it the Way, the faith toward Christ our true God, which the apostles proclaimed; and rightly so. For through it we enter into the kingdom of the heavens, and not by any other. But in a truer sense one must hear the civic way, as in Isaiah: "Why have they deceived us from your way?" (Isa. 63:17) that is, the conduct according to you.

"So that he might bring bound to Jerusalem any he found who were followers of this Way, both men and women." What does "followers of this Way" mean? Perhaps the believers called themselves this, since their faith alone was the one through which we ascend to heaven.

Now in the proceeding it came to pass, as he is drawing near to Damascus, also suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;

Indeed, when I hear that this man was chosen by the Lord after He had attained His rest in heaven, I feel that a kind of improvidence is imputable to Christ, for not knowing before that this man was necessary to Him; and because He thought that he must be added to the apostolic body in the way of a fortuitous encounter rather than a deliberate selection; by necessity (so to spe…

The vision does not occur in a city, but on the road in quiet, so that it might not be possible for others to relate otherwise what happened about him, but that he himself would be credible to relate that he had seen the vision and undergone the suffering.

The vision occurred not in the city, but on the road and in stillness, because the crowd would not have believed, but would only have laughed, just as in the case of Jesus Christ, those who heard the voice from heaven "said that it thundered" (Jn. 12:29). And Saul was worthy of belief, because he was recounting what had happened to him.

and having fallen on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? He who had conquered His persecutors in the world below, and ruled over the angels in the world above, spoke from above with humble voice. And He Who while He was upon earth had denounced ten woes against His crucifiers, when He was in heaven, did not denounce even one woe against Saul, His persecutor.

How can we show that he is there and that he is also here? Let Paul answer for us, who was previously Saul.… First of all, the Lord's own voice from heaven shows this: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Had Paul climbed up to heaven then? Had Paul even thrown a stone at heaven?

"Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute Me?" Christ does not say to him: "Believe!", but reproaches him, saying: "Why do you persecute Me?" He is almost saying: "What small or great thing have you suffered from Me, that you do this to Me?"

He said then, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I myself am Jesus, whom you yourself are persecuting.

For consider what glory it is to set aside the lusts of this life, and to oppose a mind withdrawn from all commerce with nature and the world, to all the opposition of the adversary, and to have no dread of the cruelty of the torturer; that a man should be animated by the suffering whereby he might be believed to be destroyed, and should take to himself, as an enhancement of hi…

I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. He did not say: I am God, I am the Son of God, but he says: Accept the weakness of my humility and lay down the scales of your pride.

"I am Jesus, whom you persecute." This is said instead of "do not think that you are warring against men, but against Me, your Lord." Why was this appearance and admonition to Saul not made at the beginning? In order to show that Christ truly rose from the dead.

But rise up and enter into the city, and it will be told you what it behooves you to do.”

Although Paul was struck and taken up and was terrified because blindness had befallen him, still he began to come near when he said, "Lord, what will you have me do?" For that reason he is called the youngest by Christ, so that he who was called to grace could be excused from the guilt of his hazardous years.

But arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. Observe, how He does not immediately add all, but first softens his mind. In the same way He called the disciples also a second time. It shall be told thee, etc.: He gives him good hopes, and intimates that he shall recover his sight also.

Rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you must do. He did not immediately show him what was to be done but advised that it would be heard later in the city, so that he would stand more firmly in good things as he had previously fallen completely from his former error.

And the men, those traveling with him, had stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice, but seeing no one.

And they which were with him heard the voice of Paul, but saw no person to whom he answered-for the Lord suffered them to be hearers of what was less important. Had they heard the other Voice, they would not have believed; but perceiving Paul answering some person, they marvelled.

Why then did those with him not believe? So that they might be credible witnesses attesting concerning Paul. For if they had believed, they would have seemed to testify in favor out of courtesy.

"And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one." The light shines upon all who were with him, so that they might bear witness to this apparition, but it blinds not all of them, but only Paul alone, so that they would not think this was some common and seemingly accidental misfortune, but so that it would be revealed that this was entirel…

Saul rose up then from the ground; but his eyes opened, he was seeing nothing. Leading him by the hand then, they brought him to Damascus.

And he was three days without seeing, and neither did he eat nor drink.

Ananias Baptizes Saul

Now there was a certain disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Behold me myself, Lord.”

What may be the reason that He neither drew any one of high authority and importance, nor caused such to be forthcoming for the purpose of instructing Paul?

Why, I ask, did he not bring any one of the great men who was worthy of trust, or hand him over to the instruction of Paul, but Ananias who was one of the seventy? Since he was not to be led by men, but by Christ himself. For this one neither taught him anything, but only baptized him.

Why did Ananias, not being among the most memorable and well-known disciples of the Savior, receive the authority to catechize and heal Paul, who was destined to become such a great preacher of the Gospel? Because Paul was to be instructed in the truths of the faith not by a man, but by Christ Himself. Therefore Ananias baptized and healed him, but did not teach him anything.

And the Lord said to him, “Having risen up, go into the street which is being called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas one named Saul of Tarsus; for behold, he is praying,

and he saw in a vision a man named Ananias having come and having put the hands on him, so that he may see again.”

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many concerning this man, how many evils he did to Your saints in Jerusalem;

and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all those calling on Your name.”

The Lord said, however, to him, “Go, for this man is a vessel of choice to Me, to carry My name before Gentiles and also kings and the sons of Israel;

for I myself will show him how much it behooves him to suffer for My name.”

When Paul was saved there where he had bound Christ by persecuting him, he would be afflicted with suffering for Christ, right up to his own death, but [he would] be glorified in the resurrection.

But when Ananias heard that Paul was blind, he rejoiced, and almost with his words he says this: "He is well off, let him remain blind; why do you order me to open his eyes? that he may be conquered again? that he may be punished again?" Therefore he says: "Not only will he do no harm, but he will also endure many things on my behalf."

For I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. He should not (he says) be feared as a persecutor, but rather be embraced as a brother, who is ready to endure the adversities which he had inflicted upon the saints, together with the saints.

Ananias went away then and entered into the house, and having laid the hands upon him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me — Jesus, the One having appeared to you on the road by which you were coming — that you may see again and may be filled of the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit worked immediately and not only changed Paul's blindness to sight but also imparted the seal to his soul, making him a vessel of election to carry the name of the Lord who had appeared to him before kings and the children of Israel; and he fashioned his former persecutor into a herald and a good servant who "from Jerusalem round about as far as Illyricum complet…

How much [this] darkness earns! After the loss of his eyesight he sees greater things; fostering faith gives a marvelous example to the ages. Ananias casts out his fury—O strange victory! He whom the Hebrew called Sheep [Ananias] subdues a rapacious wolf.

Look how much obedience there was after the greatest fear. And so, these words of Ananias were spoken by him not out of unbelief, but out of fear and trembling. "Brother Saul! The Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were traveling, has sent me." He immediately acquaints him with the name of the Lord.

And immediately there fell from his eyes as scales, and he regained his sight; and having risen up, he was baptized,

"And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales." Some say this was a sign of his blindness. Why did he not blind his eyes entirely? This was more wonderful, that, with his eyes open, he did not see: which was just his case in respect of the Law, until the Name of Jesus was put on him. With hands laid on, he spake these words.

And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes. It is said that the entire body of the dragon is covered with scales. Because the Jews are called serpents and brood of vipers, those who followed their perfidy had covered the eyes of their heart as if with the skin of a serpent.

"And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes." The scales fall off and show that the inflammation was severe and that the healing is beyond doubt.

and having taken food he strengthened. Now he was with the disciples in Damascus for some days,

Saul Preaches at Damascus

and immediately in the synagogues he was proclaiming Jesus, that He is the Son of God.

Paul himself also-after that the Lord spoke to him out of heaven, and showed him that, in persecuting His disciples, he persecuted his own Lord, and sent Ananias to him that he might recover his sight, and be baptized-"preached," it is said, "Jesus in the synagogues at Damascus, with all freedom of speech, that this is the Son of God, the Christ." This is the mystery which he s…

As a learned man he silenced them and would not let them speak, but proved from the Scriptures. That is, reconciling, teaching with gentleness that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. [CHRYSOSTOM]

Paul does not say that Jesus is risen, that He is alive, but what? He immediately carefully proves that "He is the Son of God." He immediately became a teacher, because he was not ashamed that a change had occurred in him with regard to what had become clear to him.

All those hearing were amazed then and were saying, “Is this not the one having caused havoc in Jerusalem to those calling on this name? And here he had come for this, that he may bring them bound to the chief priests.”

Saul, however, was empowered all the more, and was confounding the Jews, those dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

The Escape from Damascus

Now when many days were passed, the Jews plotted together to execute him;

"And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him." The Jews again resort to that valid argument of theirs, not now seeking false-accusers and false-witnesses; they cannot wait for these now: but what do they? They set about it by themselves. For as they see the affair on the increase, they do not even use the form of a trial.

The Jews made a council to kill him. But the plot against Paul was known to him; and they watched the gates of the city day and night to kill him. It was not the Jews who kept watch, but the citizens themselves with their king Aretas, as the Apostle himself, who was besieged and escaped, writes to the Galatians.

The Jews again return to their strongest resolve, but now they no longer seek slanderers and false witnesses, but themselves strive to commit murder. Since they saw that this matter had gained strength, they no longer even bring it to trial.

but their plot became known to Saul. Now they were themselves watching also the gates by day and also night, so that they may execute him;

but his disciples, having taken him by night, they let him down through the wall, having lowered him in a basket.

This is to be on fire, this to be fervent indeed! From that day forth he knew all the commands which the Apostles had heard: "Except a man take up his cross, and follow Me." The very fact that he had been slower to come than the rest made him more zealous: for "to whom much is forgiven" the same will love more, so that the later he came, the more he loved: and having done ten t…

But they plotted to kill him; Saul, however, escaped from the wall in a basket through his disciples, and was preserved as a fugitive. Note that he was already gaining disciples, therefore he was wholly inflamed and filled with preaching, and it made him more eager to come later.

He does as a soldier does who, shut up in a narrow space, flees to mor open terrain in order to slay the more.

Saul in Jerusalem

Having arrived then in Jerusalem, he was trying to join to the disciples; and all were afraid of him, not believing that he is a disciple.

"He assayed," it says, "to join himself to the disciples. And they were afraid of him." By this again is shown the ardor of Paul's character: not only from the mouth of Ananias, and of those who wondered at him there, but also of those in Jerusalem: "they believed not that he was a disciple:" for truly that was beyond all human expectation.

When he had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples. Let us not believe that he came to the apostles in Jerusalem immediately after being baptized, but as he himself wrote to the Galatians, first he went to Arabia and then returned again to Damascus. Then after three years, coming to Jerusalem, he saw Peter and stayed with him for fifteen days.

"Saul arrived in Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples." Having escaped the danger, he not only does not hide, but on the contrary goes where they were persecuted the most.

Barnabas, however, having taken him, he brought him to the apostles and related to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

And he was with them, coming in and going out in Jerusalem.

He was speaking also and he was debating with the Hellenists; but they were seeking to execute him.

Having known it, however, the brothers brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

The Healing of Aeneas

The church indeed then throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified and going on in the fear of the Lord, and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit it were multiplied.

"Then, it says, the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and abounded in the comfort of the Holy Ghost." He is about to relate that Peter goes down from Jerusalem, therefore that you may not impute this to fear, he first says this.

And it was filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit, or it was multiplied, as it is written in Greek. For what we say as "consolation," in Greek it is παρακλήσει: whence it is clearly evident that the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete because, enlightening the hearts of the faithful, He multiplies the Church throughout the whole world and fills it with His grace.

"The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace." Luke wants to say that Peter came from there. So, lest you think that he did this out of fear, he first said that these churches had peace, because when there was the height of hostility in Jerusalem, the apostles remained in it, but when peace came there, they went out to preach in other places as well.

Now it came to pass that Peter, passing through all quarters, descending also to the saints, those inhabiting Lydda.

He found then there a certain man named Aeneas, lying on a bed for eight years, who was paralyzed.

And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise up and make the bed for yourself.” And immediately he rose up.

Peter did not demand the man's faith, nor did he ask whether he wished to be healed; for the outward signs of his own power had not yet been revealed. It is therefore reasonable that the man's faith was not required. Nor did they demand the lame man's. Indeed the miracle became above all a comfort to many; for the man was notable.

Aeneas, the Lord Jesus Christ heals you. Rise and make your own bed. He who had been cured of paralysis was immediately commanded to rise and make his bed, spiritually suggesting that whoever perceives the foundation of faith in their heart should not only shake off the torpor in which they previously lay fatigued, but also prepare good works in which they can rest.

Why did Peter not wait to discover the faith of this man and did not ask whether he wished to be healed? This miracle was performed, of course, especially for the edification of many. For Luke says: "And all that dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and turned to the Lord." And on the other hand, the miracles here had not yet manifested their power.

And all those inhabiting Lydda and the Sharon saw him, who turned to the Lord.

The Raising of Tabitha

Now in Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which being translated is called Dorcas. She was full of good works and of alms that she was doing.

It came to pass, however, in those days, that having become sick, she died. Having washed her then, they put her in an upper room.

Now Lydda being near to Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter is in it, sent two men to him, imploring, “Do not delay coming to us.”

"Not to delay to come unto them:" for she was a disciple. And Peter arose, and went with them. And when he was come, they led him into the upper chamber. They do not beseech, but leave it to him to give her life.

And then having sent for, they summoned Peter. They did not do this before her death, considering it unworthy to disturb the disciples for such matters and to distract them from the preaching. Wherefore he also says that he was near. For they requested this as an additional matter; for she was a disciple. [CHRYSOSTOM]

The disciples who were in Joppa sent to Peter "asking him not to delay in coming to them." Notice the simplicity of the others and the complete absence of arrogance in Peter. They do not go themselves, but ask through two men for healing, and he comes. Why did they not call him while she was still alive?

Having risen up then, Peter went with them; who, having arrived, they brought him into the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping and showing the tunics and garments, how much Dorcas was making, being with them.

"Having washed her," it says, "they laid her in an upper chamber:" that is, they did all that was right for the dead body. Then Peter having come, "knelt down, and prayed; and turning him to the body, said, Tabitha, arise." They did not perform all their miracles with the same ease.

And showing him the tunics and garments, which Dorcas used to make for them. They did not entreat for the deceased with their voices, but by her own works, for almsgiving delivers not only from the second, but also from the first death.

"Widows stood before him with tears, showing the tunics and garments that Gazelle had made while living with them." The expression "living with them" shows her great humility, because she was with them and lived with them and treated everyone as one of them, and not as we do now.

Having put all outside then, Peter, and having bowed the knees, he prayed. And having turned to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and having seen Peter, she sat up.

Having given her his hand then, he raised her up; and having called the saints and the widows, he presented her living.

It became known then throughout all of Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.

It came to pass then, staying many days in Joppa with a certain Simon, a tanner.

"And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner." Mark the unassuming conduct, mark the moderation of Peter, how he does not make his abode with this lady, or some other person of distinction, but with a tanner: by all his acts leading men to humility, neither suffering the mean to be ashamed, nor the great to be elated!

Peter does not remain attached to any one of the notable men, but to the tanner, leading us through all things into humility, neither letting the lowly be ashamed nor the great be proud. For those who believed through the miracles desired his teaching concerning God Jesus the Christ, who was proclaimed by him. [CHRYSOSTOM]

Notice the complete absence of arrogance in Peter. Having performed such a great miracle, he seeks lodging not with her nor with any other notable person, but with Simon the tanner; he is not ashamed of lowly people and does not give the great occasion to boast.