Page 123 - Acts Student Textbook

claim was true, then there would be no blasphemy! Another possible explanation is that Paul tried to
get these people to deny Jesus, offering them their freedom if they would. Many would not deny
Jesus, and these were then put to death.

How did Paul meet the resurrected Jesus? (26:12, 13)

Paul proceeded to describe his trip to Damascus to capture Christians, which event led to his
conversion. Again, see other details in Acts 9 & 22. This trip too was authorized by the chief priests.
He saw a light at midday, brighter than the sun. Note that this was not the middle of the night so that
any bright light could be mistaken for something other than what it was. The very fact the light was
brighter than the noon sun would be a miracle of itself. This was no hallucination. Paul was giving
genuine eyewitness testimony to convince honest people they needed to believe in Jesus. This was
his role as an apostle to tell what he had seen.

What did the resurrected Jesus say to Paul? (26:14-16)

Paul and the others with him fell to the earth and a voice asked why Saul was persecuting Him. On
here (26:14), Stagg, has a great paragraph on the vital connection between Jesus and His church. He
says, "The most important fact about judgment is that we are judged in relation to Christ. In turn, this
is a judgment in relation to his people. Our true relationship to him is reflected in our relationship to
his people. To serve them is to serve him and to neglect them is to neglect him (Matt. 25:31-46).
Never does the New Testament allow one to divorce his relationship to Christ from that to other
people. To persecute them is to persecute him (Acts 9:1-2,4-5; 22:4,7-8; 26:10-11,14-15). To sin
against the brethren is to sin against Christ (1 Cor. 8:12). Though we are not saved by our works, we
are judged by them; for they reflect our true relationship to Christ and his grace. Judgment is
merciful toward them that accept judgment, and judgment is merciful toward them who are merciful
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(Matt. 5:7)." Jesus added, "It is hard for you to kick against the goads." Here Uttly says, “This phrase
is unique to this context, possibly because it was a Greek/Latin proverb, not Jewish. Paul always
knew to what audience he was speaking and how to communicate to them! This is referring to (1.) a
pointed stick used by those who directed oxen to pull carts and plows. (2.) Projections on the front of
the cart or wagon to keep the animals from kicking backward. This proverb was used to denote the
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human futility of resisting divine initiatives.” Paul asked who was speaking, and the speaker
identified Himself as Jesus. This account adds that Jesus spoke in Hebrew (Aramaic). Then Jesus
explained the purpose of His appearance to Paul. Note that Jesus plainly said He had appeared to
Paul and that He had a reason for doing so. It was not just to convert Paul but to make Him a minister
(he would serve others by means of preaching) and a witness of what he had seen. This was
necessary to qualify Paul as an apostle. In Acts 22:14, 15, Ananias had explained this when he spoke
to Paul. But Acts 26 is the only account that says that Jesus Himself explained this to Paul. Jesus said
there was also more yet to be revealed. In telling this story to Agrippa, Paul was doing the very thing
Jesus had told him to do: he was bearing witness of what he had seen. This was his duty as an
apostle.

Based on the Damascus encounter, what assignment did Jesus give to Paul? (26:17, 18)

Paul’s ministry would require him to be sent to Gentiles as well as Jews (see notes on 22:21), but
they would persecute him and he would need deliverance. Jesus promised to give this deliverance.
But the purpose of his preaching was to turn the eyes of the people from darkness to light (i.e., from
error to truth) and from Satan’s power to God’s. This is a description of conversion. This would be
necessary so they could receive forgiveness and an inheritance among those who are sanctified. Note

81 Frank Stagg, New Testament Theology, (p. 333).
82 Uttly, (26:14).
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