The Road to Damascus

“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. Falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’” Acts 9:1-4
I remember this well. My family was attending the Church of God, Holiness in Moberly, MO because of problems that caused us to leave Union Ave. Christian. There was a revival going on and their guest preacher’s sermon was on Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. He went on at great length about Saul (who would become Paul) becoming a Christian when Jesus confronted him there. He talked of the light blinding Saul and the instantaneous believing and salvation that resulted as he turned to Christ, telling the audience that he (the revival preacher) was shining such a light on them and we just needed to believe in our heart to be saved. He went on to talk about a second level of grace, sanctification, that could occur if we’d just come to the altar and pray. It’s hard to relate here the emotion he brought, and the full extent of the false doctrine he taught, but I wanted to stand up and shout, “It’s not true, Saul was not converted on the road to Damascus! And sanctification is not an instantaneous occurrence!”
So, it begs the question: Was Saul converted on the road to Damascus, and if not, when? And how does sanctification work? As we pick up the text in Acts 9, we find Saul asking, “Who are you, Lord?” And he receives the response, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” Saul was blind from the light, and he was led into the city.
Where did this happen? Somewhere on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus. The typical Jew (and Saul was one) would not travel through Samaria, so they’d go from Jerusalem across the Jordan River and then up the east side on what was called The King’s Highway to Damascus. When Rexanne and I were in the country of Jordan with Open Door Libraries in 2018 we visited the ancient ruins of Jerash, north of Amman, Jordan. In these ruins are a crossroads, the King’s Highway going south to north. To the east was Bagdad, to the south was Madaba, to the west Jerusalem, and to the north Damascus. It was very possible that Saul walked on the very stones at this crossroad, where we stood in 2018.
Saul stays in Damascus three days, continuing to be blind. He fasted, seeking the Lord’s will. Then the Lord tells Ananias to go visit him, to tell Saul how he will be a missionary to the Gentiles. Ananias is reluctant but goes. Once the message is delivered, we are told “something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized” (Acts 9:18). This part of the story was not included during the Holiness revival preacher’s message. Neither was the additional detail provided by Saul (Paul) himself as he tells the story in Acts 22. In his own version of the story, Paul tells us that Ananias says to him, “Now why do you delay? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his (Jesus’) name.” When was Saul saved? Not on the road to Damascus, he was merely confronted by Jesus and blinded there. But after fasting and hearing the message of Ananias, he yields to the Lord and is baptized in his name, becoming a disciple. Only then were his sins “washed away.”
Sanctification? No room to elaborate here, but I believe it is the ongoing maturity process, following Jesus as disciples in faith. John 17:17, 2 Peter 1:3-11 are good, related reads, as is I Thess. 4:3-12, etc.
Cross Point: “And immediately Saul proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ And all who heard him were amazed, saying, ‘Is not this the man who gave Christian’s havoc?’” Acts 9:20, 21
I remember this well. My family was attending the Church of God, Holiness in Moberly, MO because of problems that caused us to leave Union Ave. Christian. There was a revival going on and their guest preacher’s sermon was on Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. He went on at great length about Saul (who would become Paul) becoming a Christian when Jesus confronted him there. He talked of the light blinding Saul and the instantaneous believing and salvation that resulted as he turned to Christ, telling the audience that he (the revival preacher) was shining such a light on them and we just needed to believe in our heart to be saved. He went on to talk about a second level of grace, sanctification, that could occur if we’d just come to the altar and pray. It’s hard to relate here the emotion he brought, and the full extent of the false doctrine he taught, but I wanted to stand up and shout, “It’s not true, Saul was not converted on the road to Damascus! And sanctification is not an instantaneous occurrence!”
So, it begs the question: Was Saul converted on the road to Damascus, and if not, when? And how does sanctification work? As we pick up the text in Acts 9, we find Saul asking, “Who are you, Lord?” And he receives the response, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” Saul was blind from the light, and he was led into the city.
Where did this happen? Somewhere on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus. The typical Jew (and Saul was one) would not travel through Samaria, so they’d go from Jerusalem across the Jordan River and then up the east side on what was called The King’s Highway to Damascus. When Rexanne and I were in the country of Jordan with Open Door Libraries in 2018 we visited the ancient ruins of Jerash, north of Amman, Jordan. In these ruins are a crossroads, the King’s Highway going south to north. To the east was Bagdad, to the south was Madaba, to the west Jerusalem, and to the north Damascus. It was very possible that Saul walked on the very stones at this crossroad, where we stood in 2018.
Saul stays in Damascus three days, continuing to be blind. He fasted, seeking the Lord’s will. Then the Lord tells Ananias to go visit him, to tell Saul how he will be a missionary to the Gentiles. Ananias is reluctant but goes. Once the message is delivered, we are told “something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized” (Acts 9:18). This part of the story was not included during the Holiness revival preacher’s message. Neither was the additional detail provided by Saul (Paul) himself as he tells the story in Acts 22. In his own version of the story, Paul tells us that Ananias says to him, “Now why do you delay? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his (Jesus’) name.” When was Saul saved? Not on the road to Damascus, he was merely confronted by Jesus and blinded there. But after fasting and hearing the message of Ananias, he yields to the Lord and is baptized in his name, becoming a disciple. Only then were his sins “washed away.”
Sanctification? No room to elaborate here, but I believe it is the ongoing maturity process, following Jesus as disciples in faith. John 17:17, 2 Peter 1:3-11 are good, related reads, as is I Thess. 4:3-12, etc.
Cross Point: “And immediately Saul proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ And all who heard him were amazed, saying, ‘Is not this the man who gave Christian’s havoc?’” Acts 9:20, 21
Posted in Cross Points