Addendum A
Conversion Scenes in Acts 9,
22, 26
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A “synopsis” of
the three conversion narratives in Acts serves to illustrate their
similarities [in italics]—and their differences [in bold].
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Acts 9 |
Acts 22 |
Acts 26 |
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| 1Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats
and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high
priest 2and asked
him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found
any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound
to Jerusalem.
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4I
persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and
women and putting them in prison, 5as
the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about
me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in
Damascus,
and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring
them back to Jerusalem for punishment.
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9‘Indeed,
I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the
name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10And
that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the
chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison,
but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned
to death. 11By
punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to
blaspheme; and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued
them even to foreign cities. |
| 3Now
as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light
from heaven flashed around him. |
6‘While
I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light
from heaven suddenly shone about me. |
[see below:
at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from
heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my
companions] |
| 4He
fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul,
why do you persecute me?’ 5He
asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting. 6But
get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to
do.’ |
7I
fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul,
why are you persecuting me?” 8I
answered, “Who are you, Lord?” Then he said to me, “I am Jesus
of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.” |
[see below: 14When
we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the
Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts
you to kick against the goads.”] |
| 7The men
who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the
voice but saw no one. 8Saul
got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see
nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into
Damascus. 9For
three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
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9Now
those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of
the one who was speaking to me. 10I
asked, “What am I to do, Lord?” The Lord said to me, “Get up
and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been
assigned to you to do.” 11Since
I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who
were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.
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12‘With this in mind, I was traveling to
Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13when
at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from
heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my
companions. 14When
we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the
Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts
you to kick against the goads.” 15I
asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord answered, “I am Jesus
whom you are persecuting. 16But
get up and stand on your feet; |
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for I have appeared to you for this
purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which
you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. 17I
will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I
am sending you 18to
open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and
from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness
of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in
me.” |
| 17So
Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and
said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your
way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be
filled with the Holy Spirit.’ 18And
immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight
was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19and
after taking some food, he regained his strength.
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12‘A
certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well
spoken of by all the Jews living there, 13came
to me; and standing beside me, he said, “Brother Saul, regain your
sight!” In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. 14Then
he said, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his
will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; 15for
you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and
heard. 16And now
why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed
away, calling on his name.” |
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| For several days he was with the disciples in
Damascus, 20and
immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying,
‘He is the Son of God.’
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19‘After
that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20but
declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and
throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that
they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with
repentance. |
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