[Note: This is the prepared text for a sermon delivered to the The Dalles congregation of the United Church of God on Sabbath, September 13, 2025.]
Introduction: Remembering What We Wish to Forget
Most of us carry memories we would rather erase. Angry words, selfish choices, shameful acts — we imagine that the best version of our life story would be one where those moments simply disappear. Yet Scripture is unsparing in its honesty. It records Abraham’s cowardly lies, Moses’ uncontrolled temper, David’s adultery and murder, Solomon’s idolatry, Peter’s denial. And so it records, with equal clarity, the violent persecution carried out by Saul of Tarsus.
What Paul wanted most to forget became the centerpiece of his testimony. His opposition to Christ was not erased but retold. Three times in Acts, Luke narrates the story of Paul’s conversion. Paul himself refers to it in his letters. Why is this so? Because the gospel is not the story of how good people get better, but how God rescues enemies and makes them His children.
Today we will cover each of these accounts in full. After each passage, we will reflect theologically and historically on the passages as well as on the context in which this story was repeated. And in the end, we will ask what it means for us that our worst moments are not erased but redeemed, and where our shame is turned into God’s glory.
I. The First Account: Acts 9:1–19
First, let us discuss the three accounts that Luke gives of Paul’s conversion in the book of Acts. We find the first account in Acts 9:1-19. Let us read Acts 9:1-19 and comment on it.
The Text (NKJV)
Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
The context of this particular passage is an interesting one. At the end of Acts 7 we find Paul participating as a ringleader in the efforts of Jews that come from the diaspora to put the deacon Stephen to death for his pointed message about the persistent rebellion of the children of Israel and their consistent hostility to hearing his message and repenting, serving as the first known Christian martyr after Jesus’ death and resurrection. After that, Acts 8 then discusses Paul’s hostility towards the church, with Paul being called by his Jewish name, Saul, rather than the Roman name that is more familiar to us. We also see the conversion of Samaritans and the Nubian treasurer to God’s way and their baptism, showing the spread of the gospel beyond strictly Jewish backgrounds. It is in that mixed picture of persecution and evangelism where we find Paul being forcibly confronted by the Lord of those whom he had been persecuted so zealously.
Theological Reflection
Luke’s narrative stresses God’s initiative. Saul is not searching for Christ; he is an enemy. But grace interrupts. A light shines from heaven — divine revelation breaking into human rebellion. The voice of Jesus identifies so fully with His people that to attack them is to attack Him. Already we see a profound doctrine of the church as Christ’s body.
Blindness here is both physical and spiritual. The scholar of the Law must be led by the hand. His three days without sight, food, or drink symbolize death to the old self. Baptism marks the beginning of new life.
Ananias, a reluctant disciple, plays a vital role. His “Brother Saul” is one of the most gracious greetings in Scripture. The persecutor is welcomed as family. Jesus declares Saul “a chosen vessel” to bear His name to Gentiles, kings, and Israel. Yet the call comes with a cost: “I will show him how many things he must suffer.” Conversion is not rescue from suffering but a reorientation of suffering for Christ.
It’s worth noting here that Ananias is not mentioned as having any particular title or ordination. Despite the importance of what he was called by God to do, he does not appear to be a person of particular importance insofar as church offices or authority are concerned. Even though Paul was being prepared to proclaim God’s way before kings and governors and other important people, including even Emperor Nero of Rome, his entrance into Christianity came through a reluctant but fairly ordinary lay member of God’s church, a humble touch we would do well to remember.
Historical Reflection
Saul’s mission to Damascus reflects the Sanhedrin’s influence beyond Judea. Damascus, a thriving city with a large Jewish population, lay on major trade routes. Saul carried letters — extradition authority — to arrest believers of “the Way.” That early title reflects not a sectarian label but a way of life rooted in Jesus’ teaching.
Luke’s mention of “Straight Street” grounds the event geographically. Even today, visitors to Damascus walk the same street. This historic anchoring reinforces that Paul’s conversion was not mythical but historical. Luke, as always a careful historian, gives us the details we need in order to know that we are walking the footsteps of those who came before us in the faith, reminding us that the Bible is not a book of fantasy but a book of historical reality.
The transformation of Saul — a rising Pharisaic leader, trained in Jerusalem — into a follower of the crucified Jesus was not a minor event. It was a shockwave in the Jewish world. His conversion is remembered because it changed the course of the church’s mission, and the drama of that conversion remains a powerful inspiration even now.
II. The Second Account: Acts 22:3–21
The Text (NKJV)
“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’”
Theological Reflection
Here Paul tells his own story before a hostile Jewish crowd. He emphasizes his Jewish credentials: born in Tarsus, educated in Jerusalem, taught by Gamaliel, zealous for the Law. He portrays himself as once sharing their passion.
Ananias is described not simply as a disciple but “devout according to the law” with a good reputation among Jews. This reassures his hearers that Paul did not abandon Judaism lightly. His baptism is linked explicitly to washing away sins — testimony that even the strictest Pharisee needs cleansing through Christ. Let’s note again that our account of Ananias shows him as an ordinary believer who was called directly by God to baptize the author of half the books of the New Testament, a tremendous honor and not something to be undertaken lightly.
The vision in the temple is unique to this account. It shows continuity between Paul’s Jewish piety and his new commission. Yet the climax comes with the words: “I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.” That word was intolerable to his audience. Grace that includes outsiders was the ultimate scandal, and far from comforting the crowd, Paul’s discussion of his conversion only inflames them to further anger, an ironic reprise of how Stephen’s own message had, decades ago, inflamed him into a murderous rage in that same city of Jerusalem himself.
Historical Reflection
Paul’s speech in Acts 22 is strategic. He speaks in Aramaic to connect with his hearers. He appeals to Gamaliel, a highly respected Pharisaic teacher, to underscore his legitimacy. He recalls Stephen’s martyrdom, an event seared into the memory of Jerusalem.
The temple setting is important. For Jews under Roman rule, the temple was the heart of identity. Paul recounts receiving a vision there, suggesting that his mission flowed not from betrayal of Judaism but from fulfillment of God’s plan.
But the mention of Gentiles was explosive. In a city bristling with nationalist sentiment, the idea that Israel’s God would send His prophet to the nations rather than vindicate His people was intolerable. Historically, this explains why Paul’s ministry so often provoked riots. His conversion was not merely personal; it was politically charged. And again, we must note the pattern, that as Paul had himself been enraged by a similar message from Stephen that offended the nationalistic tendencies of the young Saul, so too his own story of his conversion enraged a younger generation of those who were like how Paul had previously been.
III. The Third Account: Acts 26:9–23
The Text (NKJV)
“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come — that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Theological Reflection
In this third account, Paul highlights his violent past more fully: imprisonments, votes for execution, attempts to compel blasphemy. His sin is painted in darkest colors. Yet the grace is brighter.
Jesus appears not only to stop Saul but to commission him directly: “to make you a minister and a witness.” The imagery of opening eyes, turning from darkness to light, from Satan to God, emphasizes spiritual liberation. Paul’s own blindness and healing foreshadow his mission to others.
The resurrection is central: Paul insists he proclaims nothing but what Moses and the prophets foretold, that Christ would suffer, rise, and bring light. His testimony before a king shows the fulfillment of Jesus’ word that he would bear witness before rulers.
Historical Reflection
Before Agrippa, Paul uses Greco-Roman rhetorical style. He calls his hearer “O king” and frames his story as personal testimony but also public defense. Festus, the Roman governor, hears as well. This is Christianity making its case before empire.
Agrippa, a Herodian with Jewish roots, would understand both Scripture and politics. Paul appeals to prophecy to argue that his gospel is not innovation but fulfillment.
Historically, Paul’s trial scenes in Acts show the gospel moving from Jewish synagogues to Roman courts. The persecutor becomes the defendant, yet he uses the courtroom to preach. His conversion was not only personal transformation but the pivot by which the message of Jesus stood before kings.
IV. Paul’s Own Recollections
So far we have looked at the accounts of Paul’s conversion that are told in the book of Acts by Luke. Let us now turn our attention to what Paul had to say about his conversion in his own letters. Here will we will briefly comment on what Paul says and note how it fills out and gives context to what we have already read.
Galatians 1:11–24 (NKJV)
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me.
Reflection: Paul insists his gospel is from revelation, not human teaching. His zeal in Judaism, his persecution, his transformation — all emphasize grace. Historically, his journey to Arabia and Damascus shows the early independence of his mission and how it was that he owed his faith not to men, but to God the Father and Jesus Christ themselves, who personally intervened in his life.
1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (NKJV)
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once… Last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am…
Reflection: Paul places himself last, the least, the unworthy. And yet Paul was called for God’s purposes and by His grace, serving as an example that has inspired many believers over the ages and will continue to do so as long as people are called to depart from their wicked ways to follow God’s way.
Philippians 3:4–11 (NKJV)
…If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day… concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ…
Reflection: Paul reinterprets his past as loss compared to knowing Christ. His conversion is not just turning from sin but revaluing his former righteousness as worthless without Jesus. He also points to the fact that he would not have known that he was living a way of life hostile to God’s ways until Jesus Christ literally struck him down and blinded him and then told him what he needed to do to be made right with Him, a drastic conversion that, as we have seen, Paul was never fully able to forget or to cease reminding others of.
1 Timothy 1:12–17 (NKJV)
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me… although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy… Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
Reflection: Paul’s conversion becomes a pattern. The “chief of sinners” was saved to encourage all others that no one is beyond mercy. Most of us would probably consider our own sins to be far less than those that Paul was guilty of, and so Paul’s discussion of how he was saved from his sins, up to and including participating in the murder of God’s people, serves as a powerful reminder of God’s graciousness and mercy.
V. Lessons for Today
From the previous discussion we have seen both in the book of Acts as well as Paul’s epistles, we can draw lessons as to how we should approach how God has worked with us, including the struggles and difficulties that we have faced throughout our lives. Far from disqualifying us from following God, our struggles show the authentic and genuine reality of a struggle to overcome the darkness that is not only in the world outside, but inside of every single one of us. I would like to point out five lessons in particular.
- Our worst moments are part of our story. God does not erase them but redeems them.
- Conversion is God’s initiative. Christ interrupts us when we are far from Him.
- Our testimony must be retold. Paul repeated his story often; so should we.
- Discipleship means suffering. Like Paul, we follow a crucified Lord.
- Our past equips us for ministry. What once was shame becomes the very tool by which God uses us to help others.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Paul’s story reminds us that grace shines brightest against the backdrop of sin. Through his story we see the persecutor became the apostle. We see the violent enemy of God’s people became the suffering witness. And from that story we see a pattern of how our worst moments can help to bring others to glory by pointing to what God has done through us, and what He can do through others if they will but turn away from their wicked ways and follow the way of God that He has invited us to walk in.
Edge Induced Cohesion 