Episode 272: The road to Damascus

Acts 8-9

Saul persecutes the church

8 ¹Saul approved of Stephen's stoning. At that time, there was great persecution of the church, so everyone in the church left Jerusalem except for the apostles.

^2-3 Stephen was buried, while Saul arrested church members and threw them in prison.

Samaritans and Simony

^5-6 Philip went to Samaria and performed many miracles. And the people believed him because of them.

⁷ Unclean spirits screamed as they came out of possessed people, and many who were sick or lame were healed.

⁹ But a man named Simon was in Samaria, who bewitched the people with sorcery.

¹⁰ Everyone said he had great power from God.

¹² But they also believed what Philip said about Jesus, and all the men and women were baptized.

¹³ Simon also believed and was baptized.

^14-17 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard what was happening in Samaria, they sent Peter and John, who laid their hands on the believers in Samaria, and they received the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Holy Ghost was given in this way, he offered to give them money, saying,

¹⁹ Give me this power so I can give the Holy Ghost to people by laying my hands on them.

²⁰ Peter said to him,

Let your money die with you, because you tried to buy God's gift with money.

²⁴ Simon said to Peter, "Pray for me so nothing bad happens to me."

Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch

²⁶ God's angel said to Philip, “Get up and go to Gaza in the south.”

^27-28 So Philip got up and went. On his way, he met an Ethiopian eunuch, who was reading Isaiah the prophet.

²⁹ The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to his chariot.”

³⁰ So Philip went over and said to the eunuch, “Do you understand what you're reading?”

³¹ The eunuch said, "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?"

³⁵ Then Philip preached to him about Jesus.

³⁶ As they went along, they passed some water. The eunuch said, “Here's some water. Why not baptize me?”

³⁷ Philip said, "Okay. If you believe with all your heart."

The eunuch said, "I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

³⁸ So they stopped the chariot, and Philip baptized him.

³⁹ When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched away Philip, and the Eunuch didn't see him anymore.

⁴⁰ Philip was later found at Azotus.

The conversion of Saul

9 ² He went to the high priest and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus, so that he could arrest believers there and bring them to Jerusalem.

³ As Saul approached Damascus, a light shined down from heaven.

⁴ He fell down and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

⁵ Saul said, "Who are you, Lord?"

The voice said, "I'm Jesus. The one you're persecuting."

⁶ Saul said, "What would you like me to do?"

The voice said, "Get up and go to the city. You'll be told what to do."

⁷ The men with Saul didn't say anything. They heard the voice but didn't see anyone.

Saul in Damascus

⁸ When Saul got up, he couldn't see. The men led him by the hand into Damascus.

⁹ Saul was blind for three days.

¹⁰ A disciple in Damascus named Ananias heard a voice in a vision that said to him,

^11-12 Get up and go to Judas's house on Straight Street and ask for Saul of Tarsus, who will be praying. Put your hand on him so he can see again.

¹³ Ananias said,

Lord, I've heard about Saul. He's done bad things to the saints in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ He has the authority to arrest whoever calls on your name.

¹⁵ The voice said,

Go ahead and do it. Saul is my chosen vessel to bring my name to the Gentiles, kings, and people of Israel.

¹⁶ I'll show him what he'll suffer for my name's sake.

¹⁷ So Ananias went to the house, put his hand on Saul, and said,

Jesus sent me to help you see again and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸ And immediately Saul could see again. Then he stood up and was baptized.

¹⁹ Saul stayed in Damascus for a few days, preaching in the synagogues that Christ is the Son of God.

²³ Then the Jews decided to kill him.

²⁵ But the disciples helped him escape by lowering him down the wall in a basket.

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶ Saul came back to Jerusalem, but the disciples were afraid of him and didn't believe he was a disciple.

²⁷ But Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them that Saul had seen and talked to Jesus and was now a believer who preached Jesus's name in Damascus.

²⁹ Saul preached in the name of Jesus in Jerusalem and argued with the Greek-speaking Jews. But they tried to kill him.

³⁰ So they sent Saul to Caesarea, and then to Tarsus.

Peter heals Aeneas

³² Peter traveled to various places. Then he visited the saints in Lydda.

³³ There was a man in Lydda named Aeneas who had been paralyzed for eight years and couldn't walk.

³⁴ Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ has cured you. Get up and walk.” And he stood up and walked.

Peter raises Tabitha from the dead

³⁶ There was a female disciple in Joppa named Tabitha who was full of good works.

³⁷ She became sick and died.

³⁸ The disciples asked Peter to come to Joppa.

⁴⁰ When Peter arrived, he said, "Tabitha, stand up." And she opened her eyes and stood up.

⁴² When it became known in Joppa, many people believed in Jesus.