blinded by the light

Acts 22:9-11

"9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of Him that spake to me.

10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus."

Saul was blinded by the light!

A brilliant light from heaven, brighter than the sun, knocked him to the ground. Jesus’ voice called him by name, making the divine confrontation intensely personal and urgent.

The man Saul had dismissed as a dead blasphemer was alive and glorified. In persecuting Jesus’ followers, Saul had actually been persecuting Jesus Himself.

Paul’s companions saw the bright light but “did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.” Some translations render it “did not understand” the voice. The Greek verb akouō can mean either “hear” or “hear with understanding.” They likely heard a sound but could not grasp the message, which was meant solely for Paul. This highlights the personal nature of God’s call on his life.

Jesus told him, “Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.” Though we lack details of everything that happened in Damascus, we know the encounter was utterly transformative.

The overwhelming glory of the light left Paul blind, so his companions led him by the hand into the city. This physical blindness beautifully symbolizes his spiritual conversion, from Saul the persecutor to Paul the follower of Christ.