A Study of Acts: Paul Describes His Experience on the Road to Damascus

Acts 26:12-18 - Open your eyes, turn towards the light, leave behind the things of the enemy, find forgiveness for sin and claim your inheritance because of your faith!

Paul on the Road to Damascus - Caravaggio 1600-1601

““While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭26‬:‭12‬-‭18‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Paul now tells the story of his journey to Damascus, where he was heading to persecute Christians there with the authority and commission of the chief priests. This is the third telling of this story from Acts, the other two being the original event in Acts 9 and Paul’s description of his transformation in Acts 22.

At midday while on the way to Damascus, he saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun! This light shone around him and those who were accompanying him. Everyone, according to Paul in this particular testimony, had fallen to the ground! I try to imagine what a light would be like that is brighter than the sun at midday. I guess Caravaggio forgot to read this passage when he painted the masterpiece at the top, because the other character is not in the light and not on the ground; also there is scant evidence that Paul was riding a horse.

Paul hears a voice speaking to him in Hebrew dialect. The voice asks why he was persecuting Him. Why was Saul kicking against the goads? The goads are like a cattle prod that was used with oxen to make them move forward; sometimes livestock would kick at the goad, which resulted in the prod poking them even more. In some commentaries, goad is a metaphor used to describe conscience. Paul asks who is speaking to him (he calls Him Lord, probably already fearful deep down inside of who this Being was). The voice replies that He is Jesus, whom Paul is persecuting. Jack Arnold has some interesting commentary as quoted in Precept Austin:

Christ invaded Paul's life when he was not seeking Christ at all. The resurrected Christ supernaturally saved Paul, and this obviously explained to Agrippa why his behavior had changed so drastically and why he was so deeply committed to Jesus Christ. Paul could not get away from giving his testimony concerning his conversion to Christ. His testimony was given three times in the Book of Acts alone. He loved to tell about how Christ changed him from a religious, narrow-minded, bigoted Pharisee to a committed, warm-hearted and open Christian. Christ changed Paul's whole nature. The Bible says, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots” (Jer. 13:23)? The answer is “no,” but God has the power to change these things. God can also change the nature of sinful men by conversion so as to make them new creatures in Christ with new desires for God. Only a supernatural conversion can turn a person around spiritually and that is exactly what happened to Paul. (Sermon)

I love that Paul’s life was invaded by Christ when he was not seeking Him at all! I was debating sharing a version of this popular meme (the “change my mind” series) that I saw on Facebook a few days ago. I decided to share it with all humility (I think it is a great meme) as a way to visualize what happened to Paul:

Paul does an “about face”! He has changed his mind in the most profound way! Jesus, in Paul’s vision, tells Paul to stand up on his feet. His purpose and life is now defined by the Lord. He is appointed to be a minister and witness to the things he has seen and things that will appear. He will be rescued from the Jewish people and the Gentiles. What in the world does this mean, that he is rescued from those who are the targets of his ministry? This is a decent explanation, from Bob Gass as quoted in Precept Austin (Bob Gass is a pastor and devotional writer):

You’re not called to be a judge, and you’re not called to be a lawyer; you’re called to be a witness to God’s saving and keeping power in your life. Only talk about the God you’ve experienced! Tell people what He’s done for you. Their God may be a distant deity who doesn’t get involved. Or He may be angry with them because He’s an auditor, and their books don’t balance. When nine out of ten people don’t go to church, there’s got to be a reason. We’ve been called to be “salt and light,” but if the light is not shining and the salt is not doing its job, how will they ever be reached and won? (See Matthew 5:13–14.)

Please notice what God said to Paul, for it’s a key for you. He promised to “deliver him from the people” (Acts 26:17). Some of us need to be delivered from the people! Love them; lead them; lay down your life for them—but don’t be afraid of them. If you’re anointed, then your authority comes from God, not them. When you’ve heard clearly from Him, you can face anybody! When God fills you with His Spirit, you’ll receive a new boldness. Look at Peter; a few days ago [before the crucifixion] he was denying Jesus and running from a mere girl; now he’s preaching to multitudes and winning them to Christ. What happened? He was empowered by the Holy Spirit!

Jesus tells Paul that He is sending him out to bring these things to all people - the Gospel in a nutshell:

1. Open their eyes

2. Turn from darkness to light

3. Turn from the dominion of Satan (this world) to God

4. Receive forgiveness of sins

5. Receive an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Him.

Now I’m going to include some key bullets for the first two precepts listed above from a much longer outline by the late Pastor Chuck Smith that was found in Precept Austin; reading the original is highly recommended:

TO OPEN THEIR EYES:

• The correct assumption is that men's eyes are closed. The Bible speaks of a spiritual blindness.

  • One of Satan's strategies is to blind a person to the reality of their own condition.

  • People are blind to the fact that one day they will stand before God and have to give an account for their sins.

  • They are blind to the fact that unless a person is born again they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Jn 3:3-5)

  • The way to heaven is not as easy as they think or they try to make it.

  • A person living in sin is to be greatly pitied for he is walking in darkness, and does not realize that he is on the road to hell.

• If your eyes have been opened to the truth of God, then they have been opened to the truth about yourself.

• The first work of the Spirit of God in our lives is to open our eyes to the truth.

TO TURN THEM FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT:

• The kingdom of God is a kingdom of light and life.

• The world today is wrapped up in the kingdom of darkness.

• Paul was commanded by Jesus to bring men into the light.

• There is always that sharp contrast, and you are either walking in darkness or in light.

Our eyes must be opened and we must turn towards the light, which is life. Then we can leave behind the things of the enemy in this world, find forgiveness for our sins and claim the inheritance of our faith!

My next devotional examines Acts 26:19-23 - Paul describes his obedience to the heavenly vision.

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Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:

Dear Lord - Help me to use this template that You provided to Paul for my testimony that I give to others, so that they can open their eyes, turn towards the light, put the things of the enemy behind, receive forgiveness for their sins and claim their inheritance of faith. Now praying the words of “I Saw the Light” by Hank Williams (sadly, he could not turn away from the lures that the enemy creates because he suffered from chronic pain):

I wandered so aimless, life filed with sin
I wouldn't let my dear Savior in
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

Just like a blind man, I wandered along
Worries and fears I claimed for my own
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

I was a fool to wander and stray
For straight is the gate and narrow's the way
Now I have traded the wrong for the right
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Precept Austin was accessed on 2/5/2025 to review commentary for Acts 26:12-18.

“I Saw The Light”, Written by Hank Williams, 1948. Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.