Saint Paul’s Heavenly Vision

Paul, originally Saul of Tarsus (a city in Asia Minor, now modern-day Turkey), is responsible for half of the books in the New Testament (NT) of the Bible. A titanic figure in his day, trained to be a Jewish religious leader by one of the most respected rabbis, a contemporary of Jesus Christ, he became early Christianity’s most aggressive persecutor: “But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” (Acts 8:3, ESV)

Yet in the middle of his efforts to stamp out Christianity, on the road to Damascus, he was dramatically and forever changed by a vision of Jesus Christ.

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (Acts 9:1-9, ESV)

This tectonic event led to the spread of Christianity worldwide, particularly in Europe. Paul would undertake three missionary journeys, possibly four, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, planting churches in key cities, and writing letters to the churches that became crucial to the New Testament’s message. This was documented by Luke, Paul’s physician, in the New Testament’s Acts of the Apostles.

Paul describes his early life and conversion in two places: Acts 22 and 26. On the first occasion, his audience was an angry mob that wanted to kill him. The second was before King Agrippa in Caesarea. Paul had become the most consequential person in the world. One whom kings, and eventually Caesar, were compelled to hear.

In Paul’s vision on the Damascus road, Jesus Christ told Paul the following:

But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your 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 power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:16-18, ESV)

This divine purpose continues to affect the world to this day and began to arise in Paul’s missionary journeys.