Acts 26:12-23 - Paul's Account Of His Conversion And Commission

¹² "While on a journey to Damascus for this purpose, I was acting under the authority and directive of the leading priests. ¹³ [Then] along the road, about noon, O King, I saw a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. ¹⁴ When we all fell to the ground I heard a voice speaking in the Hebrew [i.e., Aramaic] language. [It said], 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are only hurting yourself by kicking against the spurs [i.e., opposing the work of God].'

¹⁵ I answered, 'Who are you, sir?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But, get up onto your feet, for the reason I have appeared to you is to appoint you a minister and witness of both the things you have [already] seen of me and the things I will [reveal when] appearing to you. ¹⁷ I will rescue you from the [Jewish] people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them, ¹⁸ to open their eyes [to the truth] so they will turn from darkness to light and from the power [i.e., the influence] of Satan to God. [Then] they can receive the forgiveness of sins and the inheritance [of never ending life], along with [all] those who are set apart [for God] by trusting in Me.'

¹⁹ "As a result of this, O King, I did not disobey [the mandate of] this vision from heaven ²⁰ but, [instead] declared to the people of Damascus first, [then] to the people of Jerusalem, and [finally to those] throughout all of the district of Judea, as well as to the Gentiles [everywhere] that they should repent [i.e., change their hearts and lives] and turn to God, doing deeds which demonstrate their repentance. ²¹ For this reason the Jews grabbed me in the Temple and attempted to kill me. ²² But I obtained help from God and so [I am able to] stand here to this day, testifying to both the common people and to those in prominence. [I am] saying only what the prophets and Moses said would happen, ²³ namely, that the Christ must suffer and be the first to rise from the dead [i.e., never to die again] and then proclaim the light [of the Gospel] to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles."