ran him outside of the city, and began to stone him to death. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Now Saul heartily approved of putting Stephen to death. That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except for the apostles was scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.

But Saul kept trying to destroy the church. Going into one house after another, he began dragging off men and women and throwing them in prison.

Meanwhile, still spewing death threats against the Lord's disciples, Saul went to the high priest.

As Saul traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.

He dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"

Meanwhile, the men who were traveling with Saul were standing speechless, for they heard the voice but didn't see anyone.

When Saul got up off the ground, he couldn't see anything, even though his eyes were open. So his companions took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.

The Lord told him, "Get up, go to the street called Straight, and in the home of Judas look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. At this very moment he's praying.

So Ananias left and went to that house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were traveling, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

All at once something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again.

But Saul grew more and more persuasive, and continued to confound the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this man was the Messiah.

After several days had gone by, the Jewish leaders plotted to murder Saul,

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they all were afraid of him because they wouldn't believe he was a disciple.

Barnabas, however, introduced Saul to the apostles, telling them how on the road Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how courageously he had spoken in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

Then Barnabas left for Tarsus to look for Saul.

by sending it through Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, bringing with them John who was also called Mark.

Now Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who grew up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me to do the work for which I called them."

He was associated with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. He sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked him straight in the eye

"After that, he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. When they demanded a king, God gave them Kish's son Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years.

Then God removed Saul and made David their king, about whom he testified, "I have found that David, the son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my wishes.'

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?'

came to me. He stood beside me and said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight!' At that moment I could see him.

"All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in the Hebrew language, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods.'