Apost. 9, 1-22.
And Saul, while he yet spake evil against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and besought him to send letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that, if he found any that went that way, both men and women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he went on his way, and came nigh unto Damascus, suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Lord, who art thou? And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It shall be hard for thee to lick the sting. And he said with fear and trembling, Lord, what wilt thou that I should do? The
*) Held in the house, 1534.
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and they shall tell thee what thou shalt do. And the men which were his companions stood still, and were troubled: for they heard a voice, and saw no man. But Saul arose from the earth, and when he opened his eyes, he saw no one. And they took him by the hand, and led him to Damascus. He did not see or eat or drink for three days. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias, to whom the Lord said in a vision, Anania. And he said, Here am I, O Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called the right way, and enquire of the house of Judah for Saulo, whose name is Tarsen: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in unto him, and lay his hand upon him, that he may receive his sight. And Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard of many concerning this man, how much evil he hath done unto thy saints at Jerusalem; and he hath power here of the chief priests to bind all them that call upon thy name. And the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for this man is a chosen armor unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and before kings, and before the children of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias went and entered into the house, and laid his hands upon him, and said, Brother Saul, the Lord hath sent me (who appeared unto thee by the way thou camest), that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately the scales fell from his eyes, and he recovered his sight, and arose, and was baptized, and took meat, and strengthened himself. Saul was with the disciples at Damascus for several days. And immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he was the Son of God. But all who heard it were astonished, saying: Is not this he that hath cast out at Jerusalem all them that call upon this name, and therefore is it not customary for him to bring them bound unto the chief priests? Saul, however, became more and more powerful, and drove in the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Christian.
1. the story of the conversion of St. Paul should be kept in the church as a special miracle of grace of our dear Lord God and preached about it, both for the sake of the great comfort and useful teaching that is presented in such a miracle. The miraculous work is held up to us. For this reason, we will first look at the history and then report a little about what it is useful for us.
2 Lucas reports above in the beginning of the 8th chapter that Paul, who was still called Saul, was pleased with the death of Stephen. For he thought that if only all Christians were treated in this way, it would be well done. But now we see here what a sin it is to shed Christian blood. For the blood of St. Stephen presses Paul so hard that he cannot rest, and would have gladly exterminated and killed all Christians in one day if he could and God had not granted him. As can be seen in all tyrants: once they have tasted Christian blood, the devil does not let them celebrate, always hounds and drives them on to more murder, like a hunting dog that sees the game before it and has come to the jump. Since Paul was so angry, Lucas writes how it happened when he was converted, and says thus:
Saul was still snorting with threats and murders against the disciples of the Lord, and went to the high priest and asked him for letters to Damascus, to the schools (that is, to the churches), so that if he found some of them that way, men and women, he would lead them bound to Jerusalem.
This is the first part of the legend of St. Paul, which should be preached among Christians at least once a year, even if the day is not celebrated. Not that we should worship St. Paul and make a god out of him, as the papists do, but that we should hear and learn about God's miraculous work and improve ourselves from it. For here we see a miracle above all miracles, that Christ so graciously converts his greatest enemy. For as Lucas testifies here in clear words, he was a murderer and a bloodhound and betrayer of all Christians, who blasphemed Christ and defiled him to the highest degree. In sum, Paul is such a man, as can be seen from his deeds, who would have gladly destroyed Christ and all of Christendom in one day, if he could have done so. But what cause had he for this? No other, because he heard that the Christians preached that one could be saved by the gift of God.
If one wanted to be saved, it would have to be through Jesus crucified; apart from him, one could neither come to the forgiveness of sins nor to eternal life. When he heard that Moses was not to help, and that all the prophets had not had enough of Moses, he became mad and foolish.
4 Just like our papists: when they hear that their orders, prayers, fasts, and masses before God do not help, they want to burst with malice, because they cannot stand it at all. The same was true of the wretched Paulo, but he had no better cause than our papists. For he had God's law and word before him, so he thought about keeping the law, the sacrifices, the temple, and whatever else God had ordained, not to reject it, but to let it stand. Then (he thought) I will leave life and limb above; for how can it be wrong? Our papists do not have God's word. For this very reason we challenge their observance of masses, ordinances, prayers, and fasts, saying that they are unjust and cannot do anything in the sight of God, since God has not commanded them, but they have undertaken them out of their own choice and devotion, apart from God's command; and yet we see what they presume to do in order to maintain their idolatry.
If we now look at Paul's heart, what moves him to become so hostile to the Christians and the executioner of all Jews against the Christians, he has a far better cause than the papists, who persecute the gospel because of money, good, their status and dignity. Paul has no such opinion; his only concern is that the law and the worship in the temple, which God Himself had ordered and commanded, should not be diminished or reduced. Therefore, he does not think otherwise, because he is right in doing so, since, on the other hand, conscience convinces our papists that it is not wrong to take the sacrament under both forms, to become married, to use food and other things freely; for they can never deny either God's word, the institution of Christ, or the custom of the first church.
6 For this reason, St. Paul is a sacred
The Christians' followers against the papists, who let the black and recognizable devil lead them and ride them. For Paul seeks nothing in this, but to defend God's word and honor, and to dare and suffer what he can dare and suffer; as he himself says in 1 Tim. 1, 13: "Mercy has been shown to me, because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief. No pope of today can boast of such a thing, for God's word pushes them to their eyes and to their heads, so that they must confess that it is the truth. And yet they will not tolerate it nor suffer it. Therefore, it is to be feared that whoever persecutes Christians with knowledge, such persecution will be different from that of St. Paul, who did it completely ignorantly.
7th Now when Paul was so earnest about the matter, and thought to resist the new sect in other places besides Jerusalem, our Lord Jesus also had his thoughts, saying, Hold still, he shall do well: for what he doeth, that doeth he earnestly. The same earnestness which he now has in an evil thing, I will strengthen with my spirit, and use it for a good cause, and set it against the Jews, that he may preach of me among the Gentiles, and make the Jews, as they deserve, even foolish and foolish, as he himself hath been hitherto. How then Paul became a very excellent preacher, and especially among the Gentiles, of whom he boasts himself a teacher, and we have undoubtedly also enjoyed his teaching, has done much. This is a great miracle, because Christ kept all the other apostles and disciples with him for a long time, but he immediately sent Paul among the Gentiles and had him preach.
This is the great and comforting miracle that our Lord God converted the man who was so wicked and had persecuted Christ and his Christianity so earnestly. But such things happened, as you have heard, that he took letters and thought, "Now I will master them properly. He quickly set out for Damascus, where some of the Jews had accepted the Christian faith; they were his blood friends, and yet he intended to inflict all kinds of suffering on them.
Now when he came near Damasco, suddenly a light shone around him, and he fell to the earth.
The right hour has come when he suddenly sees such a glorious light in the field. For there is no heart so strong, even if it were pebble or diamond, that could hold and not break. Therefore Paul falls to the earth and is blinded in terror, because he undoubtedly did not think otherwise than: Now it is over, you must die. The painters do not paint this story correctly, because they paint how a thunderclap struck Paul to the earth. But as it is written here and in other places, it was not lightning nor thunder, but a sudden light in which he saw the Lord Jesus. As Ananias says soon after, and Paul tells King Agrippa himself in the 26th chapter. Now as he lies in great fear and terror, he hears a voice speaking to him:
Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
No doubt he will have been even more shocked and thought to himself: Does this mean persecution? Do I think I am doing God the highest and best service? And he said:
HErr, who are you? The Lord said: I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.
(11) This is what is said: Whatever you do to my Christians, you do to me. So take hold of his conscience with sin, and put on him all the blood that has been shed; so that it would not be a miracle if Paul had been dead in a moment. For if it strikes the heart and the eyes that one has persecuted God, there will be little consolation. Our papists will fare the same way. Either when they die, or on the last day, their conscience will accuse them and beat them to the ground, so that neither heart nor breath will be left.
12 Paul hears such words alone, but he does not see the light alone. For in chapter 26 he says that his companions also saw it and fell to the ground in terror. But Paul hears them alone
and yet see no one with whom he speaks, as it says here. But the Lord Christ continues to speak and says:
It will be difficult for you to lick against the sting.
(13) This is a sound warning, which all who think to follow this teaching should take to heart, but they do not have the grace to believe it. Therefore they are not converted, as Paul was, but continue in sins until they die and perish here temporally and there eternally. It is a wonderful thing, says Christ, that you are raging like this; what are you doing? Nothing else, but that you run into my spear. But is not this a ridiculous, and even a harmful war, that thou shouldest be very angry, and in wrath shouldest thou lick thy foot against a goad, and thus vent thy wrath with hurt?
(14) Therefore this is a very significant and comforting saying for the poor persecuted Christians, that whoever persecutes Christ is considered to be licking against a sharp thorn. For there the foot shall either be paralyzed, or otherwise not be very lucky. So it shall come to pass whoever rages against Christ. Many great rulers, and especially the pope and his godless crowd, think they want to tear Christ down from heaven, that is, to dampen his teaching and word. So they confidently attack it, persecute and strangle the poor Christians, ban and burn our books, and do all kinds of things that can be detrimental to the Word. But we shall soon see how they will fare; for the spear is not made to be used, but to stab and resist. So the blind people want to jump up with their feet against it. Paul has had enough of this warning and soon surrenders, speaking with trembling and fear:
Lord, what do you want me to do?
(15) From whence came the trembling and fearing, it must not be asked; for he should have despaired and died of sorrow, if the Lord Christ had not comforted him and lifted him up; for the Lord said unto him:
Get up and go to the city, and they will tell you what to do.
16 Here it should be especially noted that although God speaks to Paul from heaven, he does not want to abolish the preaching ministry, nor does he want anyone to do anything special; rather, he wants him to go to the city to the preaching chair or pastor. There he shall hear and learn what is to be learned. For our Lord God does not want anyone to do anything special, but gives his baptism and gospel to the whole world, to one and to another. There we may learn how to be saved, and not wait to see if God will make something new for us or send an angel from heaven. For he wants us to go and hear the gospel from those who preach it; there it will be found, and nowhere else.
(17) The spirits of the mob leave the preaching, sit down in a corner and wait there for the Holy Spirit. But they arrive and find a black raven, the devil himself, instead of the blessed dove. For why do they want to force our Lord God to let them see something special? Paul himself, who hears the bodily voice and word of the Lord Christ and is to become the highest preacher, must go into the city and hear Ananiam. There, saith Christ, go; I will not make any special thing for him, nor teach and baptize him further in the field; but direct him to Anania into the city, where is his word and baptism. And Paul gladly follows, though he does not yet know where he is to go or who is to tell him.
18 Then our Lord God sends Ananiam, as history reports, who preaches to him, baptizes him and lays his hands on him. That alfo Paul comes to the knowledge of Christ and the Word through Ananiam. He must receive his light from the same little sulfur wood, which was not a finger against Paul and not a candle against the sun.
19 This is to be noted especially here in this history, that one should learn to hold the preaching ministry in high esteem. For here it is written loud and clear that Paul, the great doctor, through the
The little doctor, Ananiam, comes to his senses, and as soon as he appears, he becomes another man, who makes many thousand times more Christians than he had shed blood before, so that the disciples themselves cannot be sufficiently astonished that the man should now preach like this. But the Jews are enraged at this, and become mad and foolish. For no one else has caused them so much pain and made such a great rift with the doctrine as Paul.
(20) This is the story, a very beautiful legend; therefore it should be diligently learned and remembered, for the sake of this great miracle, that the great persecutor of Christ and His church is thus converted, and a wolf becomes a gentle, harmless little lamb. This should first of all serve us for consolation, and then also for teaching and instruction.
21 The consolation is indicated by St. Paul himself, 1 Tim. 1, 12-17, with very beautiful words, which every Christian should know by heart. "I", he says, "give thanks to our Lord Christ JEsu, who has made me strong and faithful, and has placed me in office, who before was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and a reviler. But mercy was shown me, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. But the grace of our Lord was the more abundant, through faith and the love that is in Christ Jesus. For this is certainly true, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. But for this reason mercy was shown to me, so that in me first of all Jesus Christ showed all patience, as an example to those who should believe in him for eternal life. But to God, the eternal King, the incorruptible and invisible and only wise, be glory and honor forever and ever, Amen."
22 Here thou shalt hear what thou shalt comfort thyself with this example, namely, that thou shalt learn that God is gracious, and will gladly forgive our sin, and make us blessed for Christ's sake. For if he would not bear with sinners and forgive sin, where would Paul have remained? or what would he have deserved? who would not have been able to cope with small, minor sins (I have to say it like this).
(call them mortal sins) of the other table, but with the highest and greatest of the first table?
(23) But Paul himself testified that grace had befallen him, so that God might see an example in him, so that the poor sinners would not despair, but would also believe in Christ and learn to take comfort in his goodness. For with our works it is lost; we ourselves will never be able to help. But this is the only help, that we hold on to Christ and through him believe in the forgiveness of sins. This comfort should now shine before all those who are burdened with sins and have an evil conscience.
(24) Besides such consolation, there is also a good lesson here on how sinners should conduct themselves if they want to come to grace. For it is a fine example of right Christian repentance. This is the first thing, not to continue in sins, but to cease from them, and to be heartily sorry for them. As can be seen in Paul, as soon as he is struck with the light, he begins to tremble and shake, and wishes he had never gone out against the Christians. This is called a true repentance, because the heart becomes different, and a displeasure follows against sin and wrongdoing, since one had a liking for it before. Therefore, whoever comes to God's grace and desires to be freed from sins, let him start here, recognize his sin, do not deny it, do not gloss over it or excuse it, but have a right, heartfelt displeasure about it: this is what God wants. Or if one wants to continue in sins without repentance, one must await the punishment and His wrath.
(25) But through such repentance and sorrow one is not yet delivered from sin, but
It is necessary to believe the gospel and to be comforted by what is promised to us in the gospel and in baptism. For the forgiveness of sins is based on Christ alone. Thus St. Paul himself says, Apost. 26, that he did not disbelieve the heavenly manifestation, and that he preached afterwards among Jews and Gentiles that they should repent, turn to God, and do righteous works of repentance. "Repentance" means to leave evil behind, to repent and grieve over it; "turn to God" means to believe in Christ, that he is our mediator and that through him we have eternal life.
26 To this should be added another part, that one should do right fruits, or works of repentance, so that every man may be diligent in obedience to God and remain in his profession. This is also seen in St. Paul, that he wants to do it with all his heart, and therefore asks and says: "Lord, what do you want me to do?
(27) In this way we should also learn to be right, confessing our sin and forsaking it, believing in Christ and taking comfort in His suffering, and finally giving ourselves to right obedience to God, so that we do not again fall away from the great grace through disobedience and fall into the wrath of God through unrepentant living. This means to follow the example of Paul, which is prescribed for our consolation and instruction. Let us therefore thank God that He has given us such an excellent master, and pray that He will preserve us in His teachings, and also accept us and make us blessed by grace. May our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, grant us this, Amen.