Acts: Acts Chapter 9
Acts Chapter 9
of this way
that were of The Way, that is, Christ. (Joh 14:6).
me?
The Lord identifies Himself with His people.
voice
Compare (Act 22:9); (Act 26:14).
A contradiction has been imagined. The three statements should be taken together. The men heard the "voice" as a sound (Greek, "phōnē"), but did not hear the "voice" as articulating the words, "Saul, Saul," etc).
that he is the Son of God
Compare (Act 2:36). Peter, while maintaining the deity of Jesus -- "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" -- gives especial prominence to His Messiahship. Paul, fresh from the vision of the glory, puts the emphasis on His Deity. Peter's charge was that the Jews had crucified the Son of David (Act 2:25-30) Paul's that they had crucified the Lord of glory (Co1 2:8). In the A.V. the sense is largely lost. The point was, not that the Christ was God, a truth plainly taught by Isaiah. (Isa 7:14); (Isa 9:6); (Isa 9:7) but that Jesus, the crucified Nazarene, was the Christ and therefore God the Son.
But Saul
It seems probable that (Act 9:22-25) refer to Paul's labours in Damascus after his return from Arabia (Gal 1:17).
The "many days" of verse (Act 9:23) may represent the "three years" of (Gal 1:18); which intervened between Paul's return to Damascus and his visit to Peter.
gone to Jerusalem
The Acts records four visits of Paul to Jerusalem after conversion:
(1) (Act 9:23-30). This seems identical with the visit of (Gal 1:18); (Gal 1:19). The "apostles" of verse (Act 9:27) were Peter, and James, the Lord's brother.
(2) (Act 11:30). Paul may have been in Jerusalem during the events of (Act 12:1-24); (Act 12:25).
(3) (Act 15:1-30); (Gal 2:2-10).
(4) (Act 21:17-23); (Act 21:35).
Grecians
Hellenists, that is, Grecian Jews.
Dorcas
That is, gazelle.
widows
Contra, (Act 6:1).