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1 Ὁ δὲ Σαῦλος ἔτι ἐμπνέων ἀπειλῆς καὶ φόνου εἰς τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦ κυρίου, προσελθὼν τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ
2 ᾐτήσατο παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἐπιστολὰς εἰς Δαμασκὸν πρὸς τὰς συναγωγάς, ὅπως ἐάν τινας εὕρῃ τῆς ὁδοῦ ὄντας, ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας, δεδεμένους ἀγάγῃ εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ.
3 ἐν δὲ τῷ πορεύεσθαι ἐγένετο αὐτὸν ἐγγίζειν τῇ Δαμασκῷ, ⸂ἐξαίφνης τε αὐτὸν περιήστραψεν⸃ φῶς ⸀ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ,
4 καὶ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἤκουσεν φωνὴν λέγουσαν αὐτῷ Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;
We are not sure whether he fell off a horse or that he was walking and fell to the ground.

5 εἶπεν δέ· Τίς εἶ, κύριε; ὁ ⸀δέ· Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὃν σὺ διώκεις·
The voice must have carried authority because he called Him Lord. The picture here is of an animal that is steered by being prodded with goads. The Lord was pushing him in a direction he did not want to go and he was acting like a wild stallion.

6 ἀλλὰ ἀνάστηθι καὶ εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ λαληθήσεταί σοι ⸂ὅ τί⸃ σε δεῖ ποιεῖν.
Paul did not expect to hear from Jesus. But he was filled with fear and shaking. He probably expected the Lord to wipe him out because of what he had been doing.

7 οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες οἱ συνοδεύοντες αὐτῷ εἱστήκεισαν ἐνεοί, ἀκούοντες μὲν τῆς φωνῆς μηδένα δὲ θεωροῦντες.
Others could hear the voice, but they probably did not see the light either. Paul, however, may have seen the Lord in bright shining glory.

8 ἠγέρθη δὲ ⸀Σαῦλος ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἀνεῳγμένων ⸀δὲ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ ⸀οὐδὲν ἔβλεπεν· χειραγωγοῦντες δὲ αὐτὸν εἰσήγαγον εἰς Δαμασκόν.
9 καὶ ἦν ἡμέρας τρεῖς μὴ βλέπων, καὶ οὐκ ἔφαγεν οὐδὲ ἔπιεν.
He was in such an emotional state that he did not even eat or drink water. Three days is about the maximum you can go without water.

10 Ἦν δέ τις μαθητὴς ἐν Δαμασκῷ ὀνόματι Ἁνανίας, καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ⸂ἐν ὁράματι ὁ κύριος⸃· Ἁνανία. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ἰδοὺ ἐγώ, κύριε.
Notice that God did not use a prophet here, just an ordinary believer. Any believer can have visions and hear from God.
- VISIONS

11 ὁ δὲ κύριος πρὸς αὐτόν· ⸀Ἀναστὰς πορεύθητι ἐπὶ τὴν ῥύμην τὴν καλουμένην Εὐθεῖαν καὶ ζήτησον ἐν οἰκίᾳ Ἰούδα Σαῦλον ὀνόματι Ταρσέα, ἰδοὺ γὰρ προσεύχεται,
12 καὶ εἶδεν ⸂ἄνδρα ἐν ὁράματι Ἁνανίαν ὀνόματι⸃ εἰσελθόντα καὶ ἐπιθέντα αὐτῷ ⸀χεῖρας ὅπως ἀναβλέψῃ.
God can also give visions to unbelievers.

13 ἀπεκρίθη δὲ Ἁνανίας· Κύριε, ⸀ἤκουσα ἀπὸ πολλῶν περὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου, ὅσα κακὰ ⸂τοῖς ἁγίοις σου ἐποίησεν⸃ ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ·
14 καὶ ὧδε ἔχει ἐξουσίαν παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων δῆσαι πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους τὸ ὄνομά σου.
15 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος· Πορεύου, ὅτι σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς ⸂ἐστίν μοι⸃ οὗτος τοῦ βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐνώπιον ⸀ἐθνῶν ⸀τε καὶ βασιλέων υἱῶν τε Ἰσραήλ,
Notice that God made the choice here, not Paul. Every believer was likely praying for Saul to stop the persecution, and the Lord answered by calling Paul to higher service. Note that God said he would preach to both Gentiles and Jews.

16 ἐγὼ γὰρ ὑποδείξω αὐτῷ ὅσα δεῖ αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματός μου παθεῖν.
Paul's sufferings were all in God's plan for him to become one of the main apostles. A call to higher office will always carry a price tag that involves suffering.

17 ἀπῆλθεν δὲ Ἁνανίας καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, καὶ ἐπιθεὶς ἐπ’ αὐτὸν τὰς χεῖρας εἶπεν· Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ, ὁ κύριος ἀπέσταλκέν με, ⸀Ἰησοῦς ὁ ὀφθείς σοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ ἤρχου, ὅπως ἀναβλέψῃς καὶ πλησθῇς πνεύματος ἁγίου.
Ananias calls him a brother. He did not even present the Gospel to him but came to pray for him to receive the Holy Spirit. Note here it only took an ordinary believer to pray for someone to receive the Holy Spirit. It was different when Peter and John as apostles went to pray for the people that Philip had brought to the Lord.
- FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

18 καὶ εὐθέως ἀπέπεσαν ⸂αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν⸃ ⸀ὡς λεπίδες, ἀνέβλεψέν τε καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐβαπτίσθη,
When Luke wrote this, obviously, Paul had shared his experience, which included this event. Notice that baptism was always done immediately after a person became a believer.
- WATER BAPTISM

19 καὶ λαβὼν τροφὴν ⸀ἐνίσχυσεν. Ἐγένετο ⸀δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἐν Δαμασκῷ μαθητῶν ἡμέρας τινὰς,
20 καὶ εὐθέως ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς ἐκήρυσσεν τὸν ⸀Ἰησοῦν ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.
He was already well-trained in theology and able to preach. He had learned under Gamaliel.

21 ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες οἱ ἀκούοντες καὶ ἔλεγον· Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πορθήσας ⸀ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο, καὶ ὧδε εἰς τοῦτο ἐληλύθει ἵνα δεδεμένους αὐτοὺς ἀγάγῃ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς;
22 Σαῦλος δὲ μᾶλλον ἐνεδυναμοῦτο καὶ ⸀συνέχυννεν ⸀τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν Δαμασκῷ, συμβιβάζων ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ χριστός.
He rose up very quickly and became a threat to the Jews because of his knowledge of Jewish teaching.

23 Ὡς δὲ ἐπληροῦντο ἡμέραι ἱκαναί, συνεβουλεύσαντο οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν·
24 ἐγνώσθη δὲ τῷ Σαύλῳ ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ αὐτῶν. ⸂παρετηροῦντο δὲ καὶ⸃ τὰς πύλας ἡμέρας τε καὶ νυκτὸς ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀνέλωσιν·
25 λαβόντες δὲ ⸂οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ⸃ νυκτὸς ⸂διὰ τοῦ τείχους καθῆκαν αὐτὸν⸃ χαλάσαντες ἐν σπυρίδι.
26 Παραγενόμενος δὲ ⸀εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ⸀ἐπείραζεν κολλᾶσθαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς· καὶ πάντες ἐφοβοῦντο αὐτόν, μὴ πιστεύοντες ὅτι ἐστὶν μαθητής.
You couldn't blame them after what he had been doing.

27 Βαρναβᾶς δὲ ἐπιλαβόμενος αὐτὸν ἤγαγεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ διηγήσατο αὐτοῖς πῶς ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ εἶδεν τὸν κύριον καὶ ὅτι ἐλάλησεν αὐτῷ καὶ πῶς ἐν Δαμασκῷ ἐπαρρησιάσατο ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι ⸀τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
Barnabus was Paul's mentor in the Christian way. He was known as the son of consolation and had a ministry of taking young believers and building them up. Later when Paul did not want John Mark, it was Barnabus who took him in and made him into a leader who wrote the Gospel of Mark.

28 καὶ ἦν μετ’ αὐτῶν εἰσπορευόμενος ⸂καὶ ἐκπορευόμενος⸃ εἰς ⸀Ἰερουσαλήμ, παρρησιαζόμενος ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ ⸀κυρίου,
29 ἐλάλει τε καὶ συνεζήτει πρὸς τοὺς Ἑλληνιστάς· οἱ δὲ ἐπεχείρουν ⸂ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν⸃.
Paul was clearly very analytical and argumentative.

30 ἐπιγνόντες δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ κατήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς Καισάρειαν καὶ ἐξαπέστειλαν αὐτὸν εἰς Ταρσόν.
They sent him back to his home town.

31 ⸂Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐκκλησία καθ’ ὅλης τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ Γαλιλαίας καὶ Σαμαρείας εἶχεν εἰρήνην οἰκοδομουμένη, καὶ πορευομένη τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ τῇ παρακλήσει τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐπληθύνετο⸃.
32 Ἐγένετο δὲ Πέτρον διερχόμενον διὰ πάντων κατελθεῖν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Λύδδα.
33 εὗρεν δὲ ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπόν τινα ⸂ὀνόματι Αἰνέαν⸃ ἐξ ἐτῶν ὀκτὼ κατακείμενον ἐπὶ ⸀κραβάττου, ὃς ἦν παραλελυμένος.
Palsy was a form of paralysis. It still exists today in the form of cerebral palsy which affects the brain, and Bell's palsy which affects the side of the face.

34 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Πέτρος· Αἰνέα, ἰᾶταί σε Ἰησοῦς ⸀Χριστός· ἀνάστηθι καὶ στρῶσον σεαυτῷ· καὶ εὐθέως ἀνέστη.
Notice Peter did not lay hands on him, but simply spoke the words. Jesus also performed healings in two ways - by laying on of hands or by speaking a word of command. Usually the gift of healing functions through laying on of hands, whereas the gift of miracles is usually released using words.

35 καὶ εἶδαν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες Λύδδα καὶ τὸν ⸀Σαρῶνα, οἵτινες ἐπέστρεψαν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον.
This is the primary purpose of miracles - to make people aware that God's power is available to them. They then open their hearts to receive Jesus as their savior.

36 Ἐν Ἰόππῃ δέ τις ἦν μαθήτρια ὀνόματι Ταβιθά, ἣ διερμηνευομένη λέγεται Δορκάς· αὕτη ἦν πλήρης ⸂ἔργων ἀγαθῶν⸃ καὶ ἐλεημοσυνῶν ὧν ἐποίει.
37 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἀσθενήσασαν αὐτὴν ἀποθανεῖν· λούσαντες δὲ ⸂ἔθηκαν αὐτὴν⸃ ἐν ὑπερῴῳ.
It was common practice to wash a body when a person died before they are buried.

38 ἐγγὺς δὲ οὔσης Λύδδας τῇ Ἰόππῃ οἱ μαθηταὶ ἀκούσαντες ὅτι Πέτρος ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτῇ ἀπέστειλαν ⸂δύο ἄνδρας⸃ πρὸς αὐτὸν παρακαλοῦντες· Μὴ ⸀ὀκνήσῃς διελθεῖν ἕως ⸀ἡμῶν·
39 ἀναστὰς δὲ Πέτρος συνῆλθεν αὐτοῖς· ὃν παραγενόμενον ἀνήγαγον εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον, καὶ παρέστησαν αὐτῷ πᾶσαι αἱ χῆραι κλαίουσαι καὶ ἐπιδεικνύμεναι χιτῶνας καὶ ἱμάτια ὅσα ἐποίει μετ’ αὐτῶν οὖσα ἡ Δορκάς.
40 ἐκβαλὼν δὲ ἔξω πάντας ὁ Πέτρος ⸀καὶ θεὶς τὰ γόνατα προσηύξατο, καὶ ἐπιστρέψας πρὸς τὸ σῶμα εἶπεν· Ταβιθά, ἀνάστηθι. ἡ δὲ ἤνοιξεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῆς, καὶ ἰδοῦσα τὸν Πέτρον ἀνεκάθισεν.
This was a bit different from the way Jesus raised Lazarus, where He spoke to the Father, indicating He had already prayed. Peter had to pray, not to ask for God to raise her, but to get his spirit activated with the power of God. Once he had a rhema word from God, he then simply turned to the dead body and told her to get up.

41 δοὺς δὲ αὐτῇ χεῖρα ἀνέστησεν αὐτήν, φωνήσας δὲ τοὺς ἁγίους καὶ τὰς χήρας παρέστησεν αὐτὴν ζῶσαν.
Similar to how he healed the man at the temple - where he also took him by the hand.

42 γνωστὸν δὲ ἐγένετο καθ’ ὅλης ⸀τῆς Ἰόππης, καὶ ⸂ἐπίστευσαν πολλοὶ⸃ ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον.
43 ἐγένετο ⸀δὲ ἡμέρας ἱκανὰς ⸀μεῖναι ἐν Ἰόππῃ παρά τινι Σίμωνι βυρσεῖ.
He must have remained for some time because later, God told Cornelius to send for Peter, who was living with Simon, the Tanner. Peter was involved in an itinerant ministry. One wonders what happened to his wife and family while he was away. However, Paul gives us some insight into this when referring to Peter and his wife while writing to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 9:5 Do we not have the right to take along a sister, a wife, just like the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Peter? [GBMV]