But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Notice how Jesus doesn't immediately reveal Saul's future mission; instead, he directs him to simply enter the city and wait for further instruction. This subtle delay highlights that even the most dramatic conversions require a period of humble waiting and receiving guidance through others, rather than instant clarity on every step.
But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Saul, on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus, is dramatically stopped by a blinding light and the voice of Jesus. Blind and disoriented, he surrenders his will, asking what Jesus wants him to do. Jesus then instructs him to enter the city, where he will be told his next steps, setting the stage for his transformation through Ananias.
Imagine the most radical shift you've ever experienced. For Saul, it happened in an instant on a dusty road. What does 'trembling and astonished' reveal about his inner turmoil?
Saul's encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus shatters his world. He's not just surprised; he's 'trembling and astonished.' This isn't just fear of a powerful vision; it's the profound shock of realizing he's been utterly wrong about Jesus.
A World Turned Upside Down
Saul asks, 'What wilt thou have me to do?' But before he asks what, something crucial happens. What does this order reveal about true discipleship?
Saul's famous question, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?' isn't just a request for instructions. It marks a profound shift in allegiance.
The Core of Conversion
Ask a follow-up
Jesus tells Saul to go into the city, but the specific instructions will come later, and not directly from heaven. Why involve a man named Ananias in such a dramatic conversion?
While Saul’s conversion is a direct, miraculous act of God, Jesus doesn't reveal all the next steps to him immediately. Instead, he directs Saul to seek further guidance from a human agent.
The Value of the Body of Christ
Understand the original words
anastēthi · Greek Verb
A common verb used in the context of resurrection, awakening from sleep, or standing up to fulfill a divine commission. It often signifies a shift from a passive state to active obedience.
polin · Greek Noun
In a biblical context, a city often represents a center of social, political, and spiritual activity. Damascus, in particular, is an ancient city known for its role in the geopolitical landscape of the Bible.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The central events of Christianity occur in Jerusalem, leading to the formation of the early church.
c. AD 33-36
Early Church Persecution
Saul of Tarsus, a zealous Pharisee, actively persecutes followers of Jesus, viewing them as heretics.
c. AD 36— this verse
Saul's Dramatic Conversion
On the road to Damascus to arrest more Christians, Saul encounters the resurrected Jesus in a blinding light.
c. AD 36
Saul's Blindness and Prayer
Blind and disoriented, Saul is led into Damascus and spends three days fasting and praying.
c. AD 36
Ananias Instructs Saul
A disciple named Ananias is sent by Jesus to lay hands on Saul, restoring his sight and baptizing him.
c. AD 36 onwards
Saul Begins Ministry
Saul, now renamed Paul, begins preaching Jesus in the synagogues, causing astonishment and opposition.
This passage mirrors Paul's own testimony about his conversion, emphasizing that God revealed His Son to him immediately and that Paul did not confer with flesh and blood but was empowered to immediately spread the gospel, aligning with the prompt for immediate action and divine instruction.
Acts 10:5-6Similar to Saul's encounter, Cornelius, a devout man, is also instructed by God to go and seek further guidance from a specific person (Peter) to understand God's will, highlighting the pattern of divine direction through human instruments.
Romans 12:1-2This passage speaks to the transformed believer's response to God's mercies, presenting their bodies as living sacrifices and not conforming to the world. Paul's question, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?', is the foundational prayer for this kind of surrendered, obedient living.
John 16:33Jesus tells His disciples that in Him they will have peace, despite troubles in the world. Paul's encounter on the road to Damascus, though filled with trembling and astonishment, ultimately led him to peace and purpose in Christ, as promised in this verse.
bensonActs 9:6: "And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."
Acts 9:6 . And, trembling and astonished — To find that he whom he had so often affronted and despised, yea, blasphemously and virulently opposed, even Jesus of Nazareth, was such a glorious and powerful person; and yet, that instead of destroying him immediately, as he might have easily done, he had condescen…
henryActs 9:1-9: "And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,"
9:1-9 So ill informed was Saul, that he thought he ought to do all he could against the name of Christ, and that he did God service thereby; he seemed to breathe in this as in his element. Let us not despair of renewing grace for the conversion of the greatest sinners, nor let such despair of the pardoning mercy of God for the greatest sin. It is a signal token of D…
Notice how Jesus doesn't immediately reveal Saul's future mission; instead, he directs him to simply enter the city and wait for further instruction. This subtle delay highlights that even the most dramatic conversions require a period of humble waiting and receiving guidance through others, rather than instant clarity on every step.
Saul, on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus, is dramatically stopped by a blinding light and the voice of Jesus. Blind and disoriented, he surrenders his will, asking what Jesus wants him to do. Jesus then instructs him to enter the city, where he will be told his next steps, setting the stage for his transformation through Ananias.
Saul, on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus, is dramatically stopped by a blinding light and the voice of Jesus. Blind and disoriented, he surrenders his will, asking what Jesus wants him to do. Jesus then instructs him to enter the city, where he will be told his next steps, setting the stage for his transformation through Ananias.
"But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”" — Notice how Jesus doesn't immediately reveal Saul's future mission; instead, he directs him to simply enter the city and wait for further instruction. This subtle delay highlights that even the mo…
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Last reviewed October 2026