Acts 9:6
But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Acts 9:6
But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's striking here is the Lord doesn't immediately reveal Saul's grand commission. Instead, Jesus directs him to simply enter the city and wait for further instructions from someone else. This shows God often works through ordinary people and His established church, not just dramatic, direct interventions.
This verse marks a pivotal moment immediately after Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus, interrupting his mission to persecute Christians. Overwhelmed and trembling, Saul asks what Jesus wants him to do, indicating a complete surrender. Jesus then instructs him to go into the city of Damascus, where he will receive further guidance, setting the stage for his encounter with Ananias and the beginning of his transformation.
Saul, the fierce persecutor, is stopped in his tracks by a divine encounter. What prompts his immediate, radical shift from hunter to follower?
The text shows us Saul's astonishing transformation in a single moment. Moments before, he was full of 'threatenings and slaughter' against Christians (Acts 9:1). But after Jesus' appearance, his entire posture changes. He trembles, he is astonished, and then he asks the most pivotal question: 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?'
A Complete Surrender
This isn't just a polite inquiry; it's the cry of a completely humbled soul.
Jesus tells Saul to go into the city and that he will be told what to do. Why didn't Jesus just lay out the whole plan right there?
Jesus' instruction to Saul, 'Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do,' reveals a crucial aspect of God's method: He often works through His people.
The Value of Community and Ministry
Even in a miraculous conversion experience, Saul isn't left to figure everything out alone. He's directed to wait for further instruction from a human agent.
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.
This verse marks the pivotal moment of Saul's dramatic conversion. His journey to persecute Christians in Damascus is interrupted by a direct encounter with the risen Jesus, immediately shifting his purpose from destruction to submission.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
The foundational events of Christianity: Jesus' death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection, which launched the early church.
c. AD 33-34
Stephen's Martyrdom
The stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, which intensified persecution against the church in Jerusalem.
c. AD 34-35
Saul's Persecution of the Church
Saul, a zealous Pharisee, actively persecutes Christians, raiding homes and imprisoning believers, believing he is serving God.
c. AD 34-35— this verse
The Road to Damascus Encounter
Saul experiences a blinding vision of the resurrected Jesus on his way to Damascus, radically altering his life and mission.
This passage highlights the question, 'What must I do to inherit eternal life?' which is a profound inquiry about God's will, much like Saul's transformed question on the road to Damascus.
John 16:23Jesus taught his disciples to ask the Father in his name for whatever they need, showing that direct petition to God for guidance is a key part of a believer's relationship.
Romans 12:1-2Paul urges believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices and not to be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of their minds, echoing Saul's complete surrender and new direction.
Acts 22:10In this parallel account, Jesus directly tells Saul, 'Rise and go into Damascus, and there it will be told to you all that is appointed for you to do,' reinforcing the specific instruction given in this verse.
Philippians 2:12This verse speaks of working out your salvation with fear and trembling, which captures the profound awe and humility Saul experienced as he submitted to God's will.
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…
What's striking here is the Lord doesn't immediately reveal Saul's grand commission. Instead, Jesus directs him to simply enter the city and wait for further instructions from someone else. This shows God often works through ordinary people and His established church, not just dramatic, direct interventions.
This verse marks a pivotal moment immediately after Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus, interrupting his mission to persecute Christians. Overwhelmed and trembling, Saul asks what Jesus wants him to do, indicating a complete surrender. Jesus then instructs him to go into the city of Damascus, where he will receive further guidance, setting the stage for his encounter with Ananias and the beginning of his transformation.
This verse marks a pivotal moment immediately after Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus, interrupting his mission to persecute Christians. Overwhelmed and trembling, Saul asks what Jesus wants him to do, indicating a complete surrender. Jesus then instructs him to go into the city of Damascus, where he will receive further guidance, setting the stage for his encounter with Ananias and the beginning of his transformation.
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c. AD 34-35
Ananias's Ministry in Damascus
Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, is divinely instructed to find Saul, restore his sight, and baptize him, initiating Saul's new life.
c. AD 35-40
Saul's Early Ministry and Retreat
After his conversion, Saul begins preaching in Damascus but soon faces opposition and retreats to Tarsus for a period of private instruction from Christ.
"But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”" — What's striking here is the Lord doesn't immediately reveal Saul's grand commission. Instead, Jesus directs him to simply enter the city and wait for further instructions from someone else. This sh…