A Pattern of Self-Denial

9 Am ^(A)I not an apostle? Am I not free? ^(B)Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? ^(C)Are you not my work in the Lord?

¹⁴ And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, ^(A)to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. ¹⁷ I will ^[a]deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, ^(B)to whom I ^[b]now send you, ^18 (C)to open their eyes, in order ^(D)to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, ^(E)that they may receive forgiveness of sins and ^(F)an inheritance among those who are ^(G)sanctified^[c] by faith in Me.’

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned ^(A)I saw seven golden lampstands, ^13 (B)and in the midst of the seven lampstands ^(C)One like the Son of Man, ^(D)clothed with a garment down to the feet and ^(E)girded about the chest with a golden band.