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For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.(A)

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Paul’s Concern for the Corinthian Church

11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it. Indeed you should have been the ones commending me, for I am not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing.(A)

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But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.(A)

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13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,(A) 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me[a] with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.(B) 15 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.14 Gk lacks for me

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ(A)

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“Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.[a](A) 10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death.(B) 11 By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme, and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 26.9 Gk the Nazorean

23 they only heard it said, “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.”

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as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

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13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it.(A)

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I think that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.(A)

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I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison,(A) as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.(B)

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The Conversion of Saul

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest(A) and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.(B) He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”(C) He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.(D) Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing;[a] so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”(E) 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,(F) 12 and he has seen in a vision[b] a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.”(G) 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;(H) 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”(I) 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul[c] and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”(J) 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul Preaches in Damascus

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 9.8 Other ancient authorities read no one
  2. 9.12 Other ancient authorities lack in a vision
  3. 9.17 Gk him