²³ They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, ^(A)he appeared also to me. ⁹ For ^(B)I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because ^(C)I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, ^(D)I worked harder than any of them, ^(E)though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, ^(A)how much evil he has done to ^(B)your ^(C)saints at Jerusalem.

¹³ though formerly I was a blasphemer, ^(A)persecutor, and insolent opponent. But ^(B)I received mercy ^(C)because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴ and ^(D)the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the ^(E)faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ The saying is ^(F)trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus ^(G)came into the world to save sinners, ^(H)of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶ But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

²⁰ And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ^(A)“He is the Son of God.”

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶ And ^(A)when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.

⁷ And ^(A)the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests ^(B)became obedient to ^(C)the faith.