Acts 9-10

[wolfpurplemoon]

Saul wanted to imprison all of Jesus' followers but Jesus strikes him blind and then gets someone to heal him and he becomes a devout follower. It's like someone beating you until you do what they say.

Peter sees a vision that tells him to no longer follow the old laws about things and people being ritually unclean, so even Gentiles can be baptised and saved.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

From a worldly viewpoint it does look like God beat Paul to the ground so Paul would do what He wanted. From the view point of anyone that really knows the love of God, it looks like Gods mercy on Paul. God made everything. Paul doesn't deserve Gods mercy. Yet, God still shows Himself to Paul so Paul will turn from sin and follow Him.

[(Anonymous)]

Also, Saul's response to becoming blind was to not eat or drink for 3 days. To respond to a personal encounter with God by prayer and fasting was a commonly recognized act of repenting of sins. Put yourself in Sauls shoes. You have this significant event of hearing a Supernatural voice telling you you've been wrong, and then you become blind. Then, you have a few days (yet, you have no idea God is sending someone to heal you) in which to think things over. If it were me, I would consider the symbolism of Gods particular way of humbling me. Being a man who wishes to please God (because we know Saul tried to follow all the religious rules to a T,) I might consider "blindness" a fitting consequence for my previous persecution.