What is the meaning of Acts 26:12? In this pursuit Paul is recounting his former life of zealous persecution. • “I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women” (Acts 22:4, cf. Acts 8:3). • He believed he was serving God (John 16:2) yet was “acting in ignorance and unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13). • His single-minded drive pictures the danger of religious zeal divorced from truth (Galatians 1:13-14). I was on my way to Damascus • Damascus lay about 150 miles north of Jerusalem; the journey shows how far Paul’s hostility extended (Acts 9:2-3). • The Christian message had already reached Syria (Acts 11:19), threatening the religious establishment in Jerusalem. • God often intercepts people while they travel—Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-15), Moses at Horeb (Exodus 3:1-6)—turning ordinary roads into places of revelation. with the authority • Paul carried letters from the Sanhedrin, granting legal power to arrest believers (Acts 9:1-2; 22:5). • Civil and religious jurisdictions overlapped; Rome allowed local councils to police religious affairs (John 18:31). • The very papers that authorized persecution became evidence of Paul’s past when he later defended the gospel (Philippians 3:6-8). and commission of the chief priests • The chief priests led the opposition to Jesus (Matthew 26:3-4) and now to His church (Acts 4:6; 5:17-18). • Paul’s commission underscores human endorsement, yet true apostleship comes from Christ alone (Galatians 1:1). • Ironically, the priests’ commission set the stage for Paul to receive a higher commission from the risen Lord (Acts 26:16-18). summary Acts 26:12 shows Saul of Tarsus at the height of his misguided zeal—empowered by religious leaders, traveling far to stamp out the gospel. The verse underlines (1) the depth of his opposition, (2) the official sanction behind it, and (3) the sovereign setup for his dramatic conversion. What began as a mission of persecution became the turning point where Christ transformed an enemy into His chosen messenger. |
    |