What is the meaning of Acts 9:16?

I will show him

• God personally directs Ananias to communicate His plan for Saul (Paul), underscoring divine initiative rather than human strategy (Acts 9:11-15).

• The wording mirrors other moments when the Lord unfolds specific assignments—Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:10-12) and Jeremiah in his call (Jeremiah 1:5-10)—highlighting that calling and revelation belong wholly to God.

• “Show” implies a progressive unveiling; Paul will learn through experience and ongoing communion with Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).

• The statement affirms that nothing ahead of Paul will be accidental; the Lord is both foreknowing and purposeful (Psalm 139:16).

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how much he must suffer

• Suffering is not a possibility but a certainty: “must” indicates divine necessity, just as Jesus said “the Son of Man must suffer” (Luke 9:22).

• Paul’s later testimony confirms the extent: beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonments, dangers “in the city, in the wilderness, at sea” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

• This suffering will serve as a refining fire that shapes Paul’s character (Romans 5:3-5) and authenticates his apostleship (2 Corinthians 4:8-11).

• The Lord’s advance notice guards Paul against disillusionment, preparing him to embrace hardship with joy (Philippians 1:29).

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for My name.

• The purpose of Paul’s suffering is tethered to the honor of Jesus. Bearing the name entails representing Him before Jews, Gentiles, and kings (Acts 9:15; 26:17-18).

• Suffering “for My name” aligns believers with Christ’s own path: “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first” (John 15:18-21).

• The focus on the Name ensures Paul’s trials never become an exercise in self-promotion but an offering of worship (Colossians 1:24).

• Through Paul, the gospel will advance far beyond Jerusalem, fulfilling the promise that “you will be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), and every blow he endures will amplify the testimony of that Name.

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summary

Acts 9:16 reveals a divinely crafted roadmap for Paul: the Lord will gradually disclose His will, anchor Paul’s ministry in unavoidable yet purposeful suffering, and ensure every hardship magnifies the Name of Jesus. The verse reminds believers that calling and cost come together, yet both are held in the sovereign, loving hands of the One who calls.