Acts 9:21

³But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison.

¹³But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem. ¹⁴Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

¹⁰when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

⁵⁴Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ⁵⁵Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

¹³For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it. ¹⁴I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace, ¹⁶to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, ¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.

¹⁸Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰Now about the things which I write to you, behold,^[+] before God, I’m not lying. ²¹Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²²I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ, ²³but they only heard, “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴So they glorified God in me.

¹See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.

⁸Therefore the neighbors and those who saw that he was blind before said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?” ⁹Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.” He said, “I am he.”

¹But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

⁷I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge.

⁸Hear now, Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign; for, behold, I will bring out my servant, the Branch.