Commentary on Acts

Baptist pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon is remembered today as the Prince of Preachers. But in addition to his sermons, he regularly reading a Bible passage before his message and gave a verse-by-verse exposition, rich in gospel insight and wisdom for the Christian life. 

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Sample: Acts 9:-18 
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1, 2. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 

His very breath was hot with malice against the saints, he could not live without venting his spite upon the disciples of Christ. He showed this by the fact that he not only sought to arrest men, but he was equally cruel towards women, who, from their weakness, one would have thought might have been let alone but he expressly desired it to be written in the letters that, “whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” 

3. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: 

The lion is about to leap upon his prey. The sheep-fold lies in the valley and the wolf surveys it from the hill-side. “Alas for the Church of God at Damascus!” you and I would have said if we had been there. 

and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 

A supernatural blaze, as though heaven’s gate had been thrown open, and the glory had come streaming down upon this rebellious man. 

4. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

It was a voice divine, majestic, piercing, affectionate, convincing. Saul’s mind was of a deeply-logical kind, so Christ’s question was an appeal to his reasoning faculties: “Give the reason for thy present action. ‘Why persecutest thou me?’” 

5. And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

There is something very characteristic about Christ’s answer to Saul’s question. He did not say, “It is hard for me;” although he was himself persecuted in his members, and felt intense sympathy with them, he did not dwell upon that; but he said to Saul, “It is hard for thee.” There was much pity in the rebuke. Saul was like a bullock that has been pricked by the sharp ox-goad, and that kicks against it, and so is hurt all the more. Our Lord knew what sorrow it would cause Saul in the years to come, for he would never cease to lament that he had persecuted the disciples of Christ. 

6. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? 

This was a very natural question from one who had always tried to live by doing. He had been a work-monger up to that very moment, so he naturally cried, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” 

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

“Thou must become a disciple, and sit at the feet of another man, of a humbler sort, and thou must learn from him.” Christ will never teach us by visions what we can learn by the ordinary means of instruction, nor will he work miracles where common methods may suffice. 

7. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, 

They were struck with astonishment— 

hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 

A loud voice stunned their ears, but they could not understand its message. 

8. And Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no men: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 

So the proud persecutor, who was going to Damascus as a conqueror to crush the saints of God, was himself led into the city as a captive, to be for ever afterwards the slave of Jesus Christ.