Act 9:1-31 chiastic structure:
1a) Act 9:1-18, The churches were persecuted, but God gave them peace;
1a) Act 9:1-9, Saul’s spiritual blindness/ he encounters Messiah Yeshua/ physical blindness;
1a) Act 9:1-2, Spiritual blindness: Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem;
1b) Act 9:3, As he journeyed near Damascus, suddenly a light shone around him from heaven;
1c) Act 9:4a, Then he fell to the ground;
1d) Act 9:4b, And heard a voice saying to him;
1e) Act 9:4c-5, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul: “Who are You, Lord?” The Lord: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads;”
central axis) Act 9:6a, So he, trembling and astonished: “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
2e) Act 9:6b, The Lord: “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do;”
2d) Act 9:7, The men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one;
2c) Act 9:8a, Then Saul arose from the ground;
2b) Act 9:8b, He saw no one/ they led him by the hand + brought him into Damascus;
2a) Act 9:9, Physical blindness: And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank;
1b) Act 9:10-14, The Lord visits Ananias, a disciple at Damascus, in a vision, instructing him to go to Saul;
1c) Act 9:15a, But the Lord said to him: Go your way;
central axis) Act 9:15b-16, The Lord: For he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake;
2c) Act 9:17a, And Ananias went his way;
2b) Act 9:17b, He entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit;”
2a) Act 9:18, Spiritual + physical blindness healed: Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
1b.1) Act 9:19-22, Saul preached Yeshua the Son of God + Messiah, confounding the Jews of Damascus;
1a.1) Act 9:19, When he had received food, he was strengthened/ stayed with the disciples at Damascus;
1a.2) Act 9:20, Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God;
central axis) Act 9:21, Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
2a.1) Act 9:22a, But Saul increased all the more in strength;
2a.2) Act 9:22b, And confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ;
1b.2) Act 9:23-25, Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket;
1c) Act 9:26, When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple;
central axis) Act 9:27, But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus;
2c) Act 9:28, So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out;
2b.1) Act 9:29a, He spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus + disputed against the Hellenists;
2b.2) Act 9:29-30, But they attempted to kill him. When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus;
2a) Act 9:31, The churches had peace + were edified/ multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord + comfort of the Holy Spirit.
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