\"It may be that the fervor of his persecution was due to secret doubts; he could be cruel, but not \nwithout remorse; possibly the vision of Stephen stoned to death, perhaps even some youthful glimpse \nof Golgotha, troubled his memory and his journey, and fevered his imagination. As his party neared \nDamascus, says the Acts, a sudden light flashed upon him from heaven, and he fell to the ground. \nThen he heard a voice saying to him, \"Saul. Saul, why do you persecute me?\" \"Who are you, sir?\" he \nasked. \"I am Jesus,\". . . said the voice. . . . Saul\"s fellow-travelers stood speechless, for they heard \nthe voice but could not see anyone. When he got up from the ground and opened his eyes he could \nsee nothing. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. For \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nthree days he could \nnot see.

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No one can say what natural processes underlay this pivotal experience No one can say what natural \nprocesses underlay this pivotal experience The fatigue of a long journey, the strength of the desert \nsun, perhaps a stroke of heat lightning in the sky, acting by accumulation upon a frail and possibly \nepileptic body, and a mind tortured by doubt and guilt, may have brought to culmination the half- \nconscious process by which the passionate denier became the ablest preacher of Stephen\"s Christ. \nHis Greek environment in Tarsus had spoken of a Soter \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nor Saviour who redeemed mankind; his Jewish \nlore had told of a Messiah to come; how could he be sure that this mysterious and fascinating Jesus, \nfor whom men were ready to die, was not the promised one? When, weak and still blind at the end of \nhis journey, he felt upon his face the kindly, soothing hands of a converted Jew, \"something like scales \n dropped from his eyes, and his sight was restored; he got up and was baptized, and after taking some \n food, regained his strength.\" A few days later he entered the synagogues of Damascus, and told their \ncongregations that Jesus was the Son of God.

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source: Durant

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Ancient Rome Christianity Apostles_Paul Background