Acts 26:13

26:12-23 Paul was made a Christian by Divine power; by a revelation of Christ both to him and in him; when in the full career of his sin. He was made a minister by Divine authority: the same Jesus who appeared to him in that glorious light, ordered him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. A world that sits in darkness must be enlightened; those must be brought to know the things that belong to their everlasting peace, who are yet ignorant of them. A world that lies in wickedness must be sanctified and reformed; it is not enough for them to have their eyes opened, they must have their hearts renewed; not enough to be turned from darkness to light, but they must be turned from the power of Satan unto God. All who are turned from sin to God, are not only pardoned, but have a grant of a rich inheritance. The forgiveness of sins makes way for this. None can be happy who are not holy; and to be saints in heaven we must be first saints on earth. We are made holy, and saved by faith in Christ; by which we rely upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness, and give up ourselves to him as the Lord our Ruler; by this we receive the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and eternal life. The cross of Christ was a stumbling-block to the Jews, and they were in a rage at Paul's preaching the fulfilling of the Old Testament predictions. Christ should be the first that should rise from the dead; the Head or principal One.

Also, it was foretold by the prophets, that the Gentiles should be brought to the knowledge of God by the Messiah; and what in this could the Jews justly be displeased at? Thus the true convert can give a reason of his hope, and a good account of the change manifest in him. Yet for going about and calling on men thus to repent and to be converted, vast numbers have been blamed and persecuted.

At midday, O king,.... So in Acts 12:6 . This circumstance is omitted in Acts 9:3 . King Agrippa is called upon by the apostle, to excite his attention to what he was about to relate, it being very wonderful, and of great importance. I saw in the way; that is, to Damascus, when near the city; a light from heaven; which descended from thence: above the brightness of the sun; it was a greater light than that, or otherwise it could not have been discerned at noon, or have had the effect it had upon Saul, and his company. This account of the greatness of the light, is not in the other places where this narrative is given: shining round about me: so in Acts 9:3 and them which journeyed with me; this is not mentioned in the other accounts.

At mid-day; this appeared at noon-day, that it might not be suspected to be a dream or fancy. Above the brightness of the sun; our Saviour’s face in the transfiguration did shine as the sun, Matthew 27:2 , and he was yet on earth in his mortal body; how much more resplendent must it have been now, when he appeared from heaven with his glorious body! And if the righteous shall shine as the sun, Daniel 12:3 Matthew 13:43 ; how much more does their Prince and Saviour! See concerning this history, Acts 9:3 , &c., and Acts 22:6 , &c.

Acts 26:13 . ἡμέρας μέσης : temporal genitive, Blass, Gram. , p. 107 (in classical Greek ἡμ . μεσοῦσα ). The expression is perhaps stronger than in Acts 22:6 , in the bright full light of day.— κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν : “on the way,” and so foreboding nothing (Weiss).— βασιλεῦ : “advertitur rex ad miraculum rei,” Blass, cf. Acts 26:7 , so Weiss.— ὑπὲρ τὴν λαμπ .: here only expressly, but implied in Acts 9:3 , Acts 22:6 , indicating the supernatural nature of the light; noun only here in N.T., cf. Daniel 12:3 .— περιλάμψαν : only in Luke, cf. Luke 2:9 , where the word is also used for a light from heaven; nowhere else in N.T., but the verb is found in Plutarch, Josephus. The fact that the light shone round about Paul and his companions is at any rate not excluded by Acts 9:7 or Acts 22:9 , as Weiss notes. It is quite in accordance with the truth of the facts that the more vivid expression should occur in Paul’s own recital.