Acts 22:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Leaving them to draw their own conclusions, he recounts the events: "As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground." Notice how abundant the light was.

At the entrance to the fortress, on the stairs, the Apostle Paul asked the tribune for permission to speak to the people. He then addressed them and, in defense of himself, recounted the history of his wondrous conversion to Christ; see the interpretations on chapter 9.

This wondrous transformation took place on the road, not far from Damascus, near the village of Kaukaba, as tradition indicates. Before the distinguished traveler, who rode with a considerable retinue, stretched the "desert of Damascus." To the north it was bounded by the chain of the Lebanon mountains, barely visible in the distant blue of the horizon. Straight ahead stood the towers of Damascus itself, whose roofs shone brightly beneath the burning rays of the midday sun. The road was terribly hard and exhausting at those hours of the day. Saul impatiently hastened to reach the city famous for its gardens, to rest from the journey under their sweet shade, and then at once to take up his task. And suddenly, everything ended.

Then Paul tells how he was converted to Christ on the road to Damascus. The account fully agrees with the historian's narrative of this event in Acts 9:3-8; see the explanation there. Paul brings forward only a few special details that distinguish his account from that one. Thus the Apostle says that the light shone around him about noon. This expression assures us that the appearance in broad daylight was extraordinary. It cannot be explained by any natural laws, nor was it a deception of the senses.

The Apostle's account of his conversion to Christ fully agrees with the historian's narrative of it (see Acts 9:3-8). Yet here there are also certain details not mentioned there. For example, he notes that the light shone around him about midday. This shows that the appearance was undoubtedly extraordinary, inexplicable by any natural means, and not a deception of the senses. Further, the Apostle says that Christ, who appeared to him, called Himself the Nazarene. This could have had a particularly pleasing meaning for zealots of Nazarene piety. "They themselves were witnesses of what was said before, but not of this. Yet this too must be credible after what preceded. Otherwise he would not have changed. For why would he suddenly have abandoned such zeal? For honor? But he suffered the opposite." "Paul did everything out of love and zeal, not out of vainglory."