Acts 26:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then again there are witnesses, his companions. Next he shows that he believed rightly. This is proved by the manifestation of the light, by the prophets, by the events, and by what is now taking place.

The speech of the Apostle Paul at this trial, in the presence of King Agrippa, is likewise a defense, just as his speech before the Jews on the steps of the Jerusalem fortress was. But now the Apostle spoke with greater freedom than he had then, before a crowd of fanatics. Since he was not interrupted and could speak fully, he defended himself in such a way that he also bore solemn witness to Christ. He testified that Christ had died and risen, according to the prophecy of Moses and the other ancient prophets. He also called his hearers to repentance and conversion to God.

Therefore he asked them to hear him patiently, and once more recounted the well-known story of his conversion. He had turned from being a strict and fanatical Pharisee to faith. He declared that his people's messianic hope had already truly been fulfilled in Jesus the Nazarene. At first he had fiercely persecuted His followers. But Christ personally revealed His glory to him and brought him to know that He had risen from the dead. Why might this faith have seemed implausible even to his hearers? At first it had seemed so to him as well. Yet how could he withstand the personal testimony of Christ Himself? How could he disobey the heavenly voice? That voice sent him to open the eyes of both Jews and Gentiles, so that they might turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Thus, through faith in Jesus, they might receive forgiveness of sins and a portion among the saints. He was not disobedient to this command; for detailed interpretation, see Acts 22:3-21.

Second, the Apostle says that all the travelers, both he and his companions, fell to the ground. Chapter 22 says nothing about this, while chapter 9 says that Paul's companions stood speechless, Acts 9:7. There is, at first sight, a disagreement between the present account by the Apostle himself and the account of the sacred historian. Yet it is no strain to suppose the following in order to reconcile this seeming disagreement. Immediately after the extraordinary light shone around them, all fell to the ground, both Paul and his companions. But the companions rose at once and stood in fear and amazement during the whole time the vision continued for Paul. This supposition has firm support in the different degrees of impression produced by the appearance upon Paul and upon his companions.

The account of the Lord's appearance to Paul on the road to Damascus contains certain details absent from the earlier accounts in chapters 9 and 22. For example, from this account one must conclude that all first fell down when the extraordinary light from heaven appeared. Afterward the companions quickly rose, while Paul remained lying face down for a long time. Also new is the report that the Lord spoke to Paul in the Hebrew tongue. It was probably considered necessary to mention this because, at that moment, the Apostle was speaking in Greek. In Greek it was less fitting to express the word "goad." As for the Lord's further words, the Apostle may have brought them together from many moments of revelation given to him and for him.