The world of the story
How far was Damascus from Jerusalem? The Tyndale Open Study Notes on Acts 9:2 say that it took from four to six days to reach Damascus from Jerusalem.
Source: Tyndale Open Study Notes · CC BY-SA 4.0
New TestamentBeginner II · Story 18Acts 9:1-19
The Light on the Road to Damascus
Saul threatens the disciples of the Lord and wants to kill them. Near Damascus, a light comes from the sky, and Saul falls to the ground and hears a voice. For three days he is without sight. Then Ananias puts his hands on Saul, something like scales falls from Saul’s eyes, and Saul arises and is baptized.
Start this storyStory + 4 lessons · ~40 min · free
The words in this story
10 words you will really use: they appear in the story and in the exercises, and come back for review in the next stories.
light
what lets you see, like the sun or a lamp; in this story one came from the sky
noun
sky
the space high above the earth, where you see the sun, the stars and the clouds
noun
ground
the earth under your feet
noun
whether
a word for two choices; ‘whether men or women’ means that it is the same for both
conjunction
arise
to get up; to stand up
verb
lead
to go first and show someone the way; ‘led him by the hand’ means took his hand and went first
verb
without
not having something, with none of it
preposition
must
a word that says that something has to be done or has to happen
verb
suffer
to have pain or trouble
verb
depart
to go away from a place
verb
What you'll discover
The moments of the story, in the order they happen.
Saul asks the high priest for letters, and a light comes from the sky near Damascus.
Saul falls to the ground and hears a voice that says his name twice.
The men with Saul lead him to Damascus, and the Lord tells Ananias to go to Saul.
Ananias puts his hands on Saul, something like scales falls from Saul’s eyes, and Saul is baptized.
Original verse
The verse that closes the story, in the World English Bible. After 4 lessons, this is how you read it: the real text, with nothing simplified.
Acts 9:4 · WEB
He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
Context
One detail about the scene, with the work it comes from.
What a story looks like
First the whole story, in simple English with audio for every sentence. Then 4 short lessons, each with a piece of the story, a tip and exercises. At the end, the Bible verse and a little celebration.
- The story · 19 sentences, with the meaning of each word on tap, 3 quick questions about the story
- 4 lessons · a piece of the story, a tip and exercises in each one
- The original verse · the Bible text, unadapted, then the next story
Questions about this story
Which Bible passage is this story from?
Acts 9:1-19, in the World English Bible: Saul on the road to Damascus and Ananias.
What did Saul ask the high priest for?
Acts 9:1-2 says that Saul went to the high priest and asked for letters to the synagogues of Damascus, so that he could bring any who were of the Way, men or women, to Jerusalem.
What happened near Damascus?
Acts 9:3-4 says that a light from the sky shone around Saul, and that he fell on the earth and heard a voice that said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
How long was Saul without sight?
Acts 9:9 says that Saul was without sight for three days, and that he neither ate nor drank.
What does the Way mean in this story?
The Tyndale Open Study Notes on Acts 9:2 say that the expression the Way is used in Acts for Christianity.
Other questions:Do I need to know English?Does Biblup teach doctrine?
More stories in this course
More stories from the New Testament course, in order.
Start this story
19 sentences in simple English, with audio. The first lesson of the course needs no sign-up and no card.
Start this story