God responded not by destroying Saul but by saving him, stopping him on the Damascus Road and confronting him as Jesus.
Saul was on his way to Damascus to imprison or kill Jewish believers when a light from heaven knocked him to the ground and a voice asked, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Les Feldick emphasizes that a human response would have been to "zap" such a rebel, but God "zapped him with eternal life" instead of death. God's response was immediate grace: saving Saul while he was still breathing threats and slaughter.
Acts 9:3-5 — This records the moment God interrupted Saul's journey with a heavenly light and a direct question, showing that His response was confrontation and mercy rather than destruction.
Acts 9:1-2 — This describes the severity of Saul's persecution — breathing threats and slaughter — which makes God's gracious response to him all the more striking.
Acts 9 opens with Saul "yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord" and asking the high priest for letters to the synagogues at Damascus "that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem" (Acts 9:1-2). As he neared Damascus, "suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Saul answered, "Who art thou, Lord?" and the Lord replied, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest" (Acts 9:3-5). The biblical record shows God's immediate response was not to strike Saul dead but to stop him, reveal Himself, and send him on a new errand — later telling Ananias that Saul was "a chosen vessel" to bear His name before the Gentiles (Acts 9:15).
Les Feldick points to the Damascus Road as "probably the most perfect picture of the grace of God in all of Scripture." He asks his listeners what they would have done with Saul: "Hey, we'd have zapped him... Get rid of him. Or at least punish him severely. But instead, what does God do? Saved him. Saved him" (Clip 4). Les emphasizes that God did not wait for Saul to straighten up. Saul was still "breathing slaughter and threatenings against those believers" when God "zapped him with eternal life and confronted him" with the question, "Why persecutest thou me?" (Clip 1). To Les, Saul's immediate response — "Who art thou, Lord?" — shows a humble, seeking sinner "saved by grace" (Clip 2).
Les asks the listener to put themselves in God's position: "What would we have done with Saul of Tarsus? ... We'd have zapped him" and "Get rid of him. Or at least punish him severely." Then he points to God's actual response: "Saved him. Saved him." Les calls this "grace," and says Saul is the "most perfect picture of the grace of God in all of Scripture" because he was a religious zealot who had imprisoned and voted to kill believers (Clips 4, 3). God did not wait for Saul to beg or clean up his life; while Saul was still "breathing slaughter and threatenings," God "zapped him with eternal life" (Clip 1).
Saul had been "making havoc of the assembly," entering every house and hailing men and women to prison (Acts 8:3, referred to in Clip 7). Les says Saul's purpose in going to Damascus was "to drag those Jewish believers, and literally drag them, bound back to Jerusalem," where the Sanhedrin and religious leaders could put them on trial — and Saul could say "put them to death, get rid of them" (Clip 6). The Bible records that Saul was "yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord" as he headed to Damascus (Acts 9:1-2).
Les defines grace as "that attribute of God whereby he in his love and mercy pours out on sons of Adam the opportunity for eternal life if they'll just believe." He says the Damascus Road is "probably the most perfect picture of the grace of God in all of Scripture" because Saul "deserved anything but" grace. Then Les applies it: "Isn't that exactly what we were before we were saved? We were rebels. We were lost. We were condemned already. But what does God do? He saves us by his grace" (Clips 3, 4).
Saul's Religious Hatred
Les explains that Saul's persecution was rooted in his devotion to Judaism — he genuinely believed Jesus was an imposter who had to be stopped, which shows the persecution God was responding to was religiously motivated.
God's Gracious Interruption
Les states that a human response would have been to 'zap' Saul off the scene, but God did the opposite: He 'zapped him with eternal life' and confronted him, even while Saul was still breathing out murderous threats.
Saul's Immediate Surrender
Saul's immediate response to the heavenly encounter was 'Who art thou, Lord?' — the response of a humble, seeking sinner saved by grace — and God told Ananias that Saul would be sent far hence to the Gentiles to suffer for His name.
The Perfect Picture of Grace
Les calls Saul on the Damascus Road 'probably the most perfect picture of the grace of God in all of Scripture,' because Saul was a religious zealot who had persecuted, imprisoned, and even voted to put believers to death.
Human Reaction vs. Divine Grace
Les contrasts what we would naturally do — 'zap him' or 'get rid of him' — with what God actually did: 'Saved him. Saved him.' For Les, this makes Saul the epitome of grace.
Sovereign Interruption on the Road
Les emphasizes God's sovereign timing: as Saul journeyed near Damascus, a sudden light from heaven shone around him, he fell to the earth, and heard the voice asking why he persecuted Jesus.
Saul's Mission to Damascus
Les describes Saul's purpose in going to Damascus: to bind Jewish believers and drag them back to Jerusalem for trial, where he would demand their death — showing the violence God interrupted with grace.
Saul's Havoc in the Church
Les recounts that Saul made havoc of the assembly, entering every house and committing men and women to prison, because he sincerely thought Jesus was a blasphemer who had to be erased from Israel's memory.
Acts 8:3: As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
This describes the intensity of Saul's persecution just before the Damascus road encounter.
Acts 9:1-2: And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
This shows what Saul was still doing when God's grace interrupted him.
Acts 9:3-4: And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
This is the moment God directly confronted Saul instead of destroying him.
Acts 9:5: And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
This reveals that Saul was persecuting Jesus Himself and that his immediate response was to ask who the Lord was.
Acts 9:15: But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
This shows the purpose and commission God gave Saul right after saving him, extending grace beyond the moment of conversion.
No. Instead of striking Saul dead, God stopped him on the Damascus Road, confronted him as Jesus, and gave him eternal life. Les Feldick says God 'zapped him with eternal life' rather than death (Clips 1, 4).
Saul was a religious zealot who genuinely believed Jesus of Nazareth was an imposter and blasphemer. He thought the best thing for Israel was to stamp out everything connected with Jesus, so he made havoc of the assembly and committed men and women to prison (Clips 0, 7).
A light from heaven shone around Saul, he fell to the earth, and he heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' When Saul asked who was speaking, the Lord answered, 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest' (Acts 9:3-5; Clip 5).
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul Was Never One of the Twelve — Acts 9 Explained