Saul thought he was speaking to Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the Lord he had been serving all along.
When the light from heaven blazed around him and he heard the voice, Saul naturally assumed it was Jehovah, the only Lord a devout religious Jew would recognize. Out of reverence for the sacred name, he addressed the voice as "Lord" even though he was thinking "Jehovah." He did not yet realize the voice was Jesus until the answer came: "I am Jesus."
Acts 9:3-5 — This passage records Saul's question, "Who art thou, Lord?" and the Lord's answer, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest," revealing exactly what Saul thought and what he learned.
In Acts 9:3-5, Saul was journeying near Damascus when suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. He fell to the earth and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Saul answered, "Who art thou, Lord?" Then the Lord replied, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." The Bible does not tell us directly what Saul was thinking when he asked the question. It simply records that he used the title "Lord." But the answer Jesus gave makes it clear that Saul was speaking to the Lord of heaven, and that the Lord was Jesus. In Acts 9:6, Saul's immediate response shows his surrender: "And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
Les Feldick teaches that Saul, as a fervent and devout religious Jew, would have known only one Lord—Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When the intense light came from heaven and the voice spoke, Saul would have naturally thought, "Who art thou, Jehovah?" Even though he didn't say the name aloud, that was what he was thinking. Les explains that Jews substituted the word "Lord" because the name Jehovah was held in such awe that they didn't even want to breathe it. So when Saul said, "Who art thou, Lord?" he was in effect asking, "Who art thou, Jehovah?" The answer, "I am Jesus," blew Saul's mind. He had thought Jesus was a blasphemer and imposter, someone to be stamped out. Yet now Jehovah was claiming to be Jesus of Nazareth. Les says Saul instantly recognized Jesus for who He really was—the Jehovah of the Old Testament—and surrendered with, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
Les Feldick points out that in the Old Testament, and into the early part of the New, the title "Lord" referred to Jehovah. The name Jehovah was so sacred to the Jews that they didn't even feel adequate to repeat it, so they substituted the word "Lord." When Saul asked "Who art thou, Lord?" he was thinking "Who art thou, Jehovah?"—he knew the voice was coming from the presence of God.
When Jehovah answered "I am Jesus," Saul suddenly realized that the One he was persecuting was in reality the God of Abraham. Les says it blew his mind and melded him like wax. Saul no longer argued or debated; he immediately asked, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" and was converted on the spot, recognizing Jesus as the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
Why Paul Was Never One of the Twelve — Acts 9 Explained
and the only way he could do God a favor was to overcome it and stamp it out with persecution. Now he's doing it in the name of religion. Don't ever lose sight of that. And he is fervent, he is sincere, and he is devout. Now the Lord from heaven has to look at this man who is like a raging bull, is the best way I can explain it.
Saul's Natural Assumption: Jehovah
Les explains that when Saul saw the light and heard the voice from heaven, he would have naturally thought it was Jehovah, the God of Abraham he thought he was serving.
The Answer That Blew His Mind
Les says Saul knew the light and voice were God, so he was in effect asking "Who art thou, Jehovah?" The answer "I am Jesus" revealed that the One he was persecuting was the God of Abraham.
Who Was "Lord"?
Les points out that throughout the Old Testament the title "Lord" referred to Jehovah, so Saul's question "Who art thou, Lord?" meant he knew the voice was from the presence of God.
Jesus Is Jehovah
When Jesus answered "I am Jesus," Saul suddenly realized that the Galilean he thought was a blasphemer was actually the Jehovah of the Old Testament, and he surrendered immediately.
Why "Lord" Replaced "Jehovah"
Les teaches that Jews avoided pronouncing Jehovah out of awe and substituted the word "Lord," which is why Saul says "Who art thou, Lord?" even though he was thinking of Jehovah.
Saul's Realization: The God of Abraham
Les says Saul knew he was talking to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and when Jehovah claimed to be Jesus, Saul melded like wax, blinded physically in order to see spiritually.
Introducing Paul: Why God Stopped the Prophetic Clock
And so he wants to go to Damascus where he can bring those Jewish followers of Christ in his earthly ministry and in his messiahship, and bring them, it says, bound to Jerusalem. Verse 3, As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.
Acts 9:3-5: 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? 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 is the moment Saul asks who is speaking and receives the answer that the Lord is Jesus.
Acts 9:6: And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Saul's immediate response shows that once he recognized the voice as the Lord, he fully surrendered.
Les Feldick explains that in the Old Testament the title "Lord" stood for Jehovah, and Saul was so reverent he wouldn't say the name. So when he asked, "Who art thou, Lord?" he was in effect asking, "Who art thou, Jehovah?"
Saul thought he was serving Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was doing it in the name of religion and was fervent, sincere, and devout.
He was blown away, surrendered immediately, and said, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Les says he was converted on the spot and recognized Jesus as the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul Was Never One of the Twelve — Acts 9 Explained