his hopes, his pride, his tenacious hold upon the traditions of the elders, his

self-righteousness and meritorious zeal, all vanished and left him naked and destitute.

What are the few words which Saul as a believer shall utter? They form a key note to

his after life, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" From henceforth he served the Lord

Christ; form this time onward for him to live was Christ. He had fallen to the earth a

proud, persecuting fanatic; he rose a humble and gracious follower of Christ. How

different to what he had dreamed was his actual entry into Damascus and departure

therefrom. No longer breathing threatenings and slaughter, but breathing prayers and

supplications, for it is written, "Behold, he prayeth!" Not leaving the city with the

trophies of his inquisition and the applause of the orthodox, but let out of the city by

stealth, in a basket from the wall! After the darkness and the visit of Ananias came the

light, for "there fell from his eyes as it had been scales."

The importance of this man's conversion and commission cannot be under-estimated

without imperilling the truth committed to him. In our next article we hope to take up the

varying commissions of this apostle to the Gentiles, and to show how the right

appreciation of his ministry illuminates the Word of truth. Till then, may we all realize in

ourselves increasingly the grace that super-abounds.

In our last article we sought to examine the record of Saul of Tarsus. We now seek to

understand his commission as an apostle.

We have already called attention to Acts 9: No record is given us there of what the

Lord told Paul other than that he was to go into the city of Damascus and there receive

instruction. No word is recorded of the feelings of this stricken man during the three

days' blindness in the house of Judas.  It is not at all improbable that we get a

reminiscence of his feelings in Rom. 7: At the end of Rom. 7: we hear the agonizing

prayer, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" In Acts 9: 11 it is written,

"Behold, he prayeth"!

In answer to this prayer the Lord sent a certain disciple named Ananias. Ananias was

at first loath to go to the man who had persecuted and ravaged the church, 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; for I will shew him how great things he

must suffer for My name's sake." The one emphatic note in the commission is the name

of the Lord. This name Paul was to bear, and for this name he was to suffer. Nothing is

said here about apostleship, preaching or teaching, but just bearing and suffering in