“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:”
But the Lord said to him, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.'—the designation 'chosen instrument' (skeuos eklochē, literally 'chosen vessel') echoes Jeremiah's commissioning (Jer 1) and establishes Saul as a prophetic tool of divine purposes. The triad (Gentiles, kings, Israel) encompasses both political and ethnic scope; Paul will literally appear before kings and preach in the synagogues. His former persecution becomes the matrix for his apostolic calling—he knows the stakes.
Church Fathers on Acts 9:15
And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on Your name. Acts 9:14 How was that known? It is likely that they, being in fear, made minute enquiries. He does not say this, as thinking that Christ does not know the fact, but, such being the case, how, says he, can these things be? As in fact those (in the Gospel) say, Who can be saved? — Mark 10:26 This is done, in order that Paul may believe him that shall come to him: he has seen in a vision: it…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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