STUDY 01 · OCTOBER 7, 2026
The Father's Will on the Road to Damascus
The Man Who Believed He Was Right
To Saul, Jesus of Nazareth was already dead. But the movement started by His followers continued to grow.
And that troubled him deeply.
Saul believed that these men and women were spreading teachings that went against the faith he had learned to defend.
Educated in Jewish traditions and trained under Gamaliel, he knew the Law thoroughly. His religious education was not superficial. His convictions were firm.
And he was willing to act on them.
Saul did not believe he was fighting against God. He believed he was defending God's will.
What he did not yet know was that, on the road to Damascus, his deepest convictions would be challenged.
Saul persecuted men and women who followed Jesus. He entered homes, took part in arrests, and approved of the persecution of Christians.
He had obtained authorization from the high priest to travel to Damascus and arrest any followers of Jesus he could find.
He had a destination, a mission, and a certainty.
The Road to Damascus
But before he reached the city, something happened that would completely change the course of his life.
A light from heaven shone around him. Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice:
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” — Acts 9:4
He asked who was speaking.
The answer was astonishing. It was Jesus, the very one whose followers Saul had been persecuting.
The man who believed he was defending God now stood before the one he had been fighting against.
Saul had not sought this encounter. Jesus was the one who interrupted his journey.
When Saul stood up, he could no longer see.
He had to be led by the hand into Damascus, where he remained for three days without sight, food, or drink.
The man who had set out with the authority to arrest others now needed someone else's help just to find his own way.
The Encounter with Ananias
While Saul remained in Damascus, the Lord spoke in a vision to a disciple named Ananias and told him to go and find Saul.
Ananias knew this man's reputation. He knew about the persecution and the suffering Saul had caused the followers of Jesus.
His concern was understandable.
But the Lord instructed him to go.
Ananias obeyed.
When he found Saul, he addressed him as a brother and explained that Jesus had sent him so that Saul might regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Saul regained his sight, got up, and was baptized.
Soon afterward, he began proclaiming in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God.
The persecutor had become a messenger of the very faith he once fought against.
If Jesus intervened directly in Saul's journey, what happened to his freedom to choose?
The Questions from Our Gathering
Four questions discussed during our gathering, along with the reflections we developed together.
1. Can someone be completely convinced that they are right, and still be completely wrong?
Our Reflection
Saul's story led us to recognize that sincerity and conviction do not guarantee truth.
Saul had knowledge, education, and determination. Even so, his understanding of Jesus was mistaken.
Being convinced does not necessarily mean being right.
2. If knowledge, tradition, and conviction did not prevent Saul from being wrong, how can we know whether our own beliefs are correct?
Our Reflection
Perhaps we should never lose our willingness to examine what we believe.
Knowledge and tradition are important, but we also need the humility to recognize our limitations, listen to other perspectives, and reconsider our interpretations.
Learning can also mean letting go of an old certainty.
3. If I believe I am defending God, but doing so requires me to attack, humiliate, or persecute someone, am I still defending God?
Our Reflection
Saul believed he was defending his faith, but his actions caused suffering.
This led us to reflect on the difference between defending a conviction and using that conviction to justify violence or the humiliation of others.
The way we defend our faith also reveals what we understand about it.
4. Did Jesus interfere with Saul's free will on the road to Damascus?
Our Reflection
This was the central question of our conversation.
Jesus interrupted Saul's journey, revealed Himself to him, and radically changed the circumstances of his life.
But did that intervention mean Saul had lost his freedom?
Our interpretation was that God can intervene in a person's journey without necessarily taking away their ability to choose how to respond.
Our Conclusion
Saul's encounter with Jesus led us to reflect on the relationship between God's will and human freedom.
We came to understand that divine intervention does not necessarily mean the removal of free will.
God can reveal, confront, guide, and transform the circumstances of a person's life.
That does not eliminate the importance of the human response.
We recognize, however, that this question is understood differently across Christian traditions.
Our conclusion represents the reflection we developed together during our gathering, not an attempt to end the debate.
Sometimes, the greatest obstacle to finding the truth is believing that we already know it completely.
Now We Want to Hear from You!
Do you believe in free will?
Do you think God can intervene in someone's life without taking away their power to choose?
You do not have to agree with our interpretation.
We want to hear other perspectives, questions, and reflections.
Join the Conversation →