AS they neared Damascus, an intense light suddenly blazed before them, throwing Saul and his officers to their knees. Then Saul heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.”* Other things happened that he would not speak of afterwards;* but when the light faded Saul was completely blind. He asked his companions to lead him by the hand to a house in Straight Street, to wait for someone named Ananias.
Ananias duly came, prompted by a vision, but remained distrustful until the former Pharisee, his sight now miraculously restored, was properly baptised. Saul’s outraged superiors, however, rushed out warrants for his arrest, and he barely escaped Damascus alive, lowered over the city walls in a basket. The Christians of Syria and Judaea took more convincing, but Barnabas believed in him, and with his encouragement Saul began winning the doubters over, declaring the gospel and debating the Scriptures in synagogues from Jerusalem to his hometown of Tarsus.
The site is traditionally associated with Tal Kokab (Koukab) about ten miles southwest of central Damascus in Syria. The Monastery of the Vision of St Paul established there by the Antiochian (Greek) Orthodox Church is believed to stand on the site of churches going back at least to the second century. See ‘Syria: On the road to Damascus’ (Telegraph). For an insight into Syrian society and its attitude to Christianity see also ‘Fragments from Syria’ (OrthoChristian).
It appears from the two accounts, in Acts 9:3-8 and Acts 22:6-11, that Saul’s companions saw the light (though they were not left blinded by it) and heard the sound of speaking, but not what was said, nor did they see the speaker.
“I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago” he later told the Christians of Corinth in Greece, speaking of himself “caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” See 2 Corinthians 12:2-4.
Précis
As Saul neared Damascus, he was knocked to the ground by an intense light, and a voice reproved him for his persecution. Blinded, he continued into the city, where his sight was restored and he was baptised. His defection made him a wanted man, but he escaped and began preaching Christianity as eagerly as he had tried to suppress it. (60 / 60 words)
As Saul neared Damascus, he was knocked to the ground by an intense light, and a voice reproved him for his persecution. Blinded, he continued into the city, where his sight was restored and he was baptised. His defection made him a wanted man, but he escaped and began preaching Christianity as eagerly as he had tried to suppress it.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, besides, or, otherwise, until, whereas, whether, who.
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Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Academy. Doubter. Their.
2 Further. Rule. Street.
3 Corrupt. High. Study.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Street. 2. Win. 3. Round. 4. Wait. 5. Knee. 6. Lead. 7. Basket. 8. Convert. 9. Officer.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding -less.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
vd (8+1)
avid. avoid. evade. ivied. video. vied. void. voodoo.
ovoid.
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