“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;”
My Notes
What Does Acts 26:16 Mean?
The risen Jesus commissions Paul on the Damascus road: rise. Stand on your feet. I appeared to you for a purpose — to make you a minister and a witness. Of what you've seen (the Damascus road encounter). And of what I will yet show you (future revelations). The commission is both retrospective (testify about what happened) and prospective (testify about what's coming).
The phrase "rise, and stand upon thy feet" is physical and metaphorical: Paul is on the ground (Acts 9:4: he fell to the earth). Jesus says: get up. The fallen persecutor must become the standing apostle. The position changes from prostrate (the posture of defeat) to standing (the posture of commission). You fell. Now stand. The falling was the encounter. The standing is the assignment.
"A minister and a witness" — two roles. Minister (hypēretēs — an under-rower, a servant who pulls an oar under command) means Paul serves under Jesus' direction. Witness (martys — one who testifies from personal experience, the word that gives us "martyr") means Paul speaks from what he's seen. Both roles are costly: the under-rower works hard. The witness eventually dies for the testimony.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Does 'rise and stand upon thy feet' describe a transition God is asking you to make — from the ground to the assignment?
- 2.How does 'minister' (under-rower, lowest servant) match or challenge your picture of Christian calling?
- 3.Does 'witness' (testifying from experience, eventually at the cost of your life) describe the weight of your testimony?
- 4.Is your commission open-ended (including 'things I will yet show you') — and are you ready for the future revelations?
Devotional
Rise. Stand. I appeared to you for a reason: to make you a servant and a witness. Of what you've seen — and what I'm going to show you.
Jesus' commissioning of Paul is the most comprehensive calling in Acts: rise from the ground (leave the posture of defeat). Stand on your feet (enter the posture of assignment). I have a purpose for appearing to you (the encounter wasn't random). You will be a minister (servant — under-rower, working at the lowest level). And a witness (testifier — speaking from experience, eventually dying for the testimony).
"Rise, and stand upon thy feet" — Paul is face-down on the Damascus road. Blinded. Shattered. Everything he believed about himself (righteous Pharisee) and about Jesus (dead false messiah) has been demolished in a flash of light. And Jesus' first instruction: get up. The ground is where the encounter happened. The standing is where the assignment starts.
"A minister" — hypēretēs — an under-rower. The person at the lowest level of a ship, pulling the oar beneath the deck. Paul's calling isn't glamorous. It's galley work. Under Jesus' command. At Jesus' pace. In Jesus' direction. The apostle who'll write half the New Testament is called an under-rower. The title is the humility.
"A witness" — martys — one who testifies from direct experience. The witness doesn't report what others told them. They report what they saw. Paul saw the risen Christ on the Damascus road. That seeing is his credential. And the witness (martys) often becomes the martyr (Paul will eventually be executed). The testimony costs everything.
"Of those things in the which I will appear unto thee" — the commission is open-ended. Not just what you've already seen. What I'm going to show you. The future revelations are part of the assignment. Paul doesn't know yet what he'll witness. But he's commissioned to testify about it when it arrives. The calling includes chapters that haven't been written.
Rise. Stand. Serve. Testify. About the past AND the future. The commission covers everything.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But rise and stand upon thy feet,.... This, and what follows in this and the two next verses, are not in any of the…
But rise ... - The particulars mentioned in this verse and the two following are not recorded in the account of Paul’s…
But rise, etc. - The particulars mentioned here, and in the two following verses, are not given in Act 9:1-9, nor in Act…
All who believe a God, and have a reverence for his sovereignty, must acknowledge that those who speak and act by his…
to make[R. V.appoint] thee a minister The verb is that which in Act 22:14 is rendered "have chosen" (R. V.appointed),…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture