SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9:1-30

Istvn Czachesz

1. INTRODUCTION
The following study attempts to apply Vernon Robbins' socio-rhetorical
exegesis to Acts 9:130. That the story of Saul's conversion is of
crucial importance in the Book of Acts is shown by the fact it is told
three times in the book (ch. 9, 22, 26). A multi-dimensional analysis
may help to give new insights about the central position and
paradigmatic role of the story. To our knowledge there has been so far
no exegesis of the passage applying multiple approaches as we are
going to do.
We are going to examine four dimensions of the text. The inner
textual section explores basically the semiotic dimension, attempting
some synthesis of the overall narrational and rhetorical patterns. The
intertextual study examines historical, social and cultural phenomena
which make up the world of the text, while the social and cultural
sections basically display the response of the text to these
circumstances, that is the social and cultural milieu created by and
within the passage. The ideological section attempts to deconstruct
the ideology of the text as well as its interpretation.

2. INNER TEXTURE
A close reading of the text of Acts 9:130 reveals the incredible
dynamics of the story. There are several narrative voices, scenes, agents,
and actions in the passage. In this section we will try to explore the
nature of these dynamics through displaying the inner texture of the
passage. We will analyze the repetitive, progressive, and narrational
patterns, then we are going to attempt to establish the overall narrational
and argumentative texture. References to the aesthetic texture of the
passage are also included in this section.

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2.1. Repetitive and progressive patterns

In the following we will map out some of the repetitive and progressive
patterns in the text. We are going to pay particular attention to the four
most frequent types of action in the passage: motion, aggression, seeing
and verbal communication.
In the first chart we have summarized the four most frequent types
of action in the passage.
Motion, aggression, seeing and verbal communication (Table 1)
Motioi Aggression Seeing Verbal
communication
1. went breathing threats,
murder
2. way bring, bound asked
3. going, approach, light
flashed (whirled round)
4. fell persecute heard, voice,
saying
5. persecuting asked
6. get up, enter told
7. traveling saw hear, voice
8. got up, led, brought eyes, see
9. sight
10. vision say, answer
11. get up, go
12. come seen, vision, sight
13. evil done answer, hear
14. bind
15. bring say
16. suffer show
17. went, entered, appear, sight say
sent, way
18. fell, got up eyes, sight
19.
20. proclaim
21. come made havoc, hear, say
bringing, bound
22. proving
23. plotted, kill
24. plot, kill
25. let down, lowering
26. afraid
27. brought seen described,
spoken, spok
28. went speaking
29. kill spoke, arguei
30. brought down,
sent off

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Now let us examine some repetitive and progressive patterns in detail.

We have to begin with a word that is not included in the chart, since
this noun does not express action. This noun is , the word
occurring most frequently, nine times, in the text (vv. 10,11,12,
14,15,16,21,27,28). The first three cases refer to the names of Ananias
and Saul, while the remaining six refer to the name of the Lord. We
are going to deal with this important phenomenon in the cultural
intertexture.
The most frequently recurring Greek root in the chart is "-". This
root occurs eight times in the passage, six times in verbs, meaning
"lead" or "bring", and two times in the word "synagogue". Considering
the verbal forms, in two cases Saul is the subject ("bring bound"), and
in the remaining four cases he is the object. There are an additional
three instances in the "Motion" column, where Saul is the object: "let
down", "lowering", "sent off". These expressions show his surprising
defenselessness in the storming events.
Another significant feature of the first column is the frequency of
vertical motion (seven instances): "got up" (two times , once
4, fell , ^), let down, lower. Further, upward motion
dominates in the first part of the story (vv. 111), and downward
motion in the second half (vv. 18ff). Most of these verbs are connected
with the epiphany, Saul's vision and healing. Further, these words
indicate the constant descending and ascending of Saul's career in the
story.
In the second column we find two dominant verbs, "kill" ()
and "bind" (), both occurring three times. These two verbs also
talk about Saul's particular career: his plans to harass the Damascus
church before his calling, and the Jews' plot to kill him after his calling.
As for the third column, we have here the third most frequent word
in the story, "". In three of the five cases we have the prefix
"". In all cases the verb expresses the human reaction to the divine
revelation. Another frequent root of the same function is "-",
occurring three times in the words "eyes" and "appear". Both roots
occur only in the middle section of the story (vv. 818).
However, words expressing verbal communication are also abundant.
The frequency of "/" (7 occurrences), together with the
instances of "ask" and "answer", indicates the importance of direct

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discourse in the story. We also have "hear" four times, "speak" three
times, and "sound" in two cases, mostly expressing communication
with the Lord. We can conclude that the language of divine revelation,
through visual as well as verbal media, dominates the discourse,
particularly in the middle part of the story.

2.2. Narrational patterns

We are going to begin the examination of narrative patterns by mapping
out the narrative voices and agents in the story. In the second stage we
are going to establish the dynamic relations of the agents by displaying
the events of the narrative. We will apply some narrative exegetical as
well as structuralist notions, by this analysis.

2.2.7. Narrative voices (Table 2)

The chart of the narrative voices shows who is speaking in a unit. In
narrative discourse the author usually applies a narrator, and the author
may also attribute words in direct speech to one character or another.
In our story it is interesting that relatively numerous characters are
helped by the author to the dominant position of direct discourse.

Narrative voices (Table 2)

Narrator Lord Saul Ananias Jews Barnabas
1-3. narrator
4 narrator Lord
5 Lord Saul
6 Lord
5 narrator
6 Lord
7-9. narrator
10 narrator Lord Ananias
11-12. Lord
13-14. Ananias
15-16. Lord
17 narrator Ananias
18-20. narrator
21 narrator Jews
22-26 narrator
27 narrator Barnabas
28-30. narrator

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 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9 1130

Looking at the chart of narrative voices we can see that the narrator
has absolute priorityno surprise in narrative discourse. Of all the
characters in the story, Jesus (the Lord) speaks more than the others.
This underscores the importance of divine revelation in the passage.
However, Jesus reveals much more to Ananias than to Saul. Ananias
has the role of a mediator, communicating with God, and communi
cating God's message to Saul.
Saul, the Jews and Barnabas speak only in one verse each. Actually
Saul himself speaks least, only three words in verse 5. We have seen
already how passive a role he plays in the narrative.

2.2.2. Narrative agents

Narrative agents are persons who appear in the text either as subjects
or objects of actions. When examining the occurrence of narrative
agents in the text, we are also considering the different nouns and
pronouns referring to them. Groups represented in the text without
mentioning their members are also considered as narrative agents. In
Acts 9:130 we have eight narrative agents: the disciples, Saul, the
Lord, the travelers, Ananias, Barnabas, the high priest and the Jews.
The disciples are referred to also as those "who belonged to the
Way" (2), "men and women" (2), "saints" (13), "who invoke your/
this (the Lord's) name" (14, 21), and "brothers" (30). The final
"brothers" shows the progressive character of these references. Both
the disciples and Saul are called this only once. In both cases this
designation expresses the change in the designated persons' attitude,
their acceptance of the other.
Saul is usually referred to by the third person singular personal
pronoun. Typical is the accusative "" (thirteen times), which also
proves that Saul is usually the object of the actions. The second person
"" occurs three times in the epiphanic scene on the Damascus road,
and once, accompanied by "brother", in Ananias' words. In these cases
Saul is addressed by the divine message.
We have seen already in the chart of narrative voices that the person
of Jesus is dominant in the story. This is underlined by the fact that
Jesus is referred to by the first person "" six times, which occurs
only one more time with Ananias. The vocative "," occurs three

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times. The multitude of personal pronouns referring to Saul, Jesus

and Ananias highlights the importance of personal interaction between
the main characters.
Finally, the Jews are referred to in many different ways: "the
synagogues" ( 1, 20), Jews (2223), Hellenists (29). If we add to this
the two mentions of the high priest(s), we can conclude that the text
gives a complex picture of the Jews.

2.2.3. The plot of the story

In the following we are trying to give an overarching model of the
inner texture of the text, one which is able to synthesize the complex
relation of actions and agents in the story. We will make use of the
literary concept of "plot", and the structuralist notion of "function".
On the one hand we are interested in the surface-structure of the text,
the larger semantic units. On the other hand we are concentrating on
the deep-structure: What is the function of the agent? What is the
underlying blueprint of the story? The two structural aspects strengthen
and validate each other. There is no agent in the story without function,
and there is no function beyond the actual story: functions are fulfilled
within the frame of the events isolated on the surface. Functions seek
events and events seek functions.
Further, the plot is not only sequential but also has different levels.
There is more than one story in the story. We can discern that certain
agents belong to certain levels of the narrative. By identifying the
strata of the narrative we can give a multi-dimensional picture of the
story. Two agents, Saul and the disciples, belong to more than one
level, giving the story a coherent texture.
On the first level Saul has a commission (imprisoning disciples in
Damascus), the performing of which will create the appropriate time
and space for the second level. The first level itself will become
unimportant when the second level interferes.The commission means
a conflict for Saul, which he will not be able to resolve. He will never
imprison the disciples in Damascus. There will be, however, a divine
solution of the conflict, that is quite different from the way Saul
intended to solve the problem.
There are agents related to Saul on the first level. They include the
one who gives the task (high priest), those who are objects of the task

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 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9 1 1 - 3 0

(the disciples), and the ones who help him to solve his problem
(disciples of Damascus). Just as the solution of the problem is not
a real solution, the helpers are not real helpers, either. The solution is
that Saul, once an enemy of the Church, leaves Damascus as a friend
with the help of the disciples.
The second level enters with a quite unexpected accident. Saul
receives a divine revelation which changes his orientation, and makes
unimportant his original commission. This story speaks about the
divine election, calling and sending. Ananias fulfills the function of
a mediator, and has an important role in the narrative: he knows God's
plan and performs a sacramental act, installing Saul into his new office.
Charismatic powers prevail in the story. Saul receives the Spirit
through laying on of hands and baptism, and immediately proves his
charisma in the group of charismatic believers (disciples of Damascus).
He still has to be accepted by the congregation, which happens with
the help of a new patron, Barnabas.
We can see that a great number of persons, objects and places belong
to the second level. It is interesting to discern that in the configuration
of the second level the commissioned person in structuralist terms is
not Saul. On this level he becomes the object of the commission, while
the one performing the divine task is the mediator. We have two persons
for this function, Ananias and Barnabas. There are "guides" (travelers
leading Saul to Damascus) and charismatic persons (believers in
Damascus), who help the mediator, while the enemies of Saul ("Jews",
"Hellenists") work against his purpose. The congregation is the
secondary object of the mediator's commission.

2.3. Argumentative pattern and texture

Displaying the argumentative texture of the story may give another
chance to see the overall structure of the story. This examination is
intended to take further and refine the description of the narrative plot.
Although the two methods (narrative and rhetorical examination) are
not compatible, they may justify and validate each other. In this section
we are going to search rhetorical patterns, and also use insights from
the repetitive/progressive and narrational analyses in order to display
the overarching rhetorical structure.

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2.3.1. Rhetorical patterns

It seems to be reasonable to begin the search for rhetorical patterns
with the speeches in the narrative. We have discovered already by the
examination of narrative voices, that the Lord (Jesus) speaks much in
direct discourse. The longest piece of direct discourse is found in vv.
1016, where the Lord sends Ananias to Paul. In Jesus' address to
Ananias we can recognize the skeleton of a deliberative speech. Let
us exhibit the parts of this "oratio":
Exordium: "Ananias"
Thesis: "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house
of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul."
Rationale: "(Because) at this moment he is praying, and he has seen
in vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so
that he might regain his sight."
Refutation: ("I have heard from many about this man...")"Go for
he is an instrument whom I have chosen..." It is interesting to compare
the structure of Ananias' objection and Jesus' answer:
... .
...
... Sci ^ tnrp

The parallelism is very close to those found in the response-chreiai

(Mack-Robbins:49,71). The threefold parallelism in the text, on the
other hand, is very usual in the OT literature. While Ananias claims
that Saul is commissioned by the high priest (first line), the response
(second and third lines) emphasizes the Lord's calling ( /
/). While Ananias sees Saul's task in binding the disciples, the
response says his task is to "carry" and "suffer" (//).
And the final part of the parallelism echoes the name of the Lord (
/ / ).
This address, and particularly the highly argumentative, chreia like
refutation, turns our attention to the main rhetorical task of the text: to
convince the reader about the radically new calling of Saul, the
persecutor of the Church.
Luke reiterates three times (vv. 13,21,26) the two objections against
Paul's person: he has done evil to the saints in Jerusalem and went to
Damascus in order to bring them bound to the chief priest. Luke refutes

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 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9:11-30

the mentioned objection in different ways in the three cases. As for

the first case, we have just seen Jesus' words to Ananias.
The second objection occurs in Damascus. From v. 20 we know
that Saul proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, then in v. 21 we read
the objection: "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem..."
In v. 22 a nice example of the figure of graduation (graditio) comes:
4... But the Damascus scene provides
an even more dramatic refutation of the objections against Saul. There
is another important feature of the overall structure of the narrative. In
v. 2 we read that Saul wanted to go " ",
and carry the followers of the way bound to Jerusalem (
"). What we see in the Damascus (and Jerusalem) scene is
a different fulfillment of this plan. The motif of "leading" appears
again in the story, but not the way Saul (and the reader) expected. In v.
8 the men traveling with Saul lead him to Damascus ("
"), in v. 20 he really goes , not harassing
the Christians but proclaiming Jesus. Instead of carrying others, he is
carried to Damascus, instead of persecuting the Lord, he is proclaiming
the Lord and himself is persecuted by the Jews. Further, in v. 26 he
goes back to Jerusalem, not carrying others but himself being carried
to the apostles. Luke masterfully builds the refutation of the objections
around the logical twist existing between Saul's plans and the actual
events.
For the third time, Luke introduces Barnabas to the story in v. 27,
and applies the argumentative figure of . The authority of
Barnabas is well known, he comes to the story without explanation,
not like Ananias, who is introduced as "a disciple in Damascus" (v. 10).
Later Saul goes in and out among the disciples, probably among the
apostles (the ' in v. 28 must refer to the apostles in v. 27).
This is the further elaboration of the . It is not difficult to realize
that Luke refers to three levels of church authority: first, one single
disciple, second, the Damascus Church, and the apostles in the end.

2.3.2. The overall rhetoric texture

After exploring some argumentative patterns in the text we are left
with the task of establishing the overall rhetorical structure of the

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passage. Although we are not dealing with a piece of speech, we can

use for orientation the three main types of oratio: the judicial,
deliberative and epideictic speech. We have already found a deliberative
address in verses 1016. Concerning the whole unit, however, we
have to turn to another pattern. The person of Paul inevitably receives
special attention in the book of Acts. Of crucial importance is, both
for the writer and the reader, the first encounter in the story with Paul.
In this situation we can expect that the author will follow an epideictic
pattern of persuasion in order to introduce his hero and convince us
about his image of Paul.
If we have a look at the canonical form of epideictic rhetoric, we
find that the orator is supposed to use a series of topics, which fall in
three main groups: character, physical attributes and external
circumstances. In Acts 9 we can find some reference to the first and
the third group, but if we examine them more closely, we can conclude
that Luke is not interested in the actual topics of the rhetoricians, such
as birth, wealth, wisdom, justice, etc. This is not to say that the author
did not make use of topoi. Quite on the contrary, there are a number of
topoi derived from the Hellenistic Jewish (Christian?) piety.
In his commentary of Acts, L. T. Johnson calls attention to the
thematic similarities between our story and a Hellenistic romance,
Joseph and Aseneth. This romance gives good examples of the topoi
of piety developed in the Hellenistic Jewish tradition, which may have
been also applied by Luke when he introduced his hero to the reader.
Here we are trying to identify some of these topoi:
1. Topoi concerning external circumstances: (a) heavenly revelation
(vv. 37); (b) sacrament (v. 18); (c) commission and reassurance
about the future (v. 6).
2. Topoi concerning character: (a) several days of fasting (v. 9); (b)
extensive prayers (v. 11); (c) elected by God (v. 15); (d) readiness to
proclaim God's message (vv. 20,22, etc.); (e) readiness to suffer for
God's business (vv. 23,29). '
The rhetoric of the text makes use of Saul's past. In verses 12 the
story introduces Saul as the persecutor of the Church, and later
constantly plays on the tension between his earlier and recent behavior.
The argumentation culminates in the reversal statement of v. 15 in the

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 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9 1 1 3 0

framework of Jesus' address toAnanias.The argumentation of reversal

is worked out in three pieces, which we have examined above. Now
let us summarize the argumentative texture by displaying in one chart
the argumentation of reversal and the topoi utilized.

Rhetorical texture (Table 3)

Rhetorical unit Content Topoi

Exordium the persecutor
of the Church (1-2)
Narrati o epiphany on the heavenly revelation
Damascus road (4-9) (3-7); commission and
reassurance (6); fasting (9)
Reversale the mediation extensive prayers (11);
(argumentum) of Ananias (10-19a) elected by God (15);
sacrament ( 18)
Signum (/) Saul in the Damascus readiness to proclaim God's
synagogue (19b-25) message (20,22); readiness to
suffer for God's business (23)
ludici um () Saul in Jerusalem (26-30) readiness to proclaim God's
message (27-29); readiness to
suffer for God's business (29)

2.3.3. Conclusion
In the first section of our study we have explored the inner texture of
Acts 9:130 by mapping out the repetitive, progressive, narrational,
and rhetorical patterns in the passage. We have displayed also the
overarching narrational, and rhetorical texture with the help of narrative
exegetical, structuralist, and rhetorical tools. The narrational texture
shows a two level story, the first level of which contains Saul's primary
commission of harassing the Damascus church, and on the second
level the divine revelation and plan intervenes with the help of the
mediator Ananias. The argumentative texture reveals an epideictic
rhetoric, in which again the Ananias episode is of crucial importance.

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3. INTERTEXTURE
In the intertextual section we are going to focus on the historical, social
and cultural intertexture of Acts 9:130. Since the comparison with
the Greco-Roman and OldTestament parallels does not show recitation
of those texts, these parallels are to be discussed under cultural
intertexture. The passage seems to be independent from the New
Testament references to Paul's conversion, quoted as historical
intertexture, that is why these references appear as the historical
intertexture, and are discussed under oral-scribal intertexture.

3.1. Historical intertexture

The account of Paul's conversion is supported by a rich tradition in
the New Testament. The evaluation of the parallel accounts has given
much opportunity for source-critical speculations, many of which have
been discussed in the commentary by E. Haenchen (319336).
There are not less than nine passages in the New Testament which
refer to the story of Paul's conversion. They can be sorted into two
major groups: three accounts are in Acts, one longer and five shorter
texts are in the Pauline letters. The two groups can be regarded as two
independent sources, fairly agreeing on the basic issues. The last two
instances, however, found in deutero-Pauline and pastoral letters, can
be handled alternatively as a third group, which is dependent on the
previous accounts.
1 ) Acts 9:130. Luke's literary narration.
2) Acts 22:321. This is Paul's speech in the narration. The
encounter on the Damascus road agrees with Acts 9, but another vision
in Jerusalem is substituted for the Damascus and Jerusalem scenes.
3) Acts 26:923. The discourse is like that above. The most
significant difference is the amplification of the encounter-narrative
("It hurts you to kick against the goads"), and the omission of Ananias'
mediation.
4) Gal 1:1323. These are Paul's own words in epistolary discourse.
The magnificent scene of the Damascus road and the Ananias-episode
are completely missing. The much discussed difference is the delay
(three years) and brevity (fifteen days) of Paul's first visit in Jerusalem.

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 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9:1130

5) 1 Cor 9:1. "...Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our
Lord?..."
6) 1 Cor 15:8. "Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared
also to me."
7) 2 Cor 11:3233. "In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas
guarded the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down
in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands."
8) Phil 3:6,12. "...as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; ...Christ
Jesus has made me his own"
9) 1 Tim 1:13. "...even though I was formerly a blasphemer,
a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because
I had acted ignorantly in unbelief..."
We can summarize the most important agreements, supposing at
least two independent sources (13 and 47): a) Paul persecuted
the Church violently, b) His encounter with the Lord took place in the
Damascus area, c) He pursued extended ministry after his conversion,
d) His life was threatened in Damascus and he was let down through
the city wall in a basket, e) He visited the Jerusalem church in the
early period of his ministry, f) He was accompanied by Barnabas, and
met the apostles, g) After visiting Jerusalem he worked in Cilicia. (Cf.
Johnson: 173).
We can draw two conclusions from the overview of the New
Testament evidence. 1. The skeleton of the Lukan narrative in Acts 9
corresponds to the sequence of the events found in the Pauline passages.
2. Two important Lukan motifs are missing from the Pauline account:
Saul's spectacular and complete defeat on the Damascus road, and
the subsequent mediation of Ananias.

3.2. Social intertexture

There are several references to contemporary social phenomena in
the passage. Social roles are represented by leaders: (v. 15)
and (vv. 1,14,21). (vv. 22,23) and
(v. 29) are social identities. It is surprising how these roles and identities
represent the political tensions of Israel's Hellenistic history! Social
relationships include , , , (v. 30), and , which
imply the counterparts , , , and . Three

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out of the four relationships are strictly hierarchical. This hierarchical

structure is balanced by "brother" verses 17 and 30. There are two
social institutions, (vv. 2,20) and (v. 11,17).
In social intertexture we have found that the vocabulary of the
passage contains a number of expressions referring to the contemporary
social context of the text. The analysis of the social texture will provide
the place to display how these concepts actually work in the narrative.

3.3. Cultural intertexture

3J.1. Cultural codes
The passage is dominated by cultural codes with Old Testament
connotation: , 4, , , . The noun "name", as
we have highlighted in the inner textual section, occurs most frequently,
nine times, in the text. In six cases it means the Lord's name. According
to the Old Testament usage, the reference to the Lord's name evokes
the personal presence and power of the Lord. The usage of "nations"
also carries its Old Testament background, the nations outside Israel.
However the originally negative meaning is replaced by the emphasis
on the infinity of the Lord's mercy, a nuance which causes so many
complications in Acts. The meaning of "way" reaches back to the
"straight" ("IUP ), godly way of the pious, and therefore wise, believer,
now applied to the new way, the way of Jesus' followers. "Heaven" is
the place of the Lord's throne in the Old Testament, where also Jesus
ascended, finally "saint" refers to God's chosen people: this expression,
and also the previous ones, carry radically different meaning for readers
with Greco-Roman background.

3.3.2. Greco-Roman culture

There are a couple of stories in the antique tradition which narrate
how a persecuted god reveals his identity to the persecutor. The
commentaries quote two Greco-Roman examples: Iliad XXII. 8ff and
Euripides' Bacchanals (esp. v. 794) (Haenchen 327, 685). In the
Homeric text Apollo addresses Achilles: "Wherefore, son of Peleus,
dost thou pursue me ( .. .) with swift feet, thyself a mortal
(), while I am an immortal God?" In Euripides Dionysus says

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 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9:11-30

to Pentheus: "Better slay victims unto him than kick/Against the pricks,
man () raging against God". The former passage is clearly
echoed by the Lukan " " (Acts 9:5), and the latter text by
Acts 26:14. In these parallels a god is persecuted by or is in controversy
with a mortal.

3.3.3. Ancient Near-Eastern culture and Old Testament culture:

the commissioning narrative
It is not difficult to recognize in our text a lot of minor elements
occurring in Old Testament commissioning: calling one's name twice
(Gen 46:2, Ex 2:4,1 Sam 3:4); exclusive vision (Dan 10:7,Wisd 18:1);
hearing but not seeing (Deut 4:12); sending to another place with
promise of further directions (Ez 3:22). The commissioning narrative
is, however, a larger cultural complex, in which we can better
understand the parallels with stories about divine calling in the Old
Testament.
Klaus Baltzer in Die Biographie der Propheten finds that the
commissioning story, emerging from the ancient Near-Eastern
tradition, constitutes the most important element of the Old Testament
biography. We have two studies which give introduction to the New
Testament usage of the commissioning form. Both have a special focus
on Luke-Acts, but, as the titles of the two articles suggest, they are
using a different circle of comparative material. Benjamin J. Hubbard's
"Commissioning stories in Luke-Acts: a study of their antecedents,
form and content" researches a good deal of Old Testament and
extra-biblical material; while Terence Y. Mullins' "New Testament
commission forms, especially in Luke-Acts" concentrates on the New
Testament, borrowing only one chart from Hubbard's earlier study.
Let us compare the elements of the commissioning story as they
appear with Baltzer, Hubbard and Mullins. Mullins also described
certain themes in the commissioning stories in Acts:
1) Introduction. A brief remark providing circumstantial details
(Hubbard), presenting the occasion (Mullins). Baltzer is more specific,
he has "Titel und Abstammung des Eingesetzten", which is not at all
"circumstantial", and "Ort und Zeit der Einsetzung" (This is Mullins'
theme of time and place).

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2) Confrontation. The commissioner appears (Hubbard), breaks in

upon the normal (Mullins). The themes of vision, voice and angel
belong here. Baltzer differentiates between "Berufung" and "Audienz".
3) Reaction. The individual reacts to the presence of the holy
(Hubbard), the theme of "fear" occurs (Mullins). Baltzer does not have
a separate element for this, but we can refer to the "Audienz".
4) Commission. We have to pay enough attention to the significant
difference of the definitions. According to Hubbard, "the commissioned
individual is told to undertake a specific task which often involves his
assuming a new role in life (e.g., that of prophet). This is, obviously,
the essential criterion for determining whether a given pericope will
be considered" (105, my italics). With Mullins, the commission makes
"the commissioned person formally the agent of the commissioner
for the accomplishing of the commissioner's will." Baltzer's
"Einsetzungswort" supports Hubbard's viewpoint. The numerous
commands and visions received by the biblical agents on different
points of their lives thus escape Hubbard's and Baltzer's category.
But given their frequent occurrence in Luke-Acts (as Mullins' statistics
prove), they still can play an important role in our exegesis. We suggest
the term "installation" (from the German "Einsetzungsbericht") for
the narrower, and the traditional "commissioning" for the broader
category.
5) Protest. The individual claims he or she is unable or unworthy to
accomplish the commission (Baltzer's "Einspruch", 33).
6) Reassurance. "Fear not" or "I am (will be) with you" (Baltzer's
"Ermutigungswort").
7) Baltzer creates categories for several particular aspects of the
commission: "Zustndigkeitsbereich, Dienstanweisung, Anweisung fr
die besondere Situation" (193).
8) Einsetzungshandlung. The (sacramental) action is a very important
motif of the installation. Only Baltzer (193) has a category for it.
9) Conclusion. The commissioned person begins to carry out the
task.
We have to face a serious problem when we try to apply the above
pattern to the narrative of Acts 9:130. Both Hubbard and Mullins
regard the passage as two separate commissionings: one to Saul and

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 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9:11-30

one to Ananias. However, Luke's account is obviously not about

Ananias. His "commissioning" can be extracted from the passage, but
it is better handled as a part of Saul's story. On the other hand, we
insist that the commissioning story is sui generis installation,
"Einsetzung". We can find an instance of commissioning in the Old
Testament, which does not occur in Hubbard's and Mullins' studies.
This is the installation of Saul the king.

3.3.4. Specific biblical culture: ISam 910

Let us have a closer look at the parallels of Acts 9:130 and ISam
9:110:27a. In the inner textual section we have already discussed
the plot and the relation of agents in Acts 9:130. In the following
we are going to use that description to display the plot of both narratives
in the same chart.

The two Sauls (Table 4)

Acts 9:1-30 Samuel 9:J-J0:27a Function in the
commissioning story
A) Saul goes to Damascus Saul looks for Saul's primary
to harass the disciples the lost donkeys
(9:1-2) (9:3-5)
B) the Lord speaks to the Lord opens up God's revelation
Ananias in a dream the ear of Samuel to the mediator
(9:10-16) (9:15-17)
C) Saul meets the Lord Saul meets Samuel God's revelation to Saul
on the Damascus road at Ramah
(9:3-8) (9:6-14,17-21)
D) Ananias baptizes Saul Samuel anoints Saul Saul stays at the mediator's
in Damascus in Ramah place, and participates
(9:9,17-19a) (9:22-10:9) in the sacrament
E) Saul among the Saul among Saul prophesies
disciples in Damascus the prophets
(9:19b-22) (10:9-13)
F) Saul's flight from the donkeys found the end of the primary
Damascus (9:23-25) (10:14-16) mission
G) Saul with the disciples Saul proclaimed king Saul accepted
in Jerusalem (10:17-27a) by the congregation
(9:26-30)

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 ISTVN CZACHESZ

We can see that both stories contain a two level plot (as discussed in
the inner texture), and a double commissioning. On the first level of
the plot Saul receives a primary commission from a person of authority
(high priest/father), which he will not be able to carry out. The second
level contains Saul's divine commissioning, but in both cases there is
a mediator, whose commissioning for this task also belongs to the
second level.
On the one hand the two stories are connected by the broader cultural
tradition of commissioning narrative, on the other hand there are
a number of parallels which reveal that 1 Sam 910 forms the specific
biblical intertexture of Acts 9.

3.3.5. Hellenistic Jewish culture: 4 Mace 4:114

Now we are turning to a Hellenistic Jewish parallel. 4 Mace

4:114 tells about Apollonius, the governor of Syria, who entered
the temple "uttering threats" ( ) and was stopped by an
angel. Although there is no mention of God being persecuted, the
persecutor threatens God's people, similarly to Acts 9. The important
"catchwords" are underlined:
4:5 On receiving authority to deal with this matter, he proceeded
quickly to our country accompanied by the accursed Simon and a
very strong military force. 4:6 He said that he had come with the
king's authority to seize the private funds in the treasury. 4:7 The
people indignantly protested his words, considering it outrageous that
those who had committed deposits to the sacred treasury should be
deprived of them, and did all that they could to prevent it. 4:8 But,
uttering threats, Apollonius went on to the temple. 4:9 While the
priests together with women and children were imploring God in the
temple to shield the holy place that was being treated so
contemptuously, 4:10 and while Apollonius was going up with his
armed forces to seize the money, angels on horseback with lightning
flashing from their weapons appeared/w/i heaven, instilling in them
great fear and trembling. 4:11 Then Apollonius./*?// down half dead in
the temple area that was open to all, stretched out his hands toward
heaven, and with tears besought the Hebrews to pray for him and
propitiate the wrath of the heavenly army. 4:12 For he said that he
had committed a sin deserving of death, and that if he were delivered
he would praise the blessedness of the holy place before all people.
4:13 Moved by these words, Onias the high priest, although otherwise

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 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9:1130

he had scruples about doing so, prayed for him lest King Seleucus
suppose that Apollonius had been overcome by human treachery and
not by divine justice. 4:14 So Apollonius, having been preserved
beyond all expectations, went away to report to the king what had
happened to him.
We have seen above that the spectacular defeat of Saul and the
mediation of Ananias are missing from the Pauline accounts. These
patterns are at hand in the story of Apollonius. We should not miss,
however, a considerable difference: Saul is commissioned to proclaim
the Lord, while Apollonius is simply overcome.

3.3.6. Conclusion
The analysis of the intertexture revealed a large array of historical,
social and cultural phenomena, which are in contact with the text. The
passage is embedded in the historical and social reality of early
(Pauline) Christianity as well as in Greco-Roman, Near-Eastern,
biblical, and Hellenistic Jewish culture.

4. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL TEXTURE

The analysis of the social and cultural texture applies notions of
sociology and anthropology. We are exploring the social and cultural
world the text creates. This is also an excellent place to make use of
the phenomena displayed in the social and cultural intertexture, and
show how they are actually functioning in the text. At this stage we
are trying not to attribute all kinds of "Lukan" notions automatically
to our passage; in other words, we are directing our antenna only to
the social and cultural world of Acts 9:130.

4.1. Specific social topics

In this section we are applying Bryan Wilson's categories for religious
response to the world, following Robbins (14Iff). In our passage we
can find three types of basic religious response to the world:
conversionist, thaumaturgie, and Utopian responses.
The presentation of Paul's conversion in the narrative has a strong
conversionist emphasis. Saul's earlier life is morally denounced by

23
 ISTVN CZACHESZ

Ananias, saying that he has done "much evil" () to the saints. The
divine revelation on the Damascus road and the three days of fasting
and prayers completely transform his self. However, the rest of the
Jews continue the persecution of the Church. Aggression against the
Church does not finish. In the first half of the story the expressions of
aggression (displayed in the inner texture) describe Saul's attitude
against the Church, while in the second half Saul himself is threatened
by the same aggression. Changes in the society can be reached only
by winning the individuals one by one, which is sought by the disciples'
"bold" public ministry (,() in Damascus and Jerusalem.
In Acts 9:130 a thaumaturgie response also prevails. Although
we know Luke's social sensitivity from a number of other passages,
this unit concentrates very much on the personal religious experience.
There are three (!) visions mentioned, two to Saul (cf. 12), and one to
Ananias. The exclusive and individualistic character of the earlier is
obvious from v. 7: the men traveling with Saul "heard the voice but
saw no one". There are several forms of assuring the individual's
Salvation: 1. the promise of future guidance (6); 2. vision of the
"physician" (12); 3. healing by laying on of hands (1718); 4. filling
with the Holy Spirit (1718); 5. baptism (19).
The life and behavior of the disciples in Damascus and Jerusalem,
as presented in the passage, also formulates a Utopian response. The
community proves its solidarity when rescuing Paul two times from
his persecutors (25, 30), the believers have an alternative social
structure with the apostles on the top (27), and they are communicating
their values openly (22, 28) in order to convince others about their
truth.

4.2. Common social and cultural topics

In the story of Paul's conversion we have various kinds of interactions.
Saul interacts with the high priest, the Lord, Ananias, the disciples in
Damascus and Jerusalem, the Jews in the former, and the Hellenists in
the latter, city. In addition we have Ananias' encounter with the Lord,
and Barnabas' meeting with the apostles. We will concentrate on Paul's
person, and discern what sort of social and cultural topics are prevalent
in his story.

24
 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9:11-30

The relationship of Saul with the high priest is based on a patron-

client contract. Saul approaches the high priest, who is of higher
standing by birth. Saul offers his services, and hopes to acquire more
honor through this relationship.
However, on the Damascus road he has to meet an unexpected
challenge. The challenge has an obviously negative, attacking
character. The flashing light blinds Saul, and forces him onto the
ground. The Lord, whom Saul persecutes, wants to deprive him of his
social standing, i.e., of his status as zealous pharisee, and agent of the
high priest. The relationship of master () and slave creates a
new clientship in the life of Saul. The endlessly recurring expressions
of seeing in the middle section of the story, thirteen times in vv. 718,
prove Saul's intensive emotional and mental struggle. He seems to be
the absolute loser in the game. His plans for acquiring honor through
carrying Christians to the high priest are thwarted, and from the highest
degree of ritual purity, the patronage of the high priest, he is sent to
the ultimately impure company of the Gentiles.
It is in this stage of minimum honor that Saul finds a new patron,
that is Ananias. As a next step, he is able to positively answer the
challenge of the disciples in Damascus, hesitant to accept him, and
establishes a "colleague contract" with them. By the occurrence of
"brother" ( in vv. 17 and 30 there is a shift from the patron-
client images to the institution of family. However, his "client" status
seems to be maintained in a sense, if we consider his relationship with
Barnabas, and the number of instances when he is "taken", "brought"
somewhere: 6 (25),
(27), etc. (cf. inner texture).
Saul's honor is finally rehabilitated through his appreciation by the
apostles (2728). To be accepted by them means the same status of
religious purity as the patronage of the high priest from the Jewish
point of view. Here the drama of Saul's fall and ascension ends.
The story of Saul's fall and ascension reflects a general model of
the New Testament narrative. Several stories demonstrate that it is
necessary to lose everything (one's honor) to become worthy for the
Kingdom of Heaven (regain one's honor). It is also clear that the
finishing point of this fall and ascension is not identical with the starting

25
 ISTVN CZACHESZ

point. It is not Saul's original position which is regained in the story.

After loosing his original honor he actually runs into the negative
section of his original honor-scale. But by that time this negative has
become positive for him. This is possible only by the inversion of the
honor-scale. This inversion of the honor scale seems to be a basic
Lukan concept, as introduced in Luke 1:5053. This is already the
time when the eschatological order of values prevails.

4.3. Final cultural topics

Finally we are left with the task of identifying the cultural location of
the text of Acts 9:130. We have to decide whether the text speaks
from the position of a dominant culture; if not, what is the dominant
culture in the text, and which position of the possible four (subculture,
counterculture, contraculture, or liminal culture) the text takes up
against its dominant culture.
The temptation is strong to apply here what we know from other
Lukan passages about the cultural location of Acts and the Third
Gospel. Then the Greco-Roman culture would be dominant, Judaism
would be a subculture, and Christianity a counterculture (or a contra-
culture, alternatively).
First of all, we have to identify what kind of cultural identities are
referred to in the passage. We will find that the most reference is made
to the Church. We have six times, and a number of other
references. "The synagogue" (2, 20) or "the Jews" (22, 23) comes
next. There is absolutely no mention of the Roman empire; the world
outside Israel is evoked only two times: kQvr\ and "kings" (15).
If we examine more closely "the synagogue" or "the Jews", we can
see that they represent a complex cultural phenomenon, which also
includes the "high priest" (1,14,20), the "sons of Israel" ( 15), and the
"Hellenists" (29). This represents actually the whole contemporary
Jewish culture. This complex is presented rather uniformly as the
chief enemy of Christianity. It consists of several social groups, is
supported by the social structures like the synagogue and the
priesthood, and has enough power to persecute to death individuals
(Saul) as well as groups (Damascus church). After all, Jewish culture
can be regarded as the dominant culture of Acts 9:130.

26
 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9:1130

Christianity can take up either of the remaining four positions: the

status of a subculture, counterculture, contraculture, or liminal culture.
What do we know about Christianity from the text? We know that
Christians are "disciples" who follow the teaching that "Jesus is the
Son of God". Their members come from the Jews; laying on of hands
and baptism seal the conversion. They have respected members like
Ananias and Barnabas, and first of all a board named "the apostles".
They live around the synagogue, where they proclaim their message,
and argue with different groups of Jews, who occasionally attack and
persecute them aggressively. We hear only about male adults
participating in their activities.
The picture received this way presents a contraculture. We do not
have knowledge about institutions which would embrace a wider range
of sexes and groups, or ensure the continuity in successive generations.
The contraculture of "the believers" basically accepts the conditions
of the synagogue and the Jewish dominant culture. They argue their
thesis ("Jesus is the Messiah") in this framework.

4.4. Conclusion
We have examined the social and cultural texture of Acts 9:130
separately from the rest of the Lukan corpus. In the first part we found
that the basic religious response of the text is basically conversionist
and thaumaturgie, and slightly Utopian. The moral transformation and
spiritual experience of the individual stands in the foreground. In the
second part we followed the U-shape story of Saul in terms of common
social and cultural topics. In this story Saul unexpectedly loses and
then gains back his honor, but at the same time the whole honor-scale
is inverted. In the final part we described the cultural location of the
text. The story represents a contracultural Christianity against a
dominant Jewish culture.

5. IDEOLOGICAL TEXTURE
We are going to sum up in two main points what we have to say about
the ideological texture of Acts 9:130. First we will analyze the
ideology in the text, then we will examine some ideological structures

27
 ISTVN CZACHESZ

occurring in the interpretation of the text. Before we begin our survey

we have to make two preliminary observations.
A discussion of the ideological texture may suggest that there is
a neutral position, which the exegete attempts to occupy, and from
which it is possible to judge the ideologies inherent in the text and its
interpretations. We would like to suggest an alternative model of the
ideological survey. According to our model the exegete takes up an
ideological position (knowingly or unconsciously), and what occurs
in the interpretation of the ideological texture is a dialogue between
the exegete's ideology on the one hand, and the ideologies of the text
and its interpreters on the other hand. In this discourse the exegete's
ideology actually becomes the part of the ideological texture.
Another remark concerns the ideology in the text and in the
interpretations of the text. It follows from the above argumentation
that the ideology found by any exegete in the text depends on the
exegete's ideology. Similarly to its interpretations, the biblical text
itself will be a partner in the dialogue of ideologies. Each participant
in this conversation will create the others: the ideology in the text will
be created by the ideology of the exegete and of the other
interpretations, the ideology of the exegete by the ideology in the text
and in the examined interpretations, and finally the ideologies of other
interpretations by the ideology within the text and of the exegete.
Referring to Michel Foucault (quoted in izell-Herzberg : 1130ff) we
can assume that all the three participants are subjects and objects in an
ideological discourse, and they do not exist prior to that discourse, but
they are emerging in and being created by the discourse itself.

5.1. Ideology in the text

In order to get a picture of the ideology in the text we are going to
examine what kind of authority is created or affirmed by the text. First
we will pursue an "analytic of power", as introduced by Michel
Foucault and applied by Elizabeth A. Castelli (quoted in Robbins:
182).
As for the system of differentiations in the text, the basic concepts
are derivable from both the inner texture and the social and cultural
intertexture. Earlier we assumed that the social relationships in the

28
 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 9 1 1 - 3 0

text rely on hierarchical distinctions: teacher-disciple, master-slave,

father-son. The supreme source of power is evidently the Lord, whose
direct discourse dominates the narrative. The Lord is also one of the
two agents, who is referred to (six times) by the first person personal
pronoun. The Lord's position is assumed to be that of the teacher and
the master. Ananias is the character who shares this power, he is the
one to whom the most revelation is given, and who is also signified
(two times) by . As the chart of voices also testifies, it is the narrator,
the Lord, and Ananias, who are the main subjects of the discourse. All
the other characters (agents) are in the position of an object. Saul is
the one who is assumed to share the position of power; the Lord's
authority is mediated to him by Ananias. None of the remaining
characters share this position.
In this hierarchical relation of power the Lord acts upon the actions
of Ananias and Paul, and Ananias acts upon the actions of Paul. Their
primary objective is to affirm Paul's position of authority. The foremost
rhetorical tool in promoting this relationship of power and this
objective is the language of epiphany and sacrament. It is significant
that this power is not institutionalized in the board of the apostles.
Although Paul's authority is accepted by the congregation and its
leaders, they are not the source or medium of his power. Paul's authority
has to do rather with the institution of prophecy. According to this
model the Lord endows with power the prophet, who may be accepted
but eventually also rejected by God's people.
The passage thus represents the identification of Pauline Christianity
with the power structure of the prophetic tradition. Paul's authority
seems to be rationalized immediately and to a maximum degree when
he prophesies in the Damascus and Jerusalem churches. His authority
is independent from his recognition by the Jerusalem church, which
is a sharp contrast to Philip's dependence on the apostles in the previous
chapter. The passage claims that the Pauline tradition embodies
authentically the faith in the risen Lord.

5.2. Ideology in the interpretation of the text

Earlier we stated that the ideology in the text is created by the discourse
about the ideological texture. In our case this becomes obvious if we

29
 ISTVN CZACHESZ

think of the eminent role of the Pauline tradition in the churches of the
Reformation. For the Protestant exegesis the authenticity of the Pauline
tradition, as affirmed by the passage, justifies the dominance of the
Pauline theology in the churches of the reformation, especially in the
Lutheran tradition. This is why the historicity of the conversion story
is a primary issue even in literarily oriented commentaries (cf. Johnson:
173). Here we are differentiating between historicity (Faktizitt) and
historicality (Geschichtlichkeit). The latter concerns the historio-
graphical or biographical character of Luke-Acts, the former has to
do with the question whether the event narrated in this unit has taken
place in the given place and time in the way it is told by Luke. In the
historical intertexture we have discussed the historicity of the text,
and attempted to reconstruct the events reported in the passage.
We are left with the task of "deconstructing" the present discourse,
i.e., localizing the ideological position of our exegetical study. Although
this task has to be performedfirstof all by the reader, some observations
can be made here. This section also may allow some autobiographical
considerations.
First, I am eager to learn and apply new approaches in biblical
interpretation. Therefore some pieces of this study may go beyond
my actual exegetical knowledge and powers. Some rhetorical, cultural
and anthropological statements are certainly in need of basic
refinement.
But I am also indebted to a couple of exegetical methods and notions.
That is why historical-critical, literary and formalist approaches may
have pushed into parts of the inner textual and intertextual study, and
maybe also into other sections. But I am also convinced that applying
new methods means the merging of the method with the exegete's
earlier approaches.
Thirdly, in certain issues 1 have experienced and also maintained
a certain distance from the methodological position of socio-rhetorical
criticism. This reluctance is the most palpable in the present section.
The reasons for this distance certainly result from the fact that biblical
exegesis is (as the need for an ideological criticism proves) never free
from the political agenda of a society. Consequently an Eastern-
European exegete necessarily applies a method differently from
American colleagues. Another ideological question concerns the

30
 SOCIO-RHETORICAL EXEGESIS OF ACTS 91130

"churchliness" of the exegesis. The multiple levels or arenas of meaning

seem to do justice to the text, but at the same time make the exegete
withdraw from kerygmatic utterances. The liberal ideology of
pluralism, neutrality and faculty seems to dominate over a monolithic,
biased and churchly discourse. The values of the former are to be
promoted, while the latter is the only possible way to pursue theology
which has relevance for a context in life.

5.3. Conclusion
We set out with the thesis that the ideology in the text, in the tradition
of its interpretations, and in the present exegesis, is created and
maintained by the ideological discourse itself. We have seen that the
passage represents the authenticity of the Pauline tradition; and that
this ideology is explicated and at the same time nurtured by the
Protestant exegesis. Finally we pointed out some ideological
preoccupations of our project, although we are sure that others also
can be found easily.

6. FINAL REMARKS
It is difficult to summarize the results of such a multifaceted project.
The most important result is perhaps that the method worked, and
helped to give new insights about the text. The main results of the
individual sections have been summarized in the relevant conclusions.
The main merit of applying multiple hermeneutical concepts seems
to be that the methods become "demythologized". Merging with each
other their constituting philosophies are neutralized or at least balanced.
The main danger lies in the same process: the exegete may not be able
to control the methods.
Another promising result is the model of the U-shape narrative as
discussed in the social and cultural study. Although the expression
comes from the literary exegete Northrop Frye, its presentation here
is rather connected with anthropological notions. Recently we have
attempted to use this idea as an overarching model for the entire Luke-
Acts. However, much exegetical work is still needed to refine this
concept.

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 ISTVN CZACHESZ

Works quoted

Baltzer, Klaus (1975) Die Biographie der Propheten. Neukirchen-

Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag
Bizell, Patricia and Herzberg, Bruce (1990) The rhetorical
tradition. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press
Haenchen, Ernst (1971) The Acts of the Apostles. Philadelphia:
The Westminster Press
Hubbard, Benjamin J. (1977) "Commissioning stories in Luke
Acts: A study of their antecedents, form and content".
Semeia 8 1131
Johnson, Luke Timothy ( 1992) The Acts of the Apostles. Collegeville,
Minnesota: The Liturgical Press
Mullins, Terence J. ( 1976) "New Testament commission forms,
especially in Luke-Acts". JBL 94/4 603614
Robbins, Vernon K. (1995) Socio-rhetorical criticism and the New
Testament (pre-publication draft)
Quintilian Institutio oratoria. Trans, by H. E. Butler, Loeb Classical
Library, Harvard University Press

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 ^ s
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