What Does Acts 9:27 Mean?
But Barnabas took hold of him and led him to the sent ones, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken openly in the nature of Jesus.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.THE KEY
To speak in Jesus’ name is to speak from his nature: Saul’s encounter becomes visible to others because Barnabas bears witness to it.
THE MEANING
Your past does not exhaust what others can see of you: what you have encountered becomes visible in what you now speak, and a witness can help others recognize that change. Speaking in Jesus’ name means speaking from the nature of deliverance. Barnabas’s testimony opens space for a community to hear Saul anew.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie this undoes is that your past permanently disqualifies your present words; a true witness can help others recognize what has changed.
THE ROOT
ὄνομα
onoma
GROWS FROM
ὀνομ-
onom-
The Greek word family for name and naming; a name can represent the nature and character of the one named.
“in the nature of Jesus” in this verse is onoma. Here, speaking “in the name” of Jesus means speaking from his nature. Jesus’ Hebrew name, יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua), carries the sense of deliverance, so Saul’s bold speech gives voice to the deliverance he has encountered.
ALSO GROWS
onomazō: To name or call by name
ὀνομάζω
The act of naming brings the one’s identity into speech, clarifying what “in the name” carries here.
onomastos: Named, renowned
ὀνομαστός
A name can carry a person’s recognized character; Saul’s speech now carries the nature of Jesus.
παρρησιάζομαι
parrēsiazomai
GROWS FROM
παρρησι-
parrēsi-
The Greek family of frank, open speech.
“spoke openly” in this verse is parrēsiazomai. The word points to speech made openly and freely. Saul’s encounter does not remain private: it takes audible form in public proclamation.
ALSO GROWS
parrēsia: Openness, frankness, freedom of speech
παρρησία
This noun names the openness heard in Saul’s bold proclamation.
parrēsiazomai: To speak openly or boldly
παρρησιάζομαι
The verb describes Saul giving public voice to what he has encountered.
ὁράω
horaō
GROWS FROM
ὁρα-
hora-
To see or perceive.
Saul’s testimony begins with perception: he has seen the Lord and spoken with him. Barnabas carries that encounter into the community’s hearing, joining what Saul perceives to what others can recognize.
ALSO GROWS
horasis: Sight, vision
ὅρασις
Vision names the act or experience of seeing that stands behind Saul’s testimony.
horatos: Visible, able to be seen
ὁρατός
What Saul has seen becomes visible to others through the witness Barnabas gives.
THE PATTERN
What is seen and heard becomes shareable when it is declared, opening a way for others to recognize and receive it.
Come and hear, all you who stand in awe of God, and I will recount what he has done for my living soul.He answered, Whether he misses the mark or not, I do not know. One thing I know, that I was blind, and now I see.That which we have perceived and heard, we declare to you, so that you also may share in common with us. And truly our sharing in common is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus, the Anointed One.THE THREAD
There is no deliverance in any other, for there is no other nature under heaven given among people by which we must be delivered."Both verses use the Greek word ὄνομα (onoma), “name.” Acts 4:12 ties the name to deliverance; Acts 9:27 shows Saul speaking boldly from the nature of the one he has encountered.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us