Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

9.3 As he was travelling and
approaching Damascus,
suddenly a light from heaven
flashed around him.
4 He fell to the earth
and heard a voice saving to him,
"Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting
me?"
5 He asked, "Who
are you. Lord?" The reply came,
"I am Jesus,
whom you are persecuting.
6 But get up and enter
the city, and you will be told
what you are to do".
FROM THE GOSPELS TO JESUS
22.6 'While I was travelling
and approaching Damascus.
about noon
a great light from heaven
suddenly
shone about me.
7 I fell to the ground
and heard a voice saving to me,
"Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting
me?"
8 I answered, "Who
are you. Lord?" Then he said to
me, "I am Jesus of Nazareth
whom you are persecuting". 9
Now those who were with me
saw the light but did not hear
the voice of the one who was
speaking to me. 10 I asked,
"What am I to do, Lord?" The
Lord said to me, "Get up and go
to Damascus; there you will be
told everything that has been
assigned to you to do'".
§8.4
26.12 'I was travelling
to Damascus with the authority
and commission of the chief
priests, 13 when at midday
along the road, your
Excellency, I saw a light from
heaven, brighter than the sun,
shining around me and my
companions. 14 When we had
all fallen to the earth. 1
heard a voice saving to me in
the Hebrew language, "Saul.
Saul, why are you persecuting
me? It hurts you to kick against
the goads". 15 I asked, "Who
are you. Lord?" The Lord said,
"I am Jesus
whom you are persecuting.
16 But get up and stand
on your feet;...'".
Here, then, we have an excellent example of the oral principle of 'variation
within the same', and specifically of Bailey's finding that the key point in the
story will be held constant, while the supporting details can vary according to the
circumstances. In this case in particular, the second account is clearly angled to
bring out Saul's Jewish identity (22.3, 17; also Ananias — 22.12) and the account
of the heavenly commission delayed for dramatic effect (22.17-21), whereas the
third account functions as part of Paul's defence by implying that Paul's commission
was part of Israel's commission (26.18, 23). 192 In short, what becomes evident
here is the fact that Luke was himself a good story-teller and that his retelling
the story of Paul's conversion is a good example not simply of the use of oral tradition
in a written work, but of the oral traditioning process itself.
b. The Centurion's Servant
Within the Gospel tradition itself, one of the most intriguing episodes is the one
recorded in Matt. 8.5-13 and Luke 7.1-10 (with a likely parallel in John 4.46b-
54). The first point of interest is that the pericope is usually credited to Q, despite
it being a narrative and despite there being no parallel to such an episode being
192. Note the echoes of Isa. 42.6, 16 and 49.6.
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