134 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger Peter will be the first, unwittingly and despite his profound resistance, who is used by God to announce the gospel to non-Jews and to witness the gift of the Holy Spirit to them. Peter’s portrait will form the third story of the present series ([BA’] 9:31–11:18). Saul’s story opens in Ierousalem, with the name of Saul and the theme of persecution making a link back to the first mention of his name (7:58; 8:1a.3). The setting then transfers to Damascus where a new character, Ananias, is introduced and where Saul stays with the disciples after his baptism, preaching in the synagogues. However, on account of the per- secution that arises against him within the synagogues, Saul has to flee to Ierousalem where Barnabas reappears (cf. 4:36) to introduce Saul to the apostles, but it is not long before he also has to leave there amidst continued hostility and return to his home town of Tarsus. The story falls clearly into three episodes, [A], [B] and [A’], with the central one describing the mission entrusted by Jesus to Saul. The final episode is made up of three smaller scenes, [A’A] [A’B] [A’A’]: [A] 9:1-9 Saul’s encounter with Jesus [B 9:10-19a Ananias 9:19b-30 Saul among the disciples [A’] [A’A] 9:19b-22 Saul in Damascus [A’B] 9:23-25 The plot of the Jews 9:26-30 Saul in Ierousalem [A’A’] Translation ‘Western’ Text Codex Vaticanus B03 [Aa] 1 Saul, still breathing threats and 1 Saul, because he was breathing murder against the disciples of threats and murder against the the Lord, went to the High Priest disciples of the Lord, went to the 2 and asked for letters from him High Priest 2 and asked for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so from him to the synagogues in that if he found anyone from this Damascus, so that if he found anyone ‘Way’, whether men or women, he who belonged to the ‘Way’, whether could arrest them and bring them men or women, he could arrest them to Ierousalem. and bring them to Ierousalem. [b] 3 In the course of his journey, he 3 In the course of his journey, he had reached the point where he was had reached the point where he was getting near to Damascus when getting near to Damascus when suddenly there flashed around him suddenly around him there flashed a a light from heaven. light out of heaven.