Various theologians argue whether Saul was called or converted on the road to Damascus. This essay enters the call/converted dialogue and suspects Saul’s transforming and illuminating experience on the road to Damascus stripped Saul down to his fundamental identity. Examining Saul’s experience found in Acts 9, specifically verses 8-9 and 18a, reveals that Saul went physically blind(9:8) then as his sight was restored scales fell from his eyes(9:18). First, a historical understanding of blindness highlights loss of sight as a physical ailment with a metaphorical expression. Next this essay focuses on the moment of healing for Saul, especially the expression, “An immediately something like scales [lepis] fell from his eyes and his sight was …show more content…
Not only was the blind population considered helpless and thus pitied, blindness was connected with divine punishment for sin. Furthermore, in many ancient texts physical blindness was associated with spiritual blindness. Physiognomic understandings of physical blindness as an expression of inner moral deficiencies existed for various physical traits. Additionally, ancient physiognomy handbooks reveal how cultures understood physical ailments as expressions of moral failings. Turning to Acts 9 reveals that Saul’s story contains many of the metaphorical aspects of blindness. First, once Saul is blinded by the light the text states that Saul was led by the hand into Damascus. This once powerful and destructive leader was instantly left helpless. Furthermore, Saul’s companions pitied him which inspired them to help Saul. He went from leading an assault against The Way in Damascus, to being led by the hand helplessly blind into Damascus. Next, Saul’s blindness results from a meeting with the divine. The text does not articulate that Saul’s blinding was a result from sin or divine punishment, though one could see Saul’s persecution as his moral deficiency. Moreover, ancient audiences would have known of various narratives in which a meeting with the divine left the witness physically altered. Thus, Saul’s consequence from an interaction with God was not uncommon. After …show more content…
On a metaphorical level though, a whole new layer of meaning is apparent. Saul’s spiritual eyes have to some extent been opened as he now realizes that he has been persecuting the Christ; yet, he is still blind because he does not understand this Christ or anything about him. His spiritual eyes have been opened, but his spiritual vision is still lacking—his eyes are opened, but he is
However, in the first book of Samuel, Saul does not possess the quality of self awareness. This can be because Saul ...
My idea of blindness came from the movie. In the movie, the blind move slowly and never laugh. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs. The blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to”(4). This way, Carver shows how blindness can hold back people in the world today.
Background: The history of Saul is thought to have ended at the battle at Mount Gilboa, but summarized as follows: after falling in battle the evil spirit that God set upon him became his Beast, in horror and shame he pulled himself from the wall Beth-shan and fled into the night. History would have you believe that his body had been burned. Convinced that he had fully fallen out out of God’s grace, he turned to prayer and a path of redemption. He had hoped that meditation, prayer along with other abnegation techniques could quell the Beast, however nothing could for long.
According to Dr. Derek W. H. Thomas, "The conversion of Saul of Tarsus must surely rank among one of the most significant events, not just in church history but also–certainly that–but in world history." Saul persecuted Christians and was an eyewitn...
Sight is a very important sense to a human being. It is one of the things generally taken for granted, but without it, many people would find themselves helpless and lost. The eyes are used to navigate, to interact, and to learn. However, even with sight people can still go astray and often become oblivious to the most apparent truths. This mental blindness can be more detrimental to one’s life than physical blindness. In the play Oedipus Rex, the title character Oedipus suffers from this kind of blindness. He is blinded from the truth his whole life, thus leading to his unfortunate fate. In the characters of Oedipus and Teiresias, Sophocles uses blind and sight as motif to effectively show how one’s uncontrolled emotions are blinding, and why physical sight is not needed for one to see the truth.
The theme in the story of being able to see without sight is revealed through the characters in the story "Cathedral." The husband is very judgmental, self-centered and shows a lack of knowledge about blind people. This is obvious when he states, "My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind move slowly and never laugh (1152). The husband is so quick to judge and thinks he already knows everything about blind people and how they are, so he makes it clear he was not looking forward to the blind man being in his house ...
In the play, Oedipus the King, blindness is used metaphorically and physically to characterize several personas , and the images of clarity and vision are used as symbols for knowledge and insight. Enlightenment and darkness are used in much the same manner, to demonstrate the darkness of ignorance, and the irony of vision without sight.
In analyzing the script we found many references to sight, seeing, and blindness. These references are easily tied to an image. The bleeding eyes of Oedipus stood out to all of us. The image of the god’s eyes watching the predestined fate of Oedipus appeared valid. Images of eyes being fractured, stabbed, and broken seemed relevant as well. Eyes became our tracked image. Script references and conceptual context are connected to this image of the eye. The eye that is blind to the truth and only sees when it is blinded. The image of the bleeding eye stands out as part of our concept. I will incorporate our overall design concept to costuming with the use of geometric shapes, lines of costumes, and dark, washed out
This is the foundation for why Oedipus was blinded to his fate. Though Tiresias, the blind prophet, lacks the ability to see with his natural eyes, he possesses an insight into the lives of others. Oedipus believes his act of self-blinding was a justification and payment for his actions. It required a blind man to show Oedipus his own blind state of the tragic fate that was set before him. Oedipus believes his act of self-blinding was a payment for his actions he did according to his destiny. Now, he is no longer in a state to inflict plagues and heartbreak on those around him. Oedipus the king, now Oedipus the commoner, pays the ultimate price for the deeds he has done, permanent exile from those he loves and holds
Many times people are blind to the truth that is right in front of them. The solution to their problems may have been blatantly obvious, however, they could not actually “see” their answer by their blindness to the truth. There have been instances where being blind is not actually a handicap, but more of a tool to see things to a deeper meaning. Although the blind may not have physical sight, they have another kind of vision. In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, Tiresias, the blind prophet, addresses the truth of the prophecy to Oedipus and Jocasta. Oedipus has been blind to the truth of the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother his whole life. Once Oedipus discovers the truth, he loses his physical vision by blinding himself. Within these cases, the central theme of blindness can be expressed by Oedipus’s ignorance to see the higher vision- the truth
In Oedipus the King, Sophocles uses Oedipus and various other characters to convey the theme of blindness. King Oedipus ruled over Thebes, after solving the Sphinx’s riddle. After Oedipus is victorious over the sphinx, Oedipus becomes swollen with hubris leading into his figurative and literal blindness throughout the book. The author, Sophocles uses a blind seer to convey the sense that a physically blind man can know more about the issues concerning Thebes over their respected rulers Oedipus, and Jocasta who were not physically blind like the blind seer. Oedipus was not only just blind to the issues concerning Thebes he was blind to almost everything else. Then when the truth comes out blindness is even emphasized more with Oedipus blinding his self physically. His hubris is caused by many things one may be him thinking he has evaded his cursed prophecy, and even having his own townspeople pray to him as if he were one of the God’s. Blindness in Oedipus Rex was both literal and figurative. People can be physically blind as well as be blinded by the truth figuratively.
He then came out destitute to vision meaning he cannot see the abyss he has created. The person who can see this is the Prophet, Teiresias, who happens to be blind, which makes this ironic.
Ironically, this causes the king to gouge out his eyes, which have been blind to the truth for so long. He screams, You, you'll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused! Too long you looked on the ones you never should have seen, blind to the ones you longed to see, to know! Blind from this hour on! Blind in the darkness—blind! Oedipus furthers Sophocles' sight metaphor when he defends his decision to humble himself through blindness: "What good were eyes to me?
Paul was blinded for three days and neither ate nor drank during that time. In Damascus, there was a certain disciple named Ananias. The Lord came to him in a vision. In that dream the Lord commanded Ananias to look for Paul and put his hands on him that he may receive his sight.
He believed that he should “have forbidden myself to see – having commanded” (1380). He “forbids” himself to see the shame and guilt he brought upon himself by punishing himself before anyone else can punish him. He does not allow himself to see as an act of superiority and a sacrifice. In order to be pitied by the people of Thebes, how often is a blind man punished. A man who cannot see his sin cannot sin.