This is evidence in fact why you absolutely must, go and read the entire chapter when a brother or sister is trying to make a point and is referencing a single verse.
There is nothing wrong with referencing a single verse when you are sharing an opinion or a point, the danger is when a brother or a sister who should be in the role of LISTENING, doesn’t go and do due diligence and read the entire chapter from which that verse was referenced from.
I have an image I just attached to this post. Our beloved sister being diligent and studious is trying to make a point with an image.
It compares the verse in Acts 9:7
Which reads as follows:
The men who traveled with him >>stood<< speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one. - Acts 9:7
Now it makes a comparison to
And when we all had >>fallen<< to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ - Acts 26:14
So the point at face value is seemingly a good comparison, in Acts 9:7 it states that everyone stood speechless, in Acts 26:14 it says that they all fell to the ground.
What’s going on here? Is our brother Apostile Paul making fast and loose statements?!
Here’s the deal - We could solve this important comparison that our beloved sister @Stormy made.
If we read the whole chapter of Acts 9 and Acts 26 side by side.
But for this post I’m going to quote Acts 9:1-7:
[9 And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man." ]
Now here’s the key in those verses we just read in Acts 9:1-7.
in verse 4 we read that Paul fell to the earth and heard “Saul Saul why persecutest thou me” (just like Acts 24:14)
then we read in verse 6 - THE LORD SPEAKS TO SAUL AND TELLS HIM TO ARISE AND GO INTO THE CITY. After Yeshua tells him that he stands.
So to to reiterate the point Acts 9:7 points to an earlier event AFTER YESHUA TELLS A NOW BLINDED PAUL TO STAND.
whereas the events of Acts 26:14-16 we read:
"14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;"
Notice again verse 16, where Yeshua tells Paul to rise and stand on his feet.
Essentially by quoting one verse out of context, and another verse from another chapter out of context.
We have lost the order of events, and her image is comparing one event, to another event out of order.
Acts 9:7 is DIRECTLY equivalent to Acts 26:16
Where as Acts 9:4 is directly equivalent to Acts 26:14.