But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'
Acts 26:16-18

We understand from (v.15) that it was Jesus Himself who was speaking to Paul. Understand: This was a special circumstance during the transitional time of Acts, and Paul was being commissioned to be an Apostle. Why are these important facts to remember? Jesus does not appear to or speak audibly to people now. Not that He can’t but He doesn’t. The normal way God leads us today is through His written Word, the Bible.

Though the details of Paul’s commission is not the normal specific way the Lord leads us, there is an aspect of what Paul received from the Lord that is generally true for all believers. Paul’s was an Apostolic commission to be a witness for Christ urging others to believe in and follow the Lord (v.16-18). Though we are not commissioned to be Apostles in the formal sense, all believers are commissioned to be witnesses for Christ urging others to believe in and follow the Lord (Matthew 28:18-20).

In the next verse (v.19) Paul recounts that he “was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” May we, like Paul, be obedient to the Great Commission we have all received, to make disciples. Let us do so by passing on what we know of the Lord, trusting that the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of the lost, turning them from darkness to light, and forgiving their sins even as He has graciously forgiven ours.