“J. L.” asks for an explanation of the apparent contradiction between Acts 9:77And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. (Acts 9:7) and Acts 22:99And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. (Acts 22:9). It would seem from the narrative, that Saul’s companions heard, with their outward ear, a voice or sound which conveyed no intelligible, personal message to their hearts. Saul, on the contrary, not only heard with his ear a voice or sound, but heard in the depths of his soul a message—a clear, full, pointed message, which went direct to his heart and conscience. Hence he might well say, “They heard not the voice of Him that spake to me.” Here was the point. Jesus of Nazareth had a message which was intended only for the heart of Saul of Tarsus, though the vehicle by which that message was conveyed was a voice which, of necessity, fell on the ears of his companions in travel. The voice fell on the ears of all; the message which that voice conveyed reached the heart of but one.
How often may we see something like this on a smaller scale! A preacher addresses a congregation; his voice is heard by all; but it may happen that a few hear, not only the voice of the preacher, but the voice of Jesus speaking to their hearts. It is one thing to hear a preacher, and quite another thing to hear the voice of the Son of God speaking in quickening power to the soul. This latter is what is needed. Nothing less will do. There is life in the voice of Jesus; and while the vehicle through which that voice is conveyed may be a sound, falling on the outward ear of thousands, yet is the message only brought home to the hearts of those for whom it is intended. The external circumstances of a man’s conversion may he visible to all; the voice that converts is heard only by the man himself.