Καὶ ὧδε ἔχει ἐξουσίαν παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων δῆσαι πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους τὸ ὄνομά σου. (Acts 9:14)
This verse appears in the climactic narrative of Saul’s conversion (Acts 9:1–19), one of the most theologically charged transformations in early Christian history. Spoken by Ananias, Acts 9:14 is part of his hesitant response to the Lord’s command to visit Saul—who until that moment was known as a fierce persecutor.
The verse functions as an accusation wrapped in concern: Saul possesses authority from the high priests to bind all who call upon the name of Jesus. It reflects the legal threat against the earliest believers, and foregrounds the tension between human authority and divine calling, setting the stage for Saul’s radical reorientation in verse 15.
Structural Analysis
The verse unfolds with structured clarity:
– καὶ ὧδε ἔχει ἐξουσίαν – “and here he has authority”
– παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων – “from the high priests”
– δῆσαι – “to bind”
– πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους τὸ ὄνομά σου – “all who call upon your name”
This clause flows from subject (he) → possession (has authority) → source (from priests) → infinitive verb (to bind) → object (those invoking the name).
Each element builds a rhetorical crescendo: Saul is not acting alone, but under official sanction; he is not threatening one or two people, but all who invoke the name; the action at stake is not trivial, but arrest and imprisonment.
Semantic Nuances
– ἔχει ἐξουσίαν – From ἔχω (“to have”) and ἐξουσία (“authority, right, jurisdiction”). Not mere ability, but sanctioned power, often political or legal in nature (cf. John 19:10–11; Revelation 13:7).
– παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων – The preposition παρά with genitive implies source or origination: Saul’s authority comes from the high priests. It echoes the Sanhedrin’s judicial reach, especially concerning heresy and blasphemy.
– δῆσαι – Aorist infinitive from δέω, “to bind.” Common in contexts of imprisonment or legal restraint (e.g., Acts 21:11). The aorist infinitive indicates a definite, targeted action, not ongoing harassment but intended capture.
– τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους – Present middle participle of ἐπικαλέω, “to call upon, invoke.” The participle denotes repeated, identifying action: those who habitually or continually call upon the name of Jesus. This is not casual mention—it denotes prayer, allegiance, and liturgical identity (cf. Romans 10:13).
– τὸ ὄνομά σου – “Your name”: in Hebraic thought, the name is synonymous with personhood, authority, and essence. Calling upon the name is a way of invoking divine presence (cf. Joel 2:32 LXX; Acts 2:21).
This verse portrays a legal weapon aimed at a liturgically-defined community: those whose identity is marked by invocation of the name of Jesus.
Syntactical Insight
– ὧδε ἔχει ἐξουσίαν – The adverb ὧδε (“here”) fronted for local emphasis: the threat is not distant—it is here and now. The main clause places Saul as the implied subject who holds authority.
– παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων – Modifies ἐξουσίαν, indicating the juridical source. The use of παρά rather than ἀπὸ highlights delegated trust rather than mere origin.
– δῆσαι πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους – The infinitive clause functions as complementary purpose: what is the authority for? To bind. The object is an expansive πάντας (all)—a totalizing target—qualified by the substantival participle τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους.
– ὄνομά σου – The final phrase holds climactic weight: it is the name of Jesus that draws Saul’s attention, and that draws divine protection in the very next verse (Acts 9:15). Syntax and suspense converge.
This sentence is not only grammatically well-formed—it is rhetorically dangerous.
Historical and Cultural Background
In the first-century Jewish context, the high priest held both religious and political power under Roman tolerance. The Sanhedrin could request extradition rights (cf. Acts 26:10), and Saul’s mission to Damascus likely had legal precedent.
Those who “called on the name” of Jesus were not just religious dissenters—they were public threats to temple authority, especially if they were proclaiming the crucified Jesus as Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:36). This claim directly challenged the priestly cultus centered in Jerusalem.
The invocation of the name likely involved baptismal confessions (Acts 2:38) and communal prayer (Acts 4:24–30). Saul, then, is attempting to silence a liturgical revolution by using the legal tools of the establishment.
Intertextuality
– Acts 2:21 – “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Quoted from Joel 2:32. The verb used here is ἐπικαλέσηται (aorist middle subjunctive of the deponent ἐπικαλέομαι), and the noun ὄνομα (“name”) matches Acts 9:14. Both passages describe those whose identity is marked by the invocation of the divine name—those whom Saul targets are precisely those whom God promises to save.
– Acts 7:59 – Stephen calls upon Jesus as he is martyred: “Κύριε Ἰησοῦ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου.” The invocation becomes an act of surrender.
– Romans 10:13 – Paul, post-conversion, affirms this same truth: “πᾶς γὰρ ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου σωθήσεται.”
The irony is stunning: the man who sought to bind the callers becomes the one who proclaims calling as the path to salvation.
Hermeneutical Reflection
At first glance, this verse is a historical note—a record of Saul’s authority. But in the Greek, it becomes a window into spiritual war, religious identity, and the cost of invocation.
To call upon the name of Jesus in Acts was not a private act—it was a political and spiritual declaration. It put one at odds with Rome, the Sanhedrin, and even Saul of Tarsus. The participle ἐπικαλουμένους is a mark of allegiance.
Even today, this raises questions: Do we call on the name as a liturgical habit, or as a defining identity? Do we invoke it with risk, or just with ritual? Are we ready to be bound for the name we claim?
The Greek text invites us to dwell not just on Saul’s authority—but on the power of the name.
The Name That Provokes Chains
In Acts 9:14, a single phrase holds the whole story together: τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους τὸ ὄνομά σου. It defines the community. It defines the threat. It defines Saul’s mission—and it becomes the very pathway to his undoing.
The name of Jesus does not just provoke worship—it provokes conflict. And the Greek shows us why: to call is to claim. To invoke the name is to invite allegiance, intimacy, and warfare.
Saul would soon learn that the one he sought to bind had already bound him with grace. But in this verse, the chains are still real. The name is still dangerous. And the syntax tells the story of a war waged through words, confessions, and unyielding faith.
