Did St. Paul literally go blind on the road to Damascus?

[jredden92]

Is it a metaphor when he says he went blind or does “I once was blind but now I see” mean he once was unaware of how wrong he was for persecuting christians but now he believes after he saw Christ. Did he mean he realized how blind he was?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

It seems to me that the passage is describing physical blindness. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if this particular motif was directly related to his spiritual blindness.

Acts 9:8-9

8: Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.
9: For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

 

[po18guy]

We are going to have to die in a state of grace and ask him to know with certainty. However, notice the similarity between the blindness of Saint Paul and of the elder Tobit in the second chapter of the Book of Tobit.

In both cases, mysterious (to us) presences ministered to Saint Paul and Tobit at God’s request. The Archangel Raphael is mentioned only in the Book of Tobit, but testimony in that book comports exactly with New Testament revelation. As well, the “Ananias” who obeyed God’s command and anointed Saint Paul’s eyes is otherwise unknown in the scriptures.

Saint Raphael literally disappeared from sight and Ananias scripturally disappeared, which I find curious and intriguing.

 

[MidnightMcConnell]

Even after the spiritual/physical blindness it appears that Saul/Paul still carried physical eyesight issues: It doesn’t seem it ever was the same, for [2 Corinthians 12:7], he states about not being exalted, also in [Galatians 6:11] he talks about having to write in large letters and signings with his own handwriting. [Romans 16:22], talks about Tertius helping Paul.

 

[OurLadyofSorrows]

Yes he did really go blind according to Sacred Scripture. He was healed and given the Holy Spirit in town,

 

[Mary888]

His blindness is a sign that his soul was not corrupted, unlike the deeds of his body that was moving against God and thus found blindness. St. Paul has a living soul. May God enlighten us to find remorse as deep as his!