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In other words, Is Sauls conversion typical and illustrative of the conversion of every saint, or is it unique, the exceptional case, which has little correspondence to most converts?. Did they think their task would be a simple one? 134 Blaiklock comes to this conclusion concerning the time of Sauls conversion: Probably the earliest acceptable date for the conversion on the Damascus road is AD 33. Thus, persecuting the church was persecuting Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, there must have been those who intended to use Sauls coming to oppose the church. remark on the symmetry with which Luke sets forth the two stories: The simultaneous preparation of the hearts of Ananias and of Saul, and the simultaneous preparation of those of Peter and Cornelius,the questioning and hesitation of Peter and the questioning and hesitation of Ananias,the one doubting whether he might make friendship with the Gentiles, the other doubting whether he might approach the enemy of the Church,the unhesitating obedience of each when the Divine will was made known,the state of mind in which both the Pharisee and the centurion were found,each waiting to see what the Lord would say to them,this close analogy will not be forgotten by those who reverently read the two consecutive chapters. Acts 9:19-23 Saul in Damascus. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. It is here in Acts, for the first time, that Saul is called Paul. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Did Peter and Paul meet? 1:11--2:10; Ephesians 3:1-13; cf. 12and [in a vision] he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay [his] hands on him, that he may regain his sight. The Lord Jesus appeared to Ananias in a vision. 151 The doctrine of total depravity is that every person, every man, woman, and child, has been affected (infected?) 87-89), plays out the two views of Sauls conversion, the first (and seldom held the view of Ramsay), that Saul was suddenly and radically converted; second, that there was a considerable process involved. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life (1 Thessalonians 4:7). (13) As Stephens death, instigated (or at least assisted) by Saul, resulted in an intense and widespread persecution of the churches in Jerusalem and elsewhere, so Sauls conversion seems to have been directly related to the return of peace (cf. 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. In Damascus, the Lord had spoken to a man named Ananias, and the Lord told Ananias to find Saul and to lay his hands on Saul and pray so that Sauls sight would be restored. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see Teaching from the Scriptures, p. a conversion of will, intellect, and emotion, which dictated the abiding purpose and direction of his subsequent life and activity. The Creator of the universe specifying the name of a street and the house in one of His planets. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.. 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. It was a city in the days of Abraham, and at the time of the Israelite monarchy it was the capital of the most important Aramaean kingdom. WebAnd Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, WebYou know someone is coming, perhaps to arrest you for being a Christian. Saul was not content to punish some and to drive the rest from the holy city. He did not want to merely contain Christianity or to drive it from Jerusalem; he wanted to rid the earth of Christianity and its followers. Israel too will look on Him whom they have pierced and mourn. 9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Christian ministry be reconciled with the wealth and prosperity that How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in At this point, the conversion of the hero of the Gentile mission is recounted. Israel was also blind, and Pauls blindness was but a specific example of this blindness: The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. 43* r And he stayed a long time in Joppa with Simon, a tanner. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever, says the Lord. 24n but their plot became known to Saul. When the man asked why he should do this, the pastor said, I dont believe anyone can continue hating someone when they have consistently prayed for that person to be blessed by God. He sent me so that you can All rights reserved. It says nothing about him receiving the Holy Spirit. Saul Preaches in Damascus. Acts 9 Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible It was evidently a term used by the early followers of Jesus to denote their movement as the way of life or the way of salvation. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 181. Acts * [9:2] The Way: a name used by the early Christian community for itself (Acts 18:26; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). The man who, days before, was persecuting Christ was now preaching Christ. Who told Saul to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street? For the remainder of this essay, I will pursue the second option. There is clearly no attempt to establish some kind of pattern or formula for evangelism here, at least as far as methodology is concerned. Unless otherwise noted, all material copyright 2023, Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. 40Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Ananias and Saul: The Story Starts With a Disciple Just as Saul was stopped short by his blindness, so was Bar-Jesus. Who has saved us and called us to a holy lifenot because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. (Philippians 1:4-9). WebActs 9:1. He hears the voice of the Lord crying out to him. When all is said and done, the miracle which took place on the way to Damascus (and likely in Damascus as well) was that Saul saw Jesus as the Son of God, as the Messiah, and as his Savior and Lord: Am I not free? The conversion of Saul, as depicted in our text, was not only a divine call to salvation, but it was also a call to service. This blindness was only removed by faith in Christ, a miracle brought about by divine action: In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see (Isaiah 29:18). He was, indeed, Stephens replacement. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. All Ananias did was to obey Christs command to go pray with Saul so that Saul could do all those things. This is a miracle, a miracle which is all of God, and all of grace. The approach the Lord took was one of dealing with Saul in the light of his sin, of his salvation, and of his ministry. Rising Strong Small Groups Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 17So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit. When he found him, he "laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'" If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 20 Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. 10. The saints (9:32, 41; 26:10; cf. 21 Were you a slave when you were called? 150 It is interesting to ponder the identity of these disciples of Saul. 32As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. Web The children will describe Ananias as a man who helped Saul even though he was afraid. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious (Ezekiel 1:4, 26-28; 2:1-7).143. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1). To Paul, his relationship, by faith, to Jesus Christ was also the beginning of his new relationship to the body of Christ, the church: Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christs afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. It may be that Sauls conversion was the instrument God used to convert these followers of Saul, so that they really were his disciples, in a two-fold sense. Dont let it trouble youalthough if you can gain your freedom, do so. . Not only does the narrator tell the story of Sauls transformation from persecutor to apostle in Acts 9, Saul himself re-tells the story twice when defending himself before persecutors (before the tribune in Jerusalem, Acts 22:1-21; and before Agrippa, Acts 26:1-23). 34Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:17-18; cf. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. This doctrine does not hold that men are as bad as they could be in each area of their life, but that sin has permeated every dimension of a persons life. It does not store any personal data. Hb```f``:Ab,=`.9Z3{x5v\);]c#qea #'&D|z:wyKN,0(t\tbRFhT2thS2(9.`mNbq)-pk^;>:+pq2Ck AUbK=N\2M/`KqGLZS1 $[S|Rd\.9i'9T\.EXdxlYcqb Ananias baptizes Saul, and Saul's eyes are opened. Webb Ananias was successful because he trusted Jesus and he viewed Saul as his brother. But as Saul grew in strength and as his arguments were irrefutable, just as Stephens had been (Acts 6:10), his opponents realized that the only way to silence Saul was to kill him. Imagine for a moment that this is the week of Sauls arrival at Damascus.129 By this time Saul has gained a reputation as the ringleader of the movement to make Christianity extinct. Ananias Those who think themselves worthy of Gods blessings (as many Jews did in that day) are those who are in trouble. They too rebelled against God and forsook His word and persecuted His prophets. How do you calculate working capital for a construction company? Pauls hatred for Christ and His followers was common knowledge. Saul was told at the time of his conversion that God had chosen him to bear witness to the Gentiles, to kings, and to the Jews (9:15). 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinnersof whom I am the worst. Like Stephen, Saul seemed to gravitate toward preaching to the Hellenistic Jews (9:29). By divine revelation, Peter called out Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit and to God. And so, Saul asked the LORD who He was. WebAnanias was afraid of Saul. Ananias 2:7; 2 Tim. Lest anyone think they are too sinful to save, let me remind you that when Paul wrote that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, he quickly added, among whom I am foremost of all.. He amazed everyone because they knew he was speaking the same words as the people he had been persecuting. 2:22, Acts 13:2; 22:21; Rom. There are two primary options for preaching from this text. Acts 9:10-19 Acts 22:12-16 - Webflow It is the very word that Luke will use in 16:10 of the conclusion reached at Troas concerning the vision of Paul. Paul recognized that his ministry was that of bringing the light to those who were lost, including the Gentiles, kings, and his fellow-Israelites: For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth (Acts 13:47). Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped (Isaiah 35:5). (11) Sauls conversion was a watershed event which greatly affected the history of the church. It is here that Paul took the leadership and became the dominant or leading individual, instead of Barnabas. This is why Jesus was so receptive of sinners and so hard on the self-righteous. Ananias Get up and go to the street called Straight, to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. How much does horse riding lessons cost in Bangalore? 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. How much better to petition God to save those whom we are concerned about, a God who desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments (Lamentations 4:14). It is not clear How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Ananias restores Saul's sight - Catholic Courier Introduction: suppose you heard someone was coming to arrest you, or even worse. Even then he knew he wanted to live the life of a religious. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time. And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. At first he found himself in the position of being regarded as an apostate by the Jews and suspect by the Christian community of Jerusalem. Thus, his opposition to Christ and His church took on a missionary spirit. Linking is encouraged, but content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed including, but not limited to such means as framing or other digital copying and/or distribution method, in whole or in part without the publisher's written consent. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. . Obedience is often not easy, but it is very likely the most direct way forward and the clearest way to honor God. What changed about Saul/Paul after Jesus appeared to him? The argument of the Book of Acts is essentially this: The expansion of the gospel through the church as it is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Ananias ), Acts 7:59; 9:2, 21; 1 Cor. 147 The more Saul preached, the more the Jews were confused. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. There are affinities between his conversion experience and Ezekiels inaugural vision, in which the prophet saw the likeness of the heavenly throne and above it a likeness as it were of a human form (Ezek. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isaiah 59:15b60:13). But as I see the call of God referred to in the New Testament, it seems that the call of salvation assumes other callings, to which Paul and other New Testament writers made frequent reference: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1). and the other is a deceptive, self-serving half-truth from people interested 3:7, 8; 1 Tim. 27Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. The account records their sudden deaths after lying to the Holy Spirit about money. Impatient men forget that God is not bound by time. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. The common characteristics of conversion are those on which I would like to focus in the conversion of Saul. 1:19; Rom. See Appendix B for information on Sauls Theology in the Book of Romans. Also, Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory (Isaiah 60:19). It is the invitation for sinful Israelites to be saved, by repenting and calling on the name of the Lord for salvation: Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Fourth, if we had all the facts, there would be no problem. But the gospel is good news for sinners. And thus, in Gods time, Saul was dramatically converted, seeing the Christ whom he had been persecuting, risen from the dead and in His heavenly glory. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Why did Ananias go to Paul? ProfoundQa 15:8; Gal. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". In the place of Ananias we would fear that it might not work out, and the consequences could be very serious. 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. Thus, he did not use the method of many others, which was man-centered, not Christ-centered: For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void. The Lord told him, Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. At first Ananias was afraid because he knew how Saul persecuted the Christians, but the Lord said that Saul had a special ministry he must fulfill. There is more space devoted to convincing Ananias than there is to the conversion of Saul. This divine illumination is that miracle which God performs within a lost, blinded, dead soul, so as to bring about salvation: 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 129 By this time Saul has gained a reputation as the ringleader of the movement to make Christianity extinct. He sought to preach Christ in simplicity and not in a way that would detract from Him. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight (Acts 9:10-12). If the blinding of Saul was a major turning point in his life, so was the blinding of Bar-Jesus. 154 What is both interesting and important about this text is that the call of salvation does not necessarily require a change of career. Ananias came to Saul with grace to liberate him from his wrong-headed beliefs and open his heart to Jesus. Sermon Seeds: The Way Forward - United Church of Christ More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to his death (Philippians 3:7-10). There is a great deal of information we are not given, and thus we cannot be dogmatic about our conclusions. Frequent biblical texts speak of God in terms of light: You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game (Psalm 76:4). 10Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus (A)named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias., 11So the Lord said to him, Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul (B)of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. With the conversion of Saul, persecution of the church did not stop, for now some of the Hellenistic Jews were opposing his preaching (and no doubt, the church at large as well). Not knowing what had happened, she, too, lied about the offering and was also struck dead (Acts 5:111). Ananias (/nnas/ AN--NY-s; Ancient Greek: from Hebrew , Hananiah, favoured of the LORD) was a disciple of Jesus at Damascus mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, which describes how he was sent by Jesus to restore the sight of Saul of Tarsus (who later was called Paul the Apostle) and . 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. Those things in which Saul would have formerly trusted for his standing before God, he saw in an entirely different light after God found him and saved him: 4b If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. Ananias would have lost a human beings greatest privilege, of being an agent of the Lord (like an angel of the Lord). In the process, Saul was to greatly extend the outreach of the gospel to the Gentiles. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, It is evident in the way he was saved. Saul was not aware, until after our Lords words, that the One who had interrupted his journey was Jesus, and that Jesus was, indeed, the Messiah, the LORD, but he was certain, at this point, that whoever this One was, He was the LORD. Rather than attempt to pacify Ananias or to alleviate his apprehension, God went on to tell him that Saul would not only be a brother, but he would be His instrument for bringing the gospel to Gentiles too. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 116-117. It lay within the jurisdiction of the Roman province of Syria, and it formed part of the Decapolis, a league of self-governing cities. `}Hq)l2hZ0r89asO70Da`qg Those who call upon your name echoes 2:21 (Joel 2:32) and recurs in 22:16 in a command to Paul himself to be baptized . The salvation of Saul was to result in the gospel being preached to distant people and lands, and in the extension of the church to many key cities. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. ESCAPES IN A BASKET Salvation is a revolution, not an evolution. Ananias and Saul in Damascus. Start FREE. What was Ananias role in Sauls conversion to Christianity? As he himself understood the heavenly voice which said to him at his baptism, You are my Son (Mark 1:11 par. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Would the church not have undertaken the task of discipling these folks? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". When he was still very young, Michael was hired out as a shepherd boy. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Barnabas, one of the Christians, assured them Sauls faith was genuine. to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Acts 26:18). 2 Corinthians 4:14; cf. The results of Sauls preaching were predictable, very much like the response Saul would have had (or did have) to the preaching of the gospel before his conversion. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). Our text presents Saul as a man who was not only running from God, but one who was actively opposing Him. WebThe Lord called to him in a vision, o Ananias!. a. Pauls conversion is one of the great stories of the early church, and it has rightfully inspired Christians from every generation. Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus and was helpful to the Lord. WebSaul had come to Damascus with letters from the authorities in Jerusalem to find followers of Jesus and arrest them. The couple wanted to appear as outstanding church members, but they didnt want to part with their possessions. 19 From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1:18). Enough revelation for the moment. * [9:1930] This is a brief resume of Pauls initial experience as an apostolic preacher. But beyond this, his conversion totally changed the remainder of his life. ,/1Xa} V= endstream endobj 133 0 obj 634 endobj 94 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 88 0 R /Resources 95 0 R /Contents [ 98 0 R 100 0 R 102 0 R 104 0 R 122 0 R 124 0 R 126 0 R 129 0 R ] /MediaBox [ 0 0 792 612 ] /CropBox [ 0 0 792 612 ] /Rotate 0 >> endobj 95 0 obj << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB ] /Font << /F1 109 0 R /F3 106 0 R /F4 107 0 R /F6 118 0 R /F7 116 0 R >> /XObject << /Im1 127 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 131 0 R /GS2 130 0 R >> /ColorSpace << /Cs5 96 0 R >> >> endobj 96 0 obj [ /CalRGB << /WhitePoint [ 0.9505 1 1.089 ] /Gamma [ 2.22221 2.22221 2.22221 ] /Matrix [ 0.4124 0.2126 0.0193 0.3576 0.71519 0.1192 0.1805 0.0722 0.9505 ] >> ] endobj 97 0 obj 1512 endobj 98 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 97 0 R >> stream Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? sight. . 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, Please come to us without delay. 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christtheir Lord and ours 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 9).