Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight,. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10). It was, of course, Ananias who instructed Saul to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). It is a miraculous, dramatic reversal, first of ones beliefs, and then of ones behavior. 1. It is impossible to overestimate the worth to the student of Christianity of this event from every angle because we have in Pauls Epistles his own emphasis on the actual appearance of Jesus to him as the fact that changed his whole life (1 Cor. The words which Ananias spoke to Saul indicate he was also to lay hands on him so that he would receive the Holy Spirit (9:17). But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. With the help of a priest who knew his parents he was allowed to attend religious school. Amen. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Up till now, Jesus was the sinner, and Saul was the saint. 27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. Ananias had not only heard of how Saul had been systematically destroying the church in Jerusalem, hunting down men and women and turning them over to the authorities, but also knew that he was on the march to Damascus, ready to destroy that church as well. WebThe last time they saw Saul, he was arresting and killing Christians. When Ananias placed his hands on Saul he was filled with the Holy Spirit, healed of his blindness, received water baptism, and began to eat and regain his strength. Did they think their task would be a simple one? Hd7/`l@TM0h#`C2 +u-AsQ3j++&?Fu7_[1_?a^J> How humorous it seems to hear Ananias informing the Lord that Saul was an enemy, one who had caused many Christians great suffering and adversity, as though He was unaware of this! 132 The impact of Sauls conversion on his message and his ministry is testified to by A. T. Robertson: Luke evidently attached great importance to the story of Sauls conversion as the turning point not simply in the career of the man, but an epoch in the history of apostolic Christianity. His conversion was by far the most vital influence in Pauls life. 2. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. Paul would make much more of this point in the first chapter of Galatians. . 1:26); but for Saul the one who bore a human form identified himself as a historical person: `I am Jesus. Few of Sauls distinctive insights into the significance of the gospel cannot be traced back to the Damascus-road event, or to the outworking of that event in his life and thought. The words and actions of Ananias are an evidence of his faith and obedience to the divine commission he was given, as outlined by Luke in the verses above. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Saul got help, though, from a man named Barnabas. The good news of the gospel is that Christ Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). WebAnanias was afraid of Saul. Handed down. Only a radical conversion can produce this attitude in the life of a man like Saul: For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:8). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This three-fold repetition is a clear indication of the importance of this event, especially in the themes Luke is seeking to develop in the Book of Acts. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.. 151 The doctrine of total depravity is that every person, every man, woman, and child, has been affected (infected?) . The famous story of St. Pauls conversion from being an outrageous persecutor of the gospel of Christ to be an illustrious professor and preacher of it. He spoke of salvation as dying to the old manner of living and as rising from the dead in order to live an entirely new life (Romans 6). Thus, whenever he spoke of his conversion and his call to ministry, he always spoke of this incident as an act of divine grace, of Gods unmerited favor, of an act of mercy toward him: I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:15-16). The blinding of Bar-Jesus thus seems to be the second major turning point in the ministry of Paul. They wanted to keep Gods blessings to themselves. He was to come to the earth as the great light, the light to the Gentiles, and so He did. When one looks at all the references to this event, it was, in fact, a personal appearance of the risen, glorified Jesus to Saul (cf. WebSaul/Paul was a pretty mean guy who persecuted Christians. There is not so much as a hint that anyone prayed for Sauls salvation or took the initiative to bring it about. The same grace which was shown to Saul in his salvation is shown to all whom God calls to Himself: 8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Colossians 1:13-19). To persecute them was to persecute Him. Lesson Text Acts 9:1-19 Scripture Memory Verse (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. (11) Sauls conversion was a watershed event which greatly affected the history of the church. Impatient men forget that God is not bound by time. l. [9:14] 9:12; 26:10; 1Cor 1:2; 2Tm 2:22. While Saul in solitude at the house of Judas continued in prayer and supplication, the Lord appeared in a vision to a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, telling him that Saul of Tarsus was praying and in need of help. Despite the threats Saul had made and his notorious track record of persecuting, arresting and even affirming the execution of Christians, Ananias, whose Rather, he sought the arrest, trial, conviction, and punishment (with imprisonment the norm and death the ideal, it would seem) of those in Jerusalem. "how many things he must suffer for Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus and was helpful to the Lord. 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. It was just such a miracle which gave Saul his spiritual sight, as he received back his physical sight. Few Christians will encounter the risen, glorified Lord as Saul did here. Nothing is more evident in the account of Sauls conversion than his radical reversal. He is trying to inform God of whats going on. It was almost as though Saul had looked intently into the beam of an intensely powerful carbon-act light, the kind used as search lights. 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. Enough revelation for the moment. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Jesus words, Why are you persecuting Me?, clearly implied that Sauls persecution of the church was a persecution of the Lord. WebSauls Baptism. 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. The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is difficult. Here, Saul was only told that it was Jesus whom he saw, who was speaking to him, and whom he was persecuting. How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:8-11). 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? There is clearly no attempt to establish some kind of pattern or formula for evangelism here, at least as far as methodology is concerned. Why this swift act of judgment? a conversion of will, intellect, and emotion, which dictated the abiding purpose and direction of his subsequent life and activity. Sauls Baptism. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. No sinner is beyond the grace and the grasp of God. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. 1 What happened to Ananias and Sapphira as a result of lying to God? No doubt entered the mind of Saul that the In the end, then, Ananias decision to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street (verse 11) to lay hands on Saul was a decision to risk his life to do the will of God. This would leave AD 33-46 for the visit to Arabia (Gal. 15:10; Gal. The Lord Jesus appeared to Ananias in a vision. ,%d/3o3o6jda=|4S-LJ3ajLcNfZyV;CkCl>390q {KQ0lQ)0>~cy:CJkP|4M-\v Jesus was LORD and not a false prophet! Or did they somewhat dread his arrival, knowing how zealous he was in his opposition to the church. 130 In our text, we are told the Saul went to the high priest to ask for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus (9:1-2), but in Acts 22:5-6 Paul indicates that the Council (the Sanhedrin) was also involved in providing him with letters of authorization to arrest Christians in Damascus. Web3. Even then he knew he wanted to live the life of a religious. I very much doubt anyone prayed that this Saul might be saved. The risen Lord selected Saul out of the group with which he was traveling to hear, to see Him, and to understand His words. For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.. 5 How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way,137 both men and women,138 he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (10) Sauls encounter with Christ was not only a conversion, but it was also a call to a very specific ministry. With the help of Ananias, he was transformed into a follower of Jesus and became one of the most well-known evangelists ever. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 32As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lords wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. Peter Heals Aeneas at Lydda. WebThats when Ananias heard a word from the Lord. How old was Jesus when he was crucified? And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. He sent me so that you can To establish the congregations identity with Ananias, the preacher might want to begin in the middle of the passage which actually looks back to Acts 8:1-3 (and 9:1). 12 It teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hopethe glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:12-14). (2) Sauls salvation was exclusively the work of a sovereign God. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. I. Howard Marshall summarizes the problem in these words: Nevertheless, we obtain a different impression of things from Galatians 1:16-24, according to which (1) Paul did not confer with men after his conversion nor go to the apostles in Jerusalem, but (2) departed to Arabia and then returned to Damascus; then (3) three years later he went to Jerusalem for a visit lasting a fortnight during which he saw only Peter and James, and at this time he was unknown by sight to the churches of Judea; thereafter (4) he went to Syria and Cilicia. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Pauls hatred for Christ and His followers was common knowledge. 22But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded [the] Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah. It was Gods initiative all the way. Shortly afterwards, the Lord spoke to a disciple named Ananias, asking him to go to Saul, place his hands on him, and restore his sight. Sapphira). Sauls conversion was a miracle, short and simple, but not so much the result of the external miracle of the bright light and the voice of the Lord as the internal transformation and illumination which God wrought: 15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man (Galatians 1:15-16). OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? Lesson Text Acts 9:1-19 Scripture Memory Verse Israel too will look on Him whom they have pierced and mourn. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3:1-9; cf. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments (Lamentations 4:14). 6:17; Phil. 10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. 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. There he was transfigured before them. The conclusion of many of the commentators is that Sauls conversion was a much longer process than I see reflected in this account, or in any other. Pauls experience was not visionary but was precipitated by the appearance of Jesus, as he insists in 1Cor 15:8. Julius Caesar confirmed those rights and privileges anew to the Jewish nation (although Judaea was no longer a sovereign state), and more particularly to the high-priesthood. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), pp. There may well have been a long time between Sauls conversion and his arrival at Jerusalem. A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel (Luke 2:32). You also know this person is a recognized hater of your faith, and wants little if anything to do with you. 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. The children will practice being giving and friendly with someone that they do not know.
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