sunodia, Luke 2:44). F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), fn. In 47 B.C. 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). Think about what happened as a result of this man overcoming his fear and obeying God. This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:5-7). Ananias Laid Hands on Paul Ananias did as the Lord commanded and went to Sauls house and laid his hands on him. 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?. What a shock these words must have been to Saul, who up to this point, seems to have prided himself for his faithfulness to Judaism! They, not unlike Ananias, were very reluctant to have anything to do with this Christian killer. For the remainder of this essay, I will pursue the second option. Pauls language in Acts 26:11 seems to mean that Damascus is merely one of other `foreign cities to which he carried the persecution. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 114. 116-117. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Preachers can narrate verses 10-14, and then basically say, You see, Ananias didnt know what had just happened. Lesson Text Acts 9:1-19 Scripture Memory Verse We know that the salvation of men rests ultimately with God and not with usand not even with the one whom we wish to see saved. (Acts 9:11)? With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith (2 Thessalonians 1:11). The pastor advised him to pray for the person every day for two weeks pray for the person not about the person. More than that, he had a deep dislike and hostility toward Christians before his conversion. WebTeach the children the account of Sauls conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ as found in Acts 9:120. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. We shall then seek to identify the characteristics of Sauls conversion which are typical of every conversion. He is there praying,j 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit (Matthew 15:14; cf. 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. The Lord Jesus appeared to Ananias in a vision. After this incident with Paul we hear no more of him. 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). When Ananias It may well be a call to live transformed lives in the same circumstances in which we were found. This is why Jesus was so receptive of sinners and so hard on the self-righteous. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. 2 What was the decision of Ananias and Sapphira? Verses 1 and 2 vividly depict Sauls intent, his intense desire and determination to rid the world of Christianity by taking active, aggressive, severe action against those saints who had fled from Jerusalem. This man who had formerly cringed at the preaching of the gospel148 was now proclaiming the same message. Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations (Isaiah 51:4). 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:24-27). Instead, he became the first believer to minister to Saul. 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, If this passage is profoundly important, it also poses its problems. But beyond this, his conversion totally changed the remainder of his life. Rising Strong Small Groups Unexpected and mysterious ELW 258 All are welcome ELW 641, Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics. helpful to the Lord. This expression, calling on the name of the Lord seems to be one used consistently in the Old Testament. It is a miraculous, dramatic reversal, first of ones beliefs, and then of ones behavior. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent (Psalm 104:2). 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. If Ananias and Sapphira were born again believers and God judged them for their sin, it means that even though Jesus was judged for sin, God still judged them for their sin. The details of what was said and done when Ananias arrived are fuzzy. What a shock Sauls conversion must have been to both groups! It is here in Acts, for the first time, that Saul is called Paul. How do you write a good story in Smash Bros screening? For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). Why was Ananias afraid? 10 i There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. He answered, Here I am, Lord. 11 The Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of To persecute them was to persecute Him. No, God showed him "how many things he must suffer for 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). Ananias hesitation to visit Saul showed that he had good relationship with Jerusalem, for he knew of the trouble that the persecutor had raised against the early converts, and of the goal of his mission to Damascus. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the holy Spirit it grew in numbers. 35And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. In order to have both, they pretended to give the full price of the sale of their property to the apostles. part of the price for themselves while donating it to the church His conversion was by far the most vital influence in Pauls life. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In spite of this, we are not told here that Saul did receive the Holy Spirit or what happened when he did. Ananias fulfills his task: 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 (1 Corinthians 9:1). 129 The history of Damascus goes back to remote antiquity. 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, here am I, Lord. 11 And the Lord said to him, Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight. 13 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Thy saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name.145 15 But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My names sake.. WebAnanias, I am sure. One moment, Saul was persecuting the church; shortly thereafter he was seeking to fellowship with the saints. 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. Later it was the seat of administration of an Assyrian province. (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. WebThe Conversion of Saul. ACTS 9:27 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. Though I have fallen, I will rise. No change in life is greater than the change from unbelief to belief in Christ, from being lost and condemned to being saved and eternally secure, from being separated from God and others to being united with Him and with all believers. 11 The Lord told him, Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsusp named Saul, for he is praying. And look, you blind, that you may see. Nevertheless, there must have been those who intended to use Sauls coming to oppose the church. When her lie had been exposed, she also fell down and died at Peters feet. WebThats when Ananias heard a word from the Lord. (14) There is an interesting symmetry or parallel between the conversion of Saul and the conversion of Cornelius. Ananias How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in Ananias baptizes Saul, and Saul's eyes are opened. 1:29, 30, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version. This Paul knew and testified to. A letter delivered at that time by a Roman ambassador to Ptolemy VIII of Egypt concludes with the demand: If any pestilent men have fled to you from their own country {Judaea}, hand them over to Simon the high priest, so that he may punish them according to their law (1 Macc. Thus, it is grace which sustains the saint, in addition to saving him: Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited (Hebrews 13:9). 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands onq him to restore his sight.. sOGOSapQ3[y~@9W Straight Street was widened and colonnades added to it. Ananias also Psalm 50:15; Joel 2:32; Jeremiah 29:12; 33:3-8). 2:1 He said to me, Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you. 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. gJi\!2LITShA%)&bqd=/)@Eg*tttpt @V6wCAp{GyAGG9h d=u3zDca{y:&0}=!P`XX z;g3 {~paveta +w 2:22, Acts 13:2; 22:21; Rom. Bible Hub 153 Sauls conversion did not bring instant maturity or spirituality, but was the point where growth commenced. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Amen. Second, the gospel should be proclaimed in a way that is personal. Do not let anyone despise you (Titus 2:11-15). 136 E. M. Blaiklock, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Wm. The baptism of Saul was his testimony to the change which had taken place. 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). 5 How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? \4Q-b24Q-z U`E(O42. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord (Acts 13:6-12). After this, Saul broke his fast and was strengthened. Ananias is not only surprised by his commission; he is resistant to it, at least initially. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. They could hear the voice but they did not see anyone who was speaking. 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). the citation of Ps 2:7 in Pauls speech at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:33). 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. In fact, as Saul would later write, he realized that he was chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Ananiass vision was intended to direct him to the house of Judas and to Saul. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. a disciple from Damascus who received a phophetic dream telling him 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. Jesus did not address the entire group but said, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? The others knew that something unusual was going on, but they did not grasp it (Acts 22:9). Saul was knocked to the ground and confronted with the reality that hed been working against God rather than helping God. Yes, Lord, he answered. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). There are all too many autonomous Christians, those who feel that coming to faith in Christ does not necessitate identifying with His body, the church. The remaining verses of this account describe the results of Sauls conversion, all of which serve as dramatic proof of his radical transformation as a result of his encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. 28 And he was with them moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. He sent me so that you can see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 Immediately, something that looked like fish scales fell from Sauls eyes. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him. All of these should be expected and can be rather easily explained.
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