Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. 31* The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. Now they were keeping watch on the gates day and night so as to kill him, He was afraid because Saul killed Jesus followers What did Ananias's do to heal Paul's eyes? Jesus was alive and not still in the grave! Saul could only be persecuting Jesus through the members of His body, the church. 8 Is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 harsh? Nothing is more evident in the account of Sauls conversion than his radical reversal. Ananias found Introduction. Paul would make much more of this point in the first chapter of Galatians. All of these should be expected and can be rather easily explained. For less than $5/mo. 13But Ananias replied, Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones* in Jerusalem.k He went on to become a respected teacher and the founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Betharram. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. 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. 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. To whom did the Lord communicate "in a vision"? (9) On the road to Damascus, Saul did far more than to see a bright light and to hear a voice from heaven. As applied to our Lord, then, the title `Son of God marks him out as the true representative of the Israel of God and as Gods anointed king; but it is no merely official title. The baptism of Saul was his testimony to the change which had taken place. Some were amazed, taking note of the dramatic turn-about in Sauls faith and practice (9:21). This is why Jesus was so receptive of sinners and so hard on the self-righteous. The common characteristics of conversion are those on which I would like to focus in the conversion of Saul. Maybe he died, but it also may be because most of the rest of Acts is fo- cused on more distant places. The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Matthew 4:16). We know from Romans 7, for example, that Paul had struggles in his spiritual walk. Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? (8) Saul was saved independently of the apostles. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). The conversion of Saul is a very crucial event in this book, which spells out from a historical point of view (Romans, from a theological viewpoint) the relationship of Jews and Gentiles in the plans and purposes of God. 180-181. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Here Saul took the various items in the life of Jesus of Nazareth and found in them the proof that he was in reality the Messiah (ho Christos). They are private Christians, living like islands rather than as a part of His body. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives. 20 The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins, declares the Lord. Ironically, Ananias could have become one of Sauls targets of persecution for following the Lord Jesus. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. You, my brothers, were called to be free. 11:2328; 12:710; Gal. In fact, more is written of what Saul said and did because he was saved than is written of what he said and did resulting in his salvation. Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers (Ephesians 4:11). The result was the restoration of Sauls sight and, it would seem, Sauls reception of the Holy Spirit. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. also 2:14-17; 3:12-18; 4:1-18; 5:17-21; 6:13--7:1; Galatians 1:13-17; cf. The election of Saul to salvation was specific and thus, personal. 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. When Ananias The church sent him on his way to Tarsus by way of Caesarea. 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. 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. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. The details of what was said and done when Ananias arrived are fuzzy. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. What is remarkable about the Lord's directions to Ananias? 2:7; 2 Tim. What can you say about Christianity when its most outspoken and zealous opponent suddenly claims to have seen the risen Christ, and to have trusted in Him as the Messiah? It is some 150 miles Northeast from Jerusalem and watered by the river Abana from Anti-Lebanon. The first is this: every saved person must have a personal conversion experience. Ananias who was 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. 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. sight. The LORD identified Himself as the Jesus, whom he had been persecuting. We honor him on May 14. Fourth, if we had all the facts, there would be no problem. and the other is a deceptive, self-serving half-truth from people interested There he was transfigured before them. He is there praying,j The life-changing implications of conversion are expressed in these words of Paul to Titus: 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Israel was called of God and set apart to proclaim the way of salvation to the Gentiles. 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. The first thing we shall do is to make some observations on the passage as a whole to attempt to see the forest before we scrutinize the trees. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along. (5) Sauls salvation was an act of divine grace. (You know, just in case God has forgotten something) 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. 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. When Paul spoke of his conversion here in Galatians 1, he did not speak of the light which shone without, but rather of the light which shone within. [9:1] 8:3; 9:13; 22:4; 1Cor 15:9; Gal 1:1314. Damascus was an important town, about 150 miles (242 km) from Jerusalem, with a considerable Jewish population. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Start FREE. Could Judas have been a Christian? 1* Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,a went to the high priestb 1:19; Rom. 147 The more Saul preached, the more the Jews were confused. By divine revelation, Peter called out Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit and to God. The man who, days before, was persecuting Christ was now preaching Christ. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. (1) There is considerable emphasis given to Sauls conversion in the Book of Acts. 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. Why did Saint Paul change his But there is a greater discrepancy between the accounts of Sauls conversion in Acts and that which Paul gave in Galatians 1. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. No one, it would seem, was even thinking of what God was about to do. 18 According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. To whom did the Lord communicate "in a vision"? This would mean that the Gospel isnt as good as we thought it was and that God violates the law of double jeopardy where He punishes the same sin twice. (10) Sauls encounter with Christ was not only a conversion, but it was also a call to a very specific ministry. This is a miracle, a miracle which is all of God, and all of grace. Handed down. 10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. He sent me so that you can For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. WebThere was no indication in Jesus words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit. He sent me so that you can 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 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. Sauls conversion was also his call to ministry, and this conversion experience is strikingly similar to that of one of his predecessors, Ezekiel: 1:4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the northan immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. (14) There is an interesting symmetry or parallel between the conversion of Saul and the conversion of Cornelius. This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. The saints (9:32, 41; 26:10; cf. But Elymas the magician (for thus his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Some of the Hellenistic Jews responded to the preaching of Saul as they had to Stephens preaching; they wanted to kill him (9:29). It is no wonder that a fair amount of the text is devoted to a description of Sauls attempt to associate with the local church, first at Damascus, and then in Jerusalem. 129 The history of Damascus goes back to remote antiquity. Second, the only result of this event shown in the Bible is that Saul received his sight. Web3. Acts 9:19-23 Saul in Damascus. Pauls hatred for Christ and His followers was common knowledge. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. 2, called him Ananias ben Nebedeus. 1:29, 30, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version. 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 because Saul is welcomed into the church, he is sent out by the church. Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. They do not understand the gospel well enough. Saul got help, though, from a man named Barnabas. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in It was just such a miracle which gave Saul his spiritual sight, as he received back his physical sight. Hypocrisy is the most dangerous spiritual virus to infect the church. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? 26:63; Luke 22:67, 70). (4) Sauls salvation was miraculous. How do you calculate working capital for a construction company? What happened when Ananias anointed Saul? Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. 149 It is more significant than might be supposed at first glance that the only occurrence of the title `Son of God in Acts should be in this report of Sauls early preaching. Straight Street was widened and colonnades added to it. 23:16-17, 19, 24; 23:26). 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. on it belonged to the Roman province of Syria, but had a measure of municipal autonomy in the loose federation of cities called the Decapolis. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 181. * [9:1930] This is a brief resume of Pauls initial experience as an apostolic preacher. These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is the Son of God. 21 And all those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests? 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding147 the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. 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, Salvation is a revolution, not an evolution. What was Ananias role in Sauls conversion to Christianity? When the Christians learned that the Hellenists to whom Saul had preached were plotting to kill them, they helped him escape through Caesarea and on to Tarsus. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. This expression, calling on the name of the Lord seems to be one used consistently in the Old Testament. Saul recognized that he was a sinner, and that his righteousness was but dung before God. . This first account occurs when the word is first spread to the Gentiles. Why were Ananias and Sapphira killed on the spot? In 47 B.C. Saul, in my opinion, is portrayed by Luke as the first-fruits of these promises. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. If he were viewed as a reactionary, a trouble-maker, perhaps there were some unbelievers who thought Saul was too much trouble. How was Saul converted to Christianity? Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? WebWhy was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? What was the decision of Ananias and Sapphira? Ananias and Saul - June 3, 2022. What do you suppose the saints would have prayed at this special prayer meeting? Jesus repeated his command, explaining that Saul was his chosen instrument to deliver the gospel to the Gentiles, their kings, and the people of Israel. Grace is also the source and the standard for our service: Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:6). The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave 30And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.p. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 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. All of this account describes the two complementary divine visions which Ananias and Saul received. When Saul was confronted on the road to Damascus, he saw the risen, glorified Lord. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life (1 Timothy 1:12-16). What else did Jesus explain to Ananias? He goes for broke. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. I am not at all sure how this can be determined from the text. 19So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Suppose you were a Christian who had just arrived in Damascus, and you had been able to learn the whereabouts of a group of believers. OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? The Diocese of Rochester In America 1868-1993. . 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). also 16:17; 18:25-26). . (9) Finally, I believe that Lukes portrayal of Sauls salvation is typical of that of the nation Israel, which is still future. What do Ananias actions, when asked in the passage to heal Saul, suggest about his feelings toward him? 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). But Saul only became bolder in his preaching. Some would like the excuse to make some changes to make their life more comfortable.