This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. * [9:43] The fact that Peter lodged with a tanner would have been significant to both the Gentile and Jewish Christians, for Judaism considered the tanning occupation unclean. 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?. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. One moment, Saul was persecuting the church; shortly thereafter he was seeking to fellowship with the saints. (7) The salvation of Saul was Christ-centered. Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. 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 . 1. Up till now, Jesus was the sinner, and Saul was the saint. l. [9:14] 9:12; 26:10; 1Cor 1:2; 2Tm 2:22. He sought to preach Christ in simplicity and not in a way that would detract from Him. 26:63; Luke 22:67, 70). (12) The same Saul who played a role in Stephens execution was to become, in large measure, his replacement. The call of salvation is a call to change. Sauls conversion is a watershed event, catapulting the gospel to the Gentiles and to more distant places. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave Copyright 2023 Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. All rights reserved. When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple (vs. 26). 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. WebThere was no indication in Jesus words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit. Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers (Ephesians 4:11). 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. 1:19; Rom. For now, he was told to proceed on to Damascus, where he would be given his next instructions.144 His blindness certainly gave Saul the opportunity to dwell on these events. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Those who know themselves sinners, and who call upon Jesus for salvation, are saved: For WHOSOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED (Romans 10:13, citing Joel 2:32). 1:11--2:10; Ephesians 3:1-13; cf. 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. Furthermore, in Acts 26:10 Paul testifies that he received letters from the chief priests, not just the chief priest alone. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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.. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. also 16:17; 18:25-26). . My names sake". With this backdrop in place, the preacher can now focus on two movements of Ananias part of this story: his vision and conversation with the Lord (verses 10-16) and his laying hands on Saul leading to Sauls baptism (verses 17-19). B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photo-lithoprinted}, 1966), p. 90. (3) Sauls salvation was personal. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13). Then a voice said to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?, Saul asked the voice, Who are you, sir?, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Saul was the bad guy. He realized that it was nothing which he had donenor ever would dobut only by what Jesus Christ had done that saved him. Word was out that Saul would soon be arriving. What a shock Sauls conversion must have been to both groups! 7 Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? WebThats when Ananias heard a word from the Lord. 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. One thing was certain; no matter how much time had passed, the apostles were not yet convinced of Sauls conversion. Saul is welcomed into the church. Ironically, Ananias could have become one of Sauls targets of persecution for following the Lord Jesus. Elsewhere in Acts, such as with the apostles, Stephen and Philip, the message of the gospel was underscored by signs and wonders which accompanied the message. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, Pauls experience was not visionary but was precipitated by the appearance of Jesus, as he insists in 1Cor 15:8. 9. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. It is evident in the way he was saved. We can overcome our fears if, like Ananias, we trust that Jesus is directing the preaching work, The couple wanted to appear as outstanding church members, but they didnt want to part with their possessions. Saul was knocked to the ground and confronted with the reality that hed been working against God rather than helping God. 6Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.f "how many things he must suffer for Could it be that God had also appointed someone to meet Saul as he entered the city, with specific instructions as to where he was to stay? Acts 26:18). As at Damascus, Saul eventually had to leave the city of Jerusalem to save his life. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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). To open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness (Isaiah 42:7). 1* Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,a went to the high priestb Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Saul was not seeking God. Saul was saved in spite of himself. Introduction: suppose you heard someone was coming to arrest you, or even worse. 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. But there is a greater discrepancy between the accounts of Sauls conversion in Acts and that which Paul gave in Galatians 1. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9). In him was life, and that life was the light of men. He had heard of all the terrible things Saul had done to Christians in Jerusalem and how it was his intent to do the same in Damascus, Ananias town. No doubt entered the mind of Saul that the One who spoke to him was Jesus of Nazareth, the long-looked-for Messiah, the Consolation and Redeemer of Israel. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers (Ephesians 4:11). As persecution was no longer needed to disperse the church and the gospel, peace was restored to the land. Theologically, we know this as the doctrine of mans total depravity.151 Paul surely believed that it was essential for men to begin with the understanding of their own sin, for in his Epistle to the Romans, he took the first two and one-half chapters to prove that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). Nevertheless, there must have been those who intended to use Sauls coming to oppose the church. part of the price for themselves while donating it to the church 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. Without Ananias prayer, Saul spends the rest of his life as a blind man wondering what his life might have been. Fifth, faith must take the text on face value, as it is written, and believe it as Gods inspired, inerrant, authoritative word. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 12And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight., 13Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, (C)how much [a]harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. The importance of Sauls conversion can hardly be overestimated. 40Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Just as Saul seemingly had hatred toward Christ-followers, how do you think a Christ-follower like Ananias felt toward Saul? 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. 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. Those whose lives Saul would gladly have taken in his unsaved days now sought to save his life by sending him away. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave and friendly. 25but his disciples took him one night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. Get up and make your bed. He got up at once. One moment, Saul was opposing Jesus, as though He were the sinner; the next, Saul is on his face before this Jesus, calling Him Lord. It was an act of faith and bravery equivalent to helping a lion out of a trap. * [9:13] Your holy ones: literally, your saints.. (4) More space is devoted to the process of getting Ananias to Saul than is devoted to getting Saul to Damascus and to the home of Judas. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life (1 Thessalonians 4:7). 2 Corinthians 4:14; cf. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. More than that, he had a deep dislike and hostility toward Christians before his conversion.
