New King James Version (NKJV). Discuss 2 ways in which Paul suffered as an apostle Furthermore, in Acts 26:10 Paul testifies that he received letters from the chief priests, not just the chief priest alone. 2 What do we know about Ananias in Acts 9? He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. When Saul looked at the disciples of The Way (Jesus disciples) all he saw was a heretical sect that was a threat to the nation of Israel and Gods Law. It was just such a miracle which gave Saul his spiritual sight, as he received back his physical sight. Stat two things God told Anaias concerning Saul Briefly describe what happened during Anaias' meeting with Saul. 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 one, it would seem, was even thinking of what God was about to do. Paul experienced many hardships in his travels, and he was frequently thrown into jail for preaching about Jesus. They could not out-argue him. Ananias had to overcome his fear so that Saul would be overcome by grace. They, too, were afraid of Saul and did not believe he really was a follower of Jesus Christ. 3. He summed up life in this one word: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Who does the voice of Vanessa on Phineas and Ferb? We honor him on May 14. . Few Christians will encounter the risen, glorified Lord as Saul did here. Later, when Paul looked back on his past devotion and deeds, all done in the name of Judaism, he came to view his apparent righteous deeds for what they really weredung: 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! Israels watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep (Isaiah 43:8-10). >zZ0y^C{tg 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). \4Q-b24Q-z U`E(O42. The risen Lord selected Saul out of the group with which he was traveling to hear, to see Him, and to understand His words. 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. This first account occurs when the word is first spread to the Gentiles. But why would they be called his disciples? Gods promises and purposes would not be stopped by this madman, Saul. 10i There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. He answered, Here I am, Lord. There are two very important implications to the personal dimension of Sauls conversion. A vision, in this context, was a supernatural sight from God. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. The Book of Galatians is but one example of this. Saul could only be persecuting Jesus through the members of His body, the church. In this approach, preachers are offering their congregation a chance to relate to Ananias dream that leads him to overcome his preconception of Saul (a correct but now outdated preconception), come to see Saul as someone God has called, and respond faithfully. 21:29 (30); John 5:7; 12:21; 20:15; and should be so in John 9:36. Luke 3:22), it expressed his unique relationship and fellowship with the Father. Ibid. Web3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Saul proclaimed Jesus to be the Son of God (9:20), a designation understood to refer to Israels awaited Messiah.149. I do not question that he did receive the Spirit, but merely observe that this receiving of the Spirit (accompanied by the laying on of hands) was not something Luke wanted to emphasize. About three hours later, Sapphira arrived. When God spoke to Ananias commanding him to go to the house where Saul was staying, he was to receive him as a brother; and he was told that he was called to suffer as Gods chosen vessel to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, kings, and to his fellow-Israelites. * [9:26] This visit of Paul to Jerusalem is mentioned by Paul in Gal 1:18. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? part of the price for themselves while donating it to the church The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Saul took this most seriously, not eating or drinking until after his confession of faith by means of his baptism. vii.) Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.. Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. The good news of the gospel is that Christ Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). What happened to Straight Street since then? He constantly defended the gospel against those who would diminish grace and seek to pollute it with works. Saul, in my opinion, is portrayed by Luke as the first-fruits of these promises. Perhaps Ananias and Sapphira got caught up in a band-wagon effect. Did Saul's many sufferings during his ministry for Jesus' name come as a surprise to him? Ancestry, Pharisaic training, Hellenistic education, were fused by it into the character which the Holy Spirit formed and fashioned over the fourteen years of training. Saul immediately began to preach about the Son of God in the synagogues. What happened when Ananias anointed Saul? This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. 148 I would assume that Saul was one of those who covered his ears so as not to hear the praise of Stephen, as reported in Acts 7:57. As I look at the problem, I believe several conclusions must be drawn. 2 What was the decision of Ananias and Sapphira? His career as a persecutor of Christians seems to have begun with Stephen, but it quickly spread to all of the Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 7:588:3). The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it . He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. A( ) Ananias is obscure. In His coming as the light, those who come to the light become lights to the world themselves: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Isaiah 9:2). After this incident with Paul we hear no more of him. For the remainder of this essay, I will pursue the second option. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them (Isaiah 42:16). God changed him from being a man who did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and a persecutor of the Christians into a bold missionary who preached the Gospel wherever he went. 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 method was consistent with his message. Imagine for a moment that this is the week of Sauls arrival at Damascus. 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. His name was Ananias (not to be confused with the husband of 3On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.c The Creator of the universe specifying the name of a street and the house in one of His planets. Second, the gospel should be proclaimed in a way that is personal. Who is blind but my servant {Israel}, and deaf like the messenger I send? Why was Ananias afraid? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. The question must be asked as to whether or not Sauls conversion has a more general application and relevance. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. 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. WebThere was no indication in Jesus words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit. 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! This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 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. 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 sight. WebThats when Ananias heard a word from the Lord. 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). Why this swift act of judgment? [ a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads. 1* Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,a went to the high priestb 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). Second, we are not given enough information in the biblical text to solve them dogmatically. Could Judas have been a Christian? 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. Just as Saul was stopped short by his blindness, so was Bar-Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 11:32 Paul speaks of an ethnarch of Aretas, the king of the Nabataean Arabs, who guarded the city to prevent him escaping from it. It is not just in the Book of Acts that the importance of Sauls conversion is evident. 138 Three times (8:3; 9:2; 22:4) this fact of persecuting women is mentioned as a special blot in Pauls cruelty (the third time by Paul himself) and one of the items in his being chief of sinners (1 Tim. 26:63; Luke 22:67, 70). Amen (Romans 11:33-36). WebYou know someone is coming, perhaps to arrest you for being a Christian. Now they were keeping watch on the gates day and night so as to kill him, Ananias is not the last believer who has seen fit to keep God up to date (The Storytellers Companion to the Bible: The Acts of the Apostles). A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel (Luke 2:32). B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photo-lithoprinted}, 1966), p. 90. 16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus and was helpful to the Lord. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Ananias came to Saul with grace to liberate him from his wrong-headed beliefs and open his heart to Jesus. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. The account of Ananias and Saul is found in Acts chapter 16and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name. ,%d/3o3o6jda=|4S-LJ3ajLcNfZyV;CkCl>390q {KQ0lQ)0>~cy:CJkP|4M-\v OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9). (2) While there is considerable emphasis on the conversion of Saul, there is very little detail given as to the precise time or the details of Sauls conversion. to go lay hands on Saul (soon to be known as Paul) and restore his Later it was the seat of administration of an Assyrian province. It would seem not to be there on the road to Damascus. Yes, Lord, he answered. The first words of the Lord Jesus to Saul were intended to teach him the inseparable unity between Christ and His church. Perhaps so, but I am not as confident of this as I once was. But then the preacher can continue that even though Ananias didnt know about Sauls epiphany, he did as the Lord told him anyway. And yet, even in opposing God, he furthered Gods purposes; he was instrumental in the evangelization of the Gentiles (Acts 8:1, 4; 11:19-21). 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. Sauls world of self-trust was now at an end and prayer was helping him see that. 20and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. WebThis happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. The second option is to invite the congregation to identify with Ananias (who shows up in verse 10). 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). Preachers working through the narrative lectionary with their congregations, then, will do well to explore this passage in detail in order to establish the character of Paul well for the second half of Acts (Acts 13-28; see how this role is foreshadowed in 9:15), which shifts the focus from the ministry of the Twelve in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria to his role in taking the gospel throughout Asia Minor, Greece, and even to Rome (see Acts 1:8). See Appendix B for information on Sauls Theology in the Book of Romans. Did he still not realize who the Lord was? We shall then seek to identify the characteristics of Sauls conversion which are typical of every conversion. Acts does not tell us that he goes on to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, found churches in urban centers across the Roman Empire, stand true to the gospel while on trial for his faith over and again, and end up under house arrest in Rome awaiting a trial before Caesar.

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