Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.. 9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 33There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed. 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. (7) Those who were saved by Sauls ministry were convinced by the power of the gospel message he preached and not by miraculous signs and wonders. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The first words of the Lord Jesus to Saul were intended to teach him the inseparable unity between Christ and His church. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, Do not gloat over me, my enemy! 35And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. For less than $5/mo. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead (Isaiah 59:10). These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Hypocrisy is the most dangerous spiritual virus to infect the church. Why were Ananias and Sapphira killed on the spot? It is not a transition, but a transformation. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. 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. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you (Deuteronomy 28:28-29). But as Saul grew in strength and as his arguments were irrefutable, just as Stephens had been (Acts 6:10), his opponents realized that the only way to silence Saul was to kill him. 21:29 (30); John 5:7; 12:21; 20:15; and should be so in John 9:36. And so, Saul asked the LORD who He was. Copyright 2023 Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. All rights reserved. 152 I do not mean to criticize the four laws of Campus Crusade, which have been used of God to bring many to faith in Christ. One of the most dramatic revelations of Sauls Damascus road experience was that he was not serving God, but he was persecuting Him. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11). It is not clear whether this official was a representative of the king resident in Damascus to look after the interests of the Arabs there, or whether Damascus at this time was under the control of Nabataea. I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 168. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. All rights reserved. My names sake" (Acts 9:16) even before his ministry began. 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. How true are two of the proverbs, which read: The mind of a man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). Hd7/`l@TM0h#`C2 +u-AsQ3j++&?Fu7_[1_?a^J> B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photo-lithoprinted}, 1966), p. 90. 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). 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. The Church at Peace. 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. 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. WebAnanias placed his hands upon Saul who received the Holy Spirit and the restoration of his sight. 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.. The blindness to which Saul was subject for three days provided him with much time for reflection, meditation, and prayer. On various occasions in his epistles, Paul made either direct or indirect references to his former life of opposition and his radical conversion.132 Pauls theology, his lifestyle, his ministry, and his methodology, all are rooted in his conversion. Trembling and astonished, he inquired, The light was the light of His glory. Saul, as it were, saw the light, but in addition, he was to become a light, a light to the Gentiles, as well as to his own people. What Israel failed to do, Jesus, the Messiah would do. WebWhy was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Salvation is a revolution, not an evolution. 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 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast (Galatians 2:8-9). The Old Testament passages which I have suggested bear to Saul (blind, light) are passages which speak of Israel in their original context. Saul, why do you persecute me? Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. Without Ananias prayer, Saul spends the rest of his life as a blind man wondering what his life might have been. Sauls world of self-trust was now at an end and prayer was helping him see that. Saul was told at the time of his conversion that God had chosen him to bear witness to the Gentiles, to kings, and to the Jews (9:15). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Is paralegal higher than legal assistant? 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! In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight (Acts 9:10-12). God struck Ananias and Sapphira dead for hypocrisy While their penalties seem extreme to us today, God judged them guilty of sins so serious that they threatened the very existence of the early church. It was time for Saul to ponder what he had seen and heard. I can believe the saints who gathered to pray would have prayed for the protection of the church in Damascus and for the safety of individual saints, especially the leaders and the most visible Christians. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. And they were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. 129 By this time Saul has gained a reputation as the ringleader of the movement to make Christianity extinct. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. 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. His conversion was by far the most vital influence in Pauls life. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Acts ix. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness (Micah 7:8-9). Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The splendid deliberateness with which God forged His human tool is the great lesson of these years. . How much does horse riding lessons cost in Bangalore? In 47 B.C. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light. When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them (John 12:35-36). AT this season we are called upon to think of foreign missions. The call of salvation is a call to holiness, and to obedience, and to fellowship, with God and with our fellow-believers. Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. Sauls baptism followed, accompanied by his profession of faith, his calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). here - view only). 11:2328; 12:710; Gal. Sauls conversion is a watershed event, catapulting the gospel to the Gentiles and to more distant places. But the gospel is good news for sinners. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands onq him to restore his sight.. This conclusion could be based upon Pauls argument in Galatians 1 and 2, along with the expression, when many days had elapsed in Acts 9:23. many pulpits today promise to those who will follow Jesus? * [9:13] Your holy ones: literally, your saints.. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? The result was the restoration of Sauls sight and, it would seem, Sauls reception of the Holy Spirit. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. We know that Paul was not instantly a biblical scholar or a seasoned apostle. (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. Fourth, if we had all the facts, there would be no problem. 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 Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 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. WebActs 9:10-18 Ananias. Did Saul's many sufferings during his ministry for Jesus' name come as a surprise to him? No, God showed him "how many things he must suffer for The men who traveled with Saul were frightened and confused. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped (Isaiah 35:5). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But Elymas the magician (for thus his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Why did Ananias have to overcome his fear? For the time being, God is using the disobedience of Israel to accomplish His purposes, but there is surely a time coming when Israel will be restored to the Lord, by faith in Christ. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious (Ezekiel 1:4, 26-28; 2:1-7).143. As at Damascus, Saul eventually had to leave the city of Jerusalem to save his life. Jesus dealt with Nicodemus (John 3) very differently from the Samaritan woman (John 4). 3On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.c 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). And notice one more detail about the way in which Ananias did this. And laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. One thing was certain; no matter how much time had passed, the apostles were not yet convinced of Sauls conversion. Then you hear the Lord telling you to minister to that person. Ananias was that kind of a disciple. There are two primary options for preaching from this text. 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). WebAnanias went. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you (Isaiah 60:1). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. * [9:26] This visit of Paul to Jerusalem is mentioned by Paul in Gal 1:18. Why this swift act of judgment? 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. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all (Romans 11:25-32). 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. Let us be careful to discern what changes the gospel requires and what changes it does not. "how many things he must suffer for 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. 12and [in a vision] he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay [his] hands on him, that he may regain his sight. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness (John 12:46). In this approach, preachers will offer their congregations a chance to relate to Sauls epiphany as a way of meeting Christ in the midst of our lives and being transformed by that encounter. 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. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. the light and blind passages above). What is meant by the competitive environment? 136. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. 9. He knew what Saul had done to the church in Jerusalem. also Isaiah 64:6). Romans 6). It's still there and you can still see the evidence of the colonnades (click (9) Finally, I believe that Lukes portrayal of Sauls salvation is typical of that of the nation Israel, which is still future. 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. He sent me so that you can 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:4-11). . 28 And he was with them moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. A vision, in this context, was a supernatural sight from God. Now this would have been a very bitter pill to swallow for many Jewish Christians. Paul recognized that his ministry was that of bringing the light to those who were lost, including the Gentiles, kings, and his fellow-Israelites: For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth (Acts 13:47). What Ananias didnt know is that Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. (1) Sauls salvation was the salvation of a sinner. Verse 18 tells us that, "straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight, and he arose and was baptized." He amazed everyone because they knew he was speaking the same words as the people he had been persecuting. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. Paul was no ordinary followerhe became the most visible and active pillar of the new Christian church. This method of argument Paul continued to use with the Jews (Acts 17:3). To persecute them was to persecute Him. Paul would make much more of this point in the first chapter of Galatians. 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?. Questions: Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. Those things in which Saul would have formerly trusted for his standing before God, he saw in an entirely different light after God found him and saved him: 4b 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 all the saints. 36Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated means Dorcas). The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever, says the Lord. One moment, Saul was persecuting the church; shortly thereafter he was seeking to fellowship with the saints. 145 We may note incidentally the two new descriptions of the Christians used here. What is remarkable about the Lord's directions to Ananias? and the other is a deceptive, self-serving half-truth from people interested He should not be circumcised. 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? Paul experienced many hardships in his travels, and he was frequently thrown into jail for preaching about Jesus. Ananias was afraid because he knew Saul's reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church . 15:8; Gal. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. 23:16-17, 19, 24; 23:26). This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. He got up and was baptized, 1:11--2:10; Ephesians 3:1-13; cf. Leave them; they are blind guides. Barnabas stood up for Saul and explained everything to the Jerusalem Christians. 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). How do you calculate working capital for a construction company? WebAs Donald Davis notes, In case God has overlooked Sauls atrocities, [Ananias] takes occasion to issue a brief reminder. They, not unlike Ananias, were very reluctant to have anything to do with this Christian killer. 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). 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. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day (2 Timothy 1:8-12). When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking. In other words a beginning point for narrating Acts 9:1-19 could be with Ananias knowledge of Saul as a persecutor, which he expresses in verse 13. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. There is more space devoted to convincing Ananias than there is to the conversion of Saul. (14) There is an interesting symmetry or parallel between the conversion of Saul and the conversion of Cornelius. 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 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. With the help of a priest who knew his parents he was allowed to attend religious school. 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. After this incident with Paul we hear no more Saul, like Israel, had been blinded as to the meaning of the law because of his rejection of Christ (cf. Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. Like Stephen, the enemies of the gospel attempted to kill Saul when they could not silence him by means of debate. FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight (Acts 9:10-12). And now, he is preaching the same message. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end (Isaiah 60:20). Those whose lives Saul would gladly have taken in his unsaved days now sought to save his life by sending him away. In Hellenistic times it was completely replanned on the Hippodamian grid-system. Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. He also warned those who would corrupt grace, to make it a pretext for sin (cf. And having escaped from Damascus in a basket, most likely alone, he probably returned to Jerusalem alone, without a witness who could corroborate his claims. 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 21 Were you a slave when you were called? 3. In spite of the clear and present danger, Ananias went and began to look for the Christian hunter Saul. Under the influence of this experience he gradually developed his understanding of justification by faith (see the letters to the Galatians and Romans) and of the identification of the Christian community with Jesus Christ (see 1Cor 12:27). 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.
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