We will also attempt to determine to what degree Sauls conversion was typical and to what degree it was unique. How do you write a good story in Smash Bros screening? The message of the gospel, to be sure, is always the same, but the approach is not. When the man asked why he should do this, the pastor said, I dont believe anyone can continue hating someone when they have consistently prayed for that person to be blessed by God. When I look through the Gospels and the Book of Acts, I never find the gospel presented in the same way to different people. Stat two things God told Anaias concerning Saul Briefly describe what happened during Anaias' meeting with Saul. A vision, in this context, was a supernatural sight from God. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Here the Jews were strong in numbers (10,000 butchered by Nero later) and here some disciples had found refuge from Sauls persecution in Judea and still worshipped in the synagogues. FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Ananias found The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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 authorities, but also knew that he was on the march to Damascus, ready to destroy that church as well. 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. This would leave AD 33-46 for the visit to Arabia (Gal. Rather than attempt to pacify Ananias or to alleviate his apprehension, God went on to tell him that Saul would not only be a brother, but he would be His instrument for bringing the gospel to Gentiles too. Saul 150 It is interesting to ponder the identity of these disciples of Saul. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray (Revelation 18:23). Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. Leave them; they are blind guides. Enough revelation for the moment. 87-89), plays out the two views of Sauls conversion, the first (and seldom held the view of Ramsay), that Saul was suddenly and radically converted; second, that there was a considerable process involved. What changed about Saul/Paul after Jesus appeared to him? Some would like the excuse to make some changes to make their life more comfortable. One moment, Saul is inflicting pain and suffering on others who trust in Jesus as the Messiah, the next, he is enduring suffering for the sake of Jesus, the Messiah. The good news of the gospel is that Christ Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). 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. What happened to Straight Street since then? What Israel failed to do, Jesus, the Messiah would do. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God (John 3:19-21). (7) The salvation of Saul was Christ-centered. 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? Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. Third, these discrepancies may well have been evident to the writers, who did not see fit to remove or explain every problem. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave 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. This account is accompanied by an asseveration of its truth which suggests that some people were contradicting it.133. 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. God then used this man to further His purposes in launching the career of the most influential of the apostles. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. It is no wonder then that this one who was Sauls all in all would be the focus, the substance, of the gospel which he preached: But we preach Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23). Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. What Ananias didnt know is that Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He should not become uncircumcised. It was Gods initiative all the way. Not only does the narrator tell the story of Sauls transformation from persecutor to apostle in Acts 9, Saul himself re-tells the story twice when defending himself before persecutors (before the tribune in Jerusalem, Acts 22:1-21; and before Agrippa, Acts 26:1-23). 9oY+ (3) Sauls conversion experience was quick and dramatic in one sense, but it also involved a process, a process of at least three days.135. The conversion of Saul is important in another way. 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. It was surely fear (reverence), among other things, which prompted this. When the plot became known to Saul, he made a successful, albeit undignified, escape from the city of Damascus. %PDF-1.2
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There is surely a connection between Saul and persecution, and Saul and peace. 32As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. * [9:8] He could see nothing: a temporary blindness (Acts 9:18) symbolizing the religious blindness of Saul as persecutor (cf. They, not unlike Ananias, were very reluctant to have anything to do with this Christian killer. Acts ix. vii.) 9For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? 5 Why did Ananias and Sapphira lie to God? He has sovereignly chosen to use people to lead people to salvation, Spirit baptism, deliverance, and healing. The famous story of St. Pauls conversion from being an outrageous persecutor of the gospel of Christ to be an illustrious professor and preacher of it. Ananias (8) The salvation of Saul made him a vital part of Christs body, the church. 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. In our text Ananias was instructed to go to Saul and to lay hands on him so that he might receive his sight (9:12). by the sin of Adam. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Saul and Ananias Ananias and Saul in Damascus. So it would appear. Ananias Get up and go to the street called Straight, to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. No, Ananias did not do any of these things so far as the author of Luke-Acts is concerned. Let us avoid cookie cutter conversions.. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 00:00. Saul was knocked to the ground and confronted with the reality that hed been working against God rather than helping God. 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. Who was Ananias that help Saul in the Bible to regain his sight. Hebrew Baby Names Meaning: In Hebrew Baby Names the meaning of the name Sapphira is: Sapphire (gem); beautiful. 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. 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. The ultimate issue was Gods ability to saveeven the most committed unbeliever. NKJV, Ancient-Modern Bible, Comfort Print: One faith. 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. He should not be circumcised. Perhaps nowhere else is the radical change (of conversion) in Pauls life153 more readily evident than in his attitude toward the saints. A Period of Peace After Sauls Conversion (Acts 9:31) 6 What was Ananias role in Sauls conversion to Christianity? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Ironically, Ananias could have become one of Sauls targets of persecution for following the Lord Jesus. For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:17-18; cf. One moment, Saul was persecuting the church; shortly thereafter he was seeking to fellowship with the saints. In this chapter we have, I. Pauls hatred for Christ and His followers was common knowledge. 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). We will next seek to learn how this description of Sauls conversion fits into and contributes to the development of Lukes argument in Acts. This method of argument Paul continued to use with the Jews (Acts 17:3). For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Colossians 1:13-19). 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. Pauls experience was not visionary but was precipitated by the appearance of Jesus, as he insists in 1Cor 15:8. Some were amazed, taking note of the dramatic turn-about in Sauls faith and practice (9:21). Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers (Ephesians 4:11). east-west thoroughfare through Damascus built by the Greeks after the city 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). 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. A( ) Ananias is obscure. Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus and was What did Ananias do for Saul? Then you hear the Lord telling you to minister to that person. 17 And Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he arose and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened. 28He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. There is clearly no attempt to establish some kind of pattern or formula for evangelism here, at least as far as methodology is concerned. Christian ministry be reconciled with the wealth and prosperity that 19and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.*. Sauls Conversion. Without Ananias prayer, Saul spends the rest of his life as a blind man wondering what his life might have been. Did they think their task would be a simple one? He summed up life in this one word: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Then he The voice from heaven did not call out, Have you ever heard of the four spiritual laws?152 Ananias was sent to Saul only. 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). Trembling and astonished, he inquired, 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. And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he His acceptance by the latter was finally brought about through his friendship with Barnabas (Acts 9:27). 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. Christian ministry be reconciled with the wealth and prosperity that What is remarkable about the Lord's directions to Ananias? Perhaps Ananias and Sapphira got caught up in a band-wagon effect. Ananias (You know, just in case God has forgotten something) WebActs 9:10-18 Ananias. Like Stephen, the enemies of the gospel attempted to kill Saul when they could not silence him by means of debate. 15But the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,m The ananias anointing | Church Page | murrayledger.com To both Ananias (Acts 9:10) and Saul (Acts 9:12). He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, 1:11--2:10; Philippians 3:1-14; Colossians 1:24-29; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; 6:13-16; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Titus 2:11-15; 3:1-7. The expansion is three-fold: (1) The expansion from Christ, to His apostles, to His church, (2) The geographical expansion from Jerusalem to Rome. About three hours later, Sapphira arrived. The casting of this spell on this false prophet could therefore have been an act of kindness, as Gods blinding of Saul had been, intended to cease his opposition and perhaps even to bring about his conversion. Ananias and Saul: The Story Starts With a Disciple At least we can say that no one had enough faith to believe it, even as Peter stood at the door, knocking to get in (12:12-17). When all is said and done, the miracle which took place on the way to Damascus (and likely in Damascus as well) was that Saul saw Jesus as the Son of God, as the Messiah, and as his Savior and Lord: Am I not free? When Saul was confronted on the road to Damascus, he saw the risen, glorified Lord. To put it differently, the account of Sauls conversion in Acts 9 is but the first of three accounts, the other two coming from the lips of Paul himself. When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Granted, his experience is unique and dramatic. Questions: Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? WebWe do not know whether Ananias already had previous experience miracles of healing, but the Lord was instructing him to interview the notorious Pharisee Saul, who fiercely persecuted Christians, and to heal his blindness. 151 The doctrine of total depravity is that every person, every man, woman, and child, has been affected (infected?) . A man who, along What was Ananias role in Sauls conversion to Christianity? 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). Here, Saul was only told that it was Jesus whom he saw, who was speaking to him, and whom he was persecuting. And what a comfort to know that God always finishes what He starts: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. That our Lords contemporaries believed the Messiah to be in some special sense the son of God is rendered probable by the wording of the high priests question to him at his trial: `Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? (Mark 14:61 par. of him. He spoke of it as the movement from darkness to light (Colossians 1:12-13; Ephesians 4:8-14) in which the new believer should now walk. The answer is: Jesus. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. It is not just in the Book of Acts that the importance of Sauls conversion is evident. Damascus, a city some 150 miles to the northeast of Jerusalem, was one such city. Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit because it was the Holy Spirit who dwelt in the apostles, giving them their power and authority. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit (Matthew 15:14; cf. It does not store any personal data. 135 There are those who describe Saul as a tormented man after the stoning of Stephen. A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. Those who think themselves worthy of Gods blessings (as many Jews did in that day) are those who are in trouble. 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). 1:1; 1 Cor. This old city is the most enduring in the history of the world (Knowling). Or did they somewhat dread his arrival, knowing how zealous he was in his opposition to the church. Their attempt to deceive the apostles was an attempt to deceive God putting the Spirit of the Lord to the test (v. 9) and they paid the price! . The first words spoken to Saul were, Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting Me? (Acts 9:4). . WebAnswer: > 10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. Here I am, Lord, he replied. 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.. 1. Matt. After that Saul was welcomed by the Christians and he preached freely in and around Jerusalem. Nothing is said in our text about any miracles being performed by Saul, as yet. 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. 33There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.