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The first evidence of Sauls conversion was his immediate identification with the church in Damascus. After this incident with Paul we hear no more Luke 3:22), it expressed his unique relationship and fellowship with the Father. Ibid. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. I. Howard Marshall summarizes the problem in these words: Nevertheless, we obtain a different impression of things from Galatians 1:16-24, according to which (1) Paul did not confer with men after his conversion nor go to the apostles in Jerusalem, but (2) departed to Arabia and then returned to Damascus; then (3) three years later he went to Jerusalem for a visit lasting a fortnight during which he saw only Peter and James, and at this time he was unknown by sight to the churches of Judea; thereafter (4) he went to Syria and Cilicia. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photo-lithoprinted}, 1966), p. 90. In spite of this, we are not told here that Saul did receive the Holy Spirit or what happened when he did. This is why Jesus was so receptive of sinners and so hard on the self-righteous. WebAnanias, had he disobeyed Christ, would not have helped Saul on that path in which he, as Paul the apostle, did so much, and suffered so much, for Christ. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you (Isaiah 60:1). What was Ananias role in Sauls conversion to Christianity? * [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. 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. At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. 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! Ananias not only WebActs 9:1. Jesus was LORD and not a false prophet! The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 26 Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. also 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 11:32-33; cf. After this incident with Paul we hear no more of him. 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. Sermons about Ananias And Saul - SermonCentral.com The men who traveled with Saul were frightened and confused. . Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. The risen Lord selected Saul out of the group with which he was traveling to hear, to see Him, and to understand His words. (You know, just in case God has forgotten something) Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Ananias sight. What Paul learned about himself, personally, on the road to Damascus he came to understand and to preach concerning all men. 30And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.p. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. . Yes, Lord, he answered. In Hellenistic times it was completely replanned on the Hippodamian grid-system. Matt. With the help of Ananias, he was transformed into a follower of Jesus and became one of the most well-known evangelists ever. So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help. Saul Visits Jerusalem. The salvation of Saul was to result in the gospel being preached to distant people and lands, and in the extension of the church to many key cities. This would leave AD 33-46 for the visit to Arabia (Gal. If this passage is profoundly important, it also poses its problems. A devout Hellenistic Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, Saul was a member of the Pharisees and was taught by none other than Gamaliel, whom we have already met (Acts 5:34-40). When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking. 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. About three hours later, Sapphira arrived. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them (Isaiah 42:16). ). A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 115. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. This silence is instructive, in my opinion. They could not prove him wrong from the Scriptures. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. Who told Saul to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street? In Galatians 1, Saul wrote that God had called him while he was still in his mothers womb (Galatians 1:15). Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Hd7/`l@TM0h#`C2 +u-AsQ3j++&?Fu7_[1_?a^J> Frequent biblical texts speak of God in terms of light: You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game (Psalm 76:4). Who is blind but my servant {Israel}, and deaf like the messenger I send? He knew what Saul had done to the church in Jerusalem. Paul Receive the Holy Spirit by the Laying A vision, in this context, was a supernatural sight from God. Salvation is a revolution, not an evolution. I believe that as Luke portrays Saul in Acts, it is as a prototype, a picture of Israel. Though I have fallen, I will rise. vii.) many pulpits today promise to those who will follow Jesus? 145 We may note incidentally the two new descriptions of the Christians used here. How do you write a good story in Smash Bros screening? Sauls conversion was a miracle, short and simple, but not so much the result of the external miracle of the bright light and the voice of the Lord as the internal transformation and illumination which God wrought: 15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man (Galatians 1:15-16). 9:31). * [9:8] He could see nothing: a temporary blindness (Acts 9:18) symbolizing the religious blindness of Saul as persecutor (cf. WebThe Conversion of Saul. Finally, we shall attempt to focus on the application of this passage to our own lives. Or did they somewhat dread his arrival, knowing how zealous he was in his opposition to the church. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Ananias and Saul: The Story Starts With a Disciple They were to be a light to the Gentiles, but they failed. The only question is who is the LORD? Ananias would probably be afraid to go see Saul because Ananias was a Christian, and Saul was coming to the city to arrest the Christians. 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. It was a city in the days of Abraham, and at the time of the Israelite monarchy it was the capital of the most important Aramaean kingdom. 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? Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Web The children will describe Ananias as a man who helped Saul even though he was afraid. The Apostle Paul: Saul and Ananias. His Word Today 116-117. 17So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit. 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. 2:22, Acts 13:2; 22:21; Rom. Nevertheless, at some point in time Saul did arrive in Jerusalem. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children (1 Thessalonians 2:7). We are given a little insight from the account in Acts 12 when Peter was imprisoned and it appeared he would soon be executed, as James had already been, and as we would infer Herod purposed to do with Peter (Acts 12:1-4). We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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. 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. Saul got help, though, from a man named Barnabas. [ a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads. [9:1] 8:3; 9:13; 22:4; 1Cor 15:9; Gal 1:1314. 139 A. T. Robertson writes, It is open to question if kurie should not here be translated Sir as in 16:30 and in Matt. 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. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9). WebSauls Baptism. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 113. ,/1Xa} V= endstream endobj 133 0 obj 634 endobj 94 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 88 0 R /Resources 95 0 R /Contents [ 98 0 R 100 0 R 102 0 R 104 0 R 122 0 R 124 0 R 126 0 R 129 0 R ] /MediaBox [ 0 0 792 612 ] /CropBox [ 0 0 792 612 ] /Rotate 0 >> endobj 95 0 obj << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB ] /Font << /F1 109 0 R /F3 106 0 R /F4 107 0 R /F6 118 0 R /F7 116 0 R >> /XObject << /Im1 127 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 131 0 R /GS2 130 0 R >> /ColorSpace << /Cs5 96 0 R >> >> endobj 96 0 obj [ /CalRGB << /WhitePoint [ 0.9505 1 1.089 ] /Gamma [ 2.22221 2.22221 2.22221 ] /Matrix [ 0.4124 0.2126 0.0193 0.3576 0.71519 0.1192 0.1805 0.0722 0.9505 ] >> ] endobj 97 0 obj 1512 endobj 98 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 97 0 R >> stream These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. 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. Their story is rarely shown in art, but is the subject of one of the Raphael Cartoons, and a panel on the Brescia Casket, both illustrated here. \4Q-b24Q-z U`E(O42. Ananias restores Saul's sight - Catholic Courier (10) Sauls encounter with Christ was not only a conversion, but it was also a call to a very specific ministry. The Essene community at Qumran used the same designation to describe its mode of life. 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. It's still there and you can still see the evidence of the colonnades (click In the Bible, Reuben and Saul were of no relation to each other. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Get up and make your bed. He got up at once. 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.l Ananias and Saul in Damascus. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in 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. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. %PDF-1.2 % He wrote letters to the first churches in order to help them understand the Scriptures and to tell them how to live as good Christians. 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). Over and over in his epistles, Paul spoke of salvation in terms of radical change. It was surely fear (reverence), among other things, which prompted this. It is not just in the Book of Acts that the importance of Sauls conversion is evident. What is meant by the competitive environment? Acts ix. He went on to become a respected teacher and the founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Betharram. 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. 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. Ananias had to overcome his fear so that Saul would be overcome by grace. If the worst sinner (Saul) was not too sinful to save, then you are not too sinful for God to save. Saul was not seeking God. Saul was saved in spite of himself. It was irresistible argument and spread consternation among the Jews. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. WebA study of the language describing what resulted from Ananias going to Saul should help in determining the part played by Ananias in Saul's being "filled with the Holy Spirit." Working Preacher from Luther Seminary 1:16; cf. of him. The children will practice being giving and friendly with someone that they do not know. ananisofdamascus - Bible Facts Did he still not realize who the Lord was? . . It was evidently a term used by the early followers of Jesus to denote their movement as the way of life or the way of salvation. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 181. `}Hq)l2hZ0r89asO70Da`qg Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. It strikes many readers as harsh, a return to Old Testament retribution. Introduction: suppose you heard someone was coming to arrest you, or even worse. 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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. Lesson: Conversion Saul and Ananias Prayer (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see Teaching from the Scriptures, p. Acts 9:17 - Ananias Baptizes Saul - Bible Hub 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. 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. In peace, as in persecution, the church was comforted and continued to increase. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. 4. 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). As at Damascus, Saul eventually had to leave the city of Jerusalem to save his life. What happened to Saul when Ananias laid hand on him? What did Ananias do for Saul? Now that the Lord had identified Himself as Jesus, Saul recognized that he was the sinner. 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. It may well be a call to live transformed lives in the same circumstances in which we were found. Sermon Seeds: The Way Forward - United Church of Christ The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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). Just as Saul seemingly had hatred toward Christ-followers, how do you think a Christ-follower like Ananias felt toward Saul? Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. In order to have both, they pretended to give the full price of the sale of their property to the apostles. Like Stephen, Saul seemed to gravitate toward preaching to the Hellenistic Jews (9:29). While Saul in solitude at the house of Judas continued in prayer and supplication, the Lord appeared in a vision to a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, telling him that Saul of Tarsus was praying and in need of help. Damascus, a city some 150 miles to the northeast of Jerusalem, was one such city. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:8-11). 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. Thus, persecuting the church was persecuting Jesus Christ. 147 The more Saul preached, the more the Jews were confused. But these laws, which seek to summarize the gospel in a concise way, should always be applied individually. First, there are problems which appear to be serious. 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Christian ministry be reconciled with the wealth and prosperity that Saul Ananias who was If he were viewed as a reactionary, a trouble-maker, perhaps there were some unbelievers who thought Saul was too much trouble. ANANIAS 5 How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? There are all too many autonomous Christians, those who feel that coming to faith in Christ does not necessitate identifying with His body, the church. 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.