(12) The same Saul who played a role in Stephens execution was to become, in large measure, his replacement. 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. Paul would later use this expression (in the plural) to address his unbelieving Jewish opponents, as in Acts 22:1. He sent me so that you can This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Saul, the typical (albeit more zealous) Jew, opposed God in the person of Christ and His body, the church, even while he thought he was serving Him. 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. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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. When he was still very young, Michael was hired out as a shepherd boy. In fact, as Saul would later write, he realized that he was chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Just as Saul had opposed those who believed, so Bar-Jesus opposed the proconsuls conversion. by the sin of Adam. 4. It was, of course, Ananias who instructed Saul to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). Why were Ananias and Sapphira killed on the spot? Do not gloat over me, my enemy! . Rather, he sought the arrest, trial, conviction, and punishment (with imprisonment the norm and death the ideal, it would seem) of those in Jerusalem. 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. 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. The result of that reluctant leap of faith is that Sauls eyes are opened and he is baptized, becoming part of (and eventually a leader in) the very church he sought to wipe out. 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. Verses 1 and 2 vividly depict Sauls intent, his intense desire and determination to rid the world of Christianity by taking active, aggressive, severe action against those saints who had fled from Jerusalem. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. No, I worked harder than all of themyet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of Gods grace given me through the working of his power. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Saul got help, though, from a man named Barnabas. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Why was Ananias afraid? 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. a. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). 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). Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 1:2; 2 Tim. And the second group, who were waiting for Saul to come and help them deal with the followers of the Way, were about to discover that Saul had joined them, perhaps bringing other members of the opposition along with him. You also know this person is a recognized hater of your faith, and wants little if anything to do with you. They, too, were afraid of Saul and did not believe he really was a follower of Jesus Christ. The Essene community at Qumran used the same designation to describe its mode of life. 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. Copyright 2023 Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. All rights reserved. So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help. 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. Then he 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). At length, in Gods good time, the door opened, and the events of half a lifetime assumed final and complete significance. E. M. Blaiklock, The Acts of the Apostles, (Grand Rapids: Wm. 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. WebThe Conversion of Saul. Saul was also blinded, which identified him with the blindness of the nation Israel of which the Old Testament prophets wrote (see above). Then, on the road to Damascus, he was blinded by a vision of Jesus. to go lay hands on Saul (soon to be known as Paul) and restore his 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. Acts 9, 22, 26; Romans 15:15-21; cf. That He had already appeared to Saul "on the road" From the fact that three different accounts of Sauls conversion are recorded in Acts, we know this event had to play a crucial role in the expansion of the church. required neighboring states to grant it the privileges of a sovereign state, including the right of extradition. . 42This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14). At this point, the conversion of the hero of the Gentile mission is recounted. WebThis happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. The "Straight Street" or Via Recta in Latin, was a straight Instead, he became the first believer to minister to Saul. 17) and the restoration of the man after the shattering experience he had known, and for the early ministry in Tarsus, Syria, Cilicia, and Antioch, which prepared mind and method for the major assault on the pagan world. By divine revelation, Peter called out Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit and to God. The life of Paul and his writings are very important parts of the New Testament. They may have been attempting to compile a list of known (and even suspected) Christians, along with addresses, to facilitate Sauls task. They could only kill him, and this they were determined to do (9:23). He should not be circumcised. The call to salvation is also the call to a life of holiness and obedience. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. 20 The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins, declares the Lord. also Psalm 50:15; Joel 2:32; Jeremiah 29:12; 33:3-8). What do you suppose the saints would have prayed at this special prayer meeting? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 3On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.c 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. All of these should be expected and can be rather easily explained. the light and blind passages above). 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. 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). Why this swift act of judgment? [9:1] 8:3; 9:13; 22:4; 1Cor 15:9; Gal 1:1314. 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. 22But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded [the] Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah. Who is blind but my servant {Israel}, and deaf like the messenger I send? 19 From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. (Philippians 1:4-9). Who has saved us and called us to a holy lifenot because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. here - view only). Acts 9:19-23 Saul in Damascus. 1:16f. Stat two things God told Anaias concerning Saul Briefly describe what happened during Anaias' meeting with Saul. WebWe can understand why Ananias would be afraid of Saul. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in There are differences between the three accounts given to us in Acts. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent (Psalm 104:2). The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave and friendly. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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." Furthermore, in Acts 26:10 Paul testifies that he received letters from the chief priests, not just the chief priest alone. 154 What is both interesting and important about this text is that the call of salvation does not necessarily require a change of career. Saul was not seeking God. Saul was saved in spite of himself. What was the decision of Ananias and Sapphira? Encourage and rebuke with all authority. 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). 1:15; Eph. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isaiah 60:3). Ananias found Saul and said to him, 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. As soon as Ananias spoke, Saul could see again. Grace is also the source and the standard for our service: Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:6). . (Acts 9:17) and that Saul was to "be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17). He sent me so that you can WebThe last time they saw Saul, he was arresting and killing Christians. * [9:36] Tabitha (Dorcas), respectively the Aramaic and Greek words for gazelle, exemplifies the right attitude toward material possessions expressed by Jesus in the Lucan Gospel (Lk 6:30; 11:41; 12:33; 18:22; 19:8). (1) Sauls salvation was the salvation of a sinner. Impatient men forget that God is not bound by time. But as I see the call of God referred to in the New Testament, it seems that the call of salvation assumes other callings, to which Paul and other New Testament writers made frequent reference: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1). Saul was the bad guy. Did Saul's many sufferings during his ministry for Jesus' name come as a surprise to 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 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. The children will practice being giving and friendly with someone that they do not know. 31* The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). 1. (8) Saul was saved independently of the apostles. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Saul went to other cities where he sought to arrest Christians and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. Web3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? If he were viewed as a reactionary, a trouble-maker, perhaps there were some unbelievers who thought Saul was too much trouble. When we look at Pauls great love and compassion for the saints, we have to remind ourselves of the hate he once had toward them. 6 What was Ananias role in Sauls conversion to Christianity? And so, Saul asked the LORD who He was. 2 What was the decision of Ananias and Sapphira? It was Gods initiative all the way. There is more space devoted to convincing Ananias than there is to the conversion of Saul. 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. The same grace which was shown to Saul in his salvation is shown to all whom God calls to Himself: 8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. 28He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. WebThe Good Ananias: A Lesson for Believers. There may well have been a long time between Sauls conversion and his arrival at Jerusalem. 21All who heard him were astounded and said, Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests? 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). When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking. I am not at all sure how this can be determined from the text. The approach the Lord took was one of dealing with Saul in the light of his sin, of his salvation, and of his ministry. With the help of Ananias, he was transformed into a follower of Jesus and became one of the most well-known evangelists ever. The question must be asked as to whether or not Sauls conversion has a more general application and relevance.