Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? 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. 1:19; Rom. For less than $5/mo. 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. Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of Gods choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 147 The more Saul preached, the more the Jews were confused. Start FREE. 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. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The Apostle Paul: Saul and Ananias What is the meaning of Sapphira in the Bible? 11The Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. About three hours later, Sapphira arrived. Ananias restores Saul's sight - Catholic Courier 28 And he was with them moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. He sent me so that you can Lesson: Saul Believes in Jesus - Ministry-To-Children This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It is a miraculous, dramatic reversal, first of ones beliefs, and then of ones behavior. This happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. Straight Street was widened and colonnades added to it. The message of the gospel, to be sure, is always the same, but the approach is not. He became a priest himself in 1823. Though I have fallen, I will rise. He started to KNOW GRACE! Acts 9:19-23 Saul in Damascus. . The good news of the gospel is that Christ Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Bible Hub 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. Ananias who was get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead (Isaiah 59:10). With the help of a priest who knew his parents he was allowed to attend religious school. 7 Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? Saul took this most seriously, not eating or drinking until after his confession of faith by means of his baptism. WebThe Good Ananias: A Lesson for Believers. (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. Saul did not agree with his teacher, Gamaliel, on how the Christians should be dealt with, however. Saul immediately began to preach about the Son of God in the synagogues. The risen Lord selected Saul out of the group with which he was traveling to hear, to see Him, and to understand His words. They wanted to keep Gods blessings to themselves. Ananias baptised Saul in the name of Jesus - the one who had sent him to the vanquished enemy of the church. What do you suppose the saints would have prayed at this special prayer meeting? 5 How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. 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! 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. For you are our glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). More than that, he had a deep dislike and hostility toward Christians before his conversion. I am not at all sure how this can be determined from the text. He did not say that God revealed his Son to him, but that He revealed His Son in him. He should not be circumcised. He amazed everyone because they knew he was speaking the same words as the people he had been persecuting. Saul, like Stephen, had a ministry which focused on the Hellenistic Jews. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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). Saul proclaimed Jesus to be the Son of God (9:20), a designation understood to refer to Israels awaited Messiah.149. Handed down. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Present active participle of sunbubazo, old verb to make go together, to coalesce, to knit together. (Acts 9:17) and that Saul was to "be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17). Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. God then used this man to further His purposes in launching the career of the most influential of the apostles. 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. The man who, days before, was persecuting Christ was now preaching Christ. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? That is all we know about Ananias - the small but essential part he played at the start of Paul's pilgrimage of faith. 142 His companions therefore took him by the hand and led him through the gate of Damascus to the place where, presumably, arrangements had been made for him to stay. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 185. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Enough revelation for the moment. At first he found himself in the position of being regarded as an apostate by the Jews and suspect by the Christian community of Jerusalem. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. Why did Ananias go to Paul? ProfoundQa (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. 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. As at Damascus, Saul eventually had to leave the city of Jerusalem to save his life. The blinding of Bar-Jesus thus seems to be the second major turning point in the ministry of Paul. The first question which must be asked with regard to the interpretation of this text is this: What is the meaning of this text in the context of the whole book? Luke has included this account of Sauls conversion in order to contribute to the argument which he is seeking to develop. He says: It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave and friendly. 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). For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Colossians 1:13-19). 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(5) There is a good deal of emphasis on the results of Sauls conversion. Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? I was inclined to think that most of us, experientially, are called to faith in Christ only to gradually learn Gods will for our life, progressively revealed to us as we walk in Him. The New International Version 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). 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. Why this swift act of judgment? Let us avoid cookie cutter conversions.. To whom did the Lord communicate "in a vision"? 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. Suppose you were a Christian who had just arrived in Damascus, and you had been able to learn the whereabouts of a group of believers. Thus, his opposition to Christ and His church took on a missionary spirit. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. For Paul, the method of proclaiming the gospel must be consistent with the message itself, and so it was. Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations (Isaiah 51:4). The first words of the Lord Jesus to Saul were intended to teach him the inseparable unity between Christ and His church. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, The pastor advised him to pray for the person every day for two weeks pray for the person not about the person. It is also bad news for the self-righteous. 3:7, 8; 1 Tim. Is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 harsh? Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? 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. sOGOSapQ3[y~@9W What happened when Ananias anointed Saul? and the other is a deceptive, self-serving half-truth from people interested 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, Dont let it trouble youalthough if you can gain your freedom, do so. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking. It is not just in the Book of Acts that the importance of Sauls conversion is evident. 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 Peter Heals Aeneas at Lydda. Here, Saul was only told that it was Jesus whom he saw, who was speaking to him, and whom he was persecuting. 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. But everyone can pray for and with those who have scorned the church and are scorned by the church. sunodia, Luke 2:44). F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), fn. The "Straight Street" or Via Recta in Latin, was a straight It was the most powerful piece of artillery in the Jewish camp that was suddenly turned round upon them. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 123. Am I not an apostle? This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1). That is because our Lord always confronts, convicts, and converts men and women individually, in the light of their own actions and beliefs.