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. But there is a greater discrepancy between the accounts of Sauls conversion in Acts and that which Paul gave in Galatians 1. The light from heaven brought Saul to the ground. I am not at all sure how this can be determined from the text. Without Ananias prayer, Saul spends the rest of his life as a blind man wondering what his life might have been. He spoke of salvation as the change from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-3). At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead (Isaiah 59:10). 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. No change in life is greater than the change from unbelief to belief in Christ, from being lost and condemned to being saved and eternally secure, from being separated from God and others to being united with Him and with all believers. 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Yes, Lord, he answered. 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. 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. Sauls baptism followed, accompanied by his profession of faith, his calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). The longer I study Sauls conversion, the more convinced I am that his conversion is typical. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Israel was also blind, and Pauls blindness was but a specific example of this blindness: The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. Saul was the bad guy. Christian ministry be reconciled with the wealth and prosperity that also Isaiah 64:6). WebThe Good Ananias: A Lesson for Believers. 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. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But then the preacher can continue that even though Ananias didnt know about Sauls epiphany, he did as the Lord told him anyway. It almost seems harder to convince Ananias that Saul is (or will be) a Christian than it is to convert Saul. 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. The answer is: Jesus. There is surely a connection between Saul and persecution, and Saul and peace. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him. It may well be a call to live transformed lives in the same circumstances in which we were found. 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! 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). Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. Now they grope through the streets like men who are blind. The words and actions of Ananias are an evidence of his faith and obedience to the divine commission he was given, as outlined by Luke in the verses above. (8) The salvation of Saul made him a vital part of Christs body, the church. They could not prove him wrong from the Scriptures. CE!L;oza!sQjaTsg And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. Web17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me 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. Despite the threats Saul had made and his notorious track record of persecuting, arresting and even affirming the execution of Christians, Ananias, whose This old city is the most enduring in the history of the world (Knowling). It does not store any personal data. So it would appear. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7; cf. sunodia, Luke 2:44). F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), fn. When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple (vs. 26). Furthermore, in Acts 26:10 Paul testifies that he received letters from the chief priests, not just the chief priest alone. 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. (5) Sauls salvation was an act of divine grace. 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. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? Note the following impressions gained from a reflection on the passage as a whole. Our text presents Saul as a man who was not only running from God, but one who was actively opposing Him. WebThis happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. 1:26); but for Saul the one who bore a human form identified himself as a historical person: `I am Jesus. Few of Sauls distinctive insights into the significance of the gospel cannot be traced back to the Damascus-road event, or to the outworking of that event in his life and thought. 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. If the worst sinner (Saul) was not too sinful to save, then you are not too sinful for God to save. 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. 31* The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight,. 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. 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). Michael Garicoits (1797-1863) was born into a poor, but hardworking and humble family. According to Acts 9:10, Ananias was living in Damascus. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Who told Saul to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street? God then used this man to further His purposes in launching the career of the most influential of the apostles. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time. And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. 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). Ananias hesitation to visit Saul showed that he had good relationship with Jerusalem, for he knew of the trouble that the persecutor had raised against the early converts, and of the goal of his mission to Damascus. Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for, And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting, he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before, I will show him how many things he must suffer for My. 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). The Lord It is impossible to overestimate the worth to the student of Christianity of this event from every angle because we have in Pauls Epistles his own emphasis on the actual appearance of Jesus to him as the fact that changed his whole life (1 Cor. One moment, Saul was persecuting the church; shortly thereafter he was seeking to fellowship with the saints. 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). Nevertheless, conversion has certain elements which are vital and which are to be present in any salvation experience. First, there are problems which appear to be serious. With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith (2 Thessalonians 1:11). 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. Here is a graphic illustration of what true repentance isit is a turning about, beginning with ones belief and bearing fruit in ones conduct. In order to have both, they pretended to give the full price of the sale of their property to the apostles. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10). 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). There would likely be another group of people meeting on the evening before Saul arrived in Damascusthose who did not believe in Jesus as their Messiah, and who eagerly sought the eradication of the church in their city. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life (1 Thessalonians 4:7). 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. Salvation is the miracle whereby God removes the blindness of sin and of Satan, whereby God replaces death with life. 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. There are two very important implications to the personal dimension of Sauls conversion. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9). Saul had been granted permission by the high priest to arrest any man or woman in Damascus who were Christians. . 147 The more Saul preached, the more the Jews were confused. 40Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. For all the saints. He is there praying,j While Paul may not have brought about the execution of all those whom he arrested, including women as well as men (verse 2), verse 1 strongly suggests that this was his desire and ambition. Saul could only be persecuting Jesus through the members of His body, the church. 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). Saul, like Stephen, was a Hellenistic Jew. He went on to become a respected teacher and the founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Betharram. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. This happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. Saul, like Israel, had been blinded as to the meaning of the law because of his rejection of Christ (cf. WebThere was no indication in Jesus words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit. I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. 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. In this approach, preachers are offering their congregation a chance to relate to Ananias dream that leads him to overcome his preconception of Saul (a correct but now outdated preconception), come to see Saul as someone God has called, and respond faithfully. Did he still not realize who the Lord was? This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. He who had wanted to kill these saints now wanted to fellowship with them. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord (Acts 13:6-12). WebThats when Ananias heard a word from the Lord. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
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