15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. 1:19; Rom. Ironically, Ananias could have become one of Sauls targets of persecution for following the Lord Jesus. Let us not fail to respect the individuality of the conversion experience and to deal with people in the light of their individuality. In peace, as in persecution, the church was comforted and continued to increase.
Ananias restores Saul's sight - Catholic Courier There are affinities between his conversion experience and Ezekiels inaugural vision, in which the prophet saw the likeness of the heavenly throne and above it a likeness as it were of a human form (Ezek. They do not understand the gospel well enough. 2:1 He said to me, Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you. 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. The church did not shrink or suffer for Sauls arrival, but it grew because of it. It would seem not to be there on the road to Damascus. 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. 7The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one.g Like Stephen, the enemies of the gospel attempted to kill Saul when they could not silence him by means of debate. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photo-lithoprinted}, 1966), p. 90. 9:31). Those whose lives Saul would gladly have taken in his unsaved days now sought to save his life by sending him away. Jesus repeated his command, explaining that Saul was his chosen instrument to deliver the gospel to the Gentiles, their kings, and the people of Israel. Like Stephen, Saul seemed to gravitate toward preaching to the Hellenistic Jews (9:29). When he was still very young, Michael was hired out as a shepherd boy. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. 1:16; cf. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. The words of Jesus, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? related by Luke with no variation in all three accounts, exerted a profound and lasting influence on the thought of Paul. NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NKJV, Chronological Study Bible: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word.
Jesus was LORD and not a false prophet! For Paul, the method of proclaiming the gospel must be consistent with the message itself, and so it was. Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. Sauls Baptism. 5He said, Who are you, sir? The reply came, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.e Then he turned to her body and said, Tabitha, rise up. She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.q Everyone is born in sin, and every part of their being is affected by sin (intellect, emotions, and will). (6) Little emphasis is placed on Sauls reception of the Holy Spirit, and nothing is said about what happened as Saul received the Spirit. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". It is not a transition, but a transformation. Perhaps Ananias and Sapphira got caught up in a band-wagon effect. Paul was no ordinary followerhe became the most visible and active pillar of the new Christian church. 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! What is the significance of the story of Ananias and Sapphira? There are two primary options for preaching from this text. (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. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent (Psalm 104:2). 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. For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Colossians 1:13-19). Salvation is the miracle whereby God removes the blindness of sin and of Satan, whereby God replaces death with life. 29He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,* but they tried to kill him. 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 told Saul to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street? 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. I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. 7 Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? came under Alexander the Great's rule. 134 Blaiklock comes to this conclusion concerning the time of Sauls conversion: Probably the earliest acceptable date for the conversion on the Damascus road is AD 33. 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. WebThis happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. Introduction. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world (John 1:4-5, 7-9). If the unity of Christ and His body, the church, were a vital truth with respect to Sauls persecution of the church, it was also a vital truth for him as a Christian. 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. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord.
Unstoppable But as Saul grew in strength and as his arguments were irrefutable, just as Stephens had been (Acts 6:10), his opponents realized that the only way to silence Saul was to kill him. WebWhy was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Saul asked.I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, he replied. The towns of Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa were populated by both Jews and Gentiles and their Christian communities may well have been mixed. many pulpits today promise to those who will follow Jesus. What is remarkable about the Lord's directions to Ananias? This is a miracle, a miracle which is all of God, and all of grace. 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, here am I, Lord. 11 And the Lord said to him, Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight. 13 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Thy saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name.145 15 But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My names sake.. Acts ix. This first account occurs when the word is first spread to the Gentiles. 154 What is both interesting and important about this text is that the call of salvation does not necessarily require a change of career. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1). In the process, Saul was to greatly extend the outreach of the gospel to the Gentiles. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. ,/1Xa} V=
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He realized that it was nothing which he had donenor ever would dobut only by what Jesus Christ had done that saved him. . In 2 Corinthians 11:32 Paul speaks of an ethnarch of Aretas, the king of the Nabataean Arabs, who guarded the city to prevent him escaping from it. At first Ananias was afraid because he knew how Saul persecuted the Christians, but the Lord said that Saul had a special ministry he must fulfill. 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.. 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.
Acts 9 Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? The details of what was said and done when Ananias arrived are fuzzy. Saul saw and heard the resurrected Christ. 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. He has sovereignly chosen to use people to lead people to salvation, Spirit baptism, deliverance, and healing. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? One of the most dramatic revelations of Sauls Damascus road experience was that he was not serving God, but he was persecuting Him. All Ananias did was to obey Christs command to go pray with Saul so that Saul could do all those things. (4) More space is devoted to the process of getting Ananias to Saul than is devoted to getting Saul to Damascus and to the home of Judas. We honor him on May 14. * [9:8] He could see nothing: a temporary blindness (Acts 9:18) symbolizing the religious blindness of Saul as persecutor (cf. 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). 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.
Acts 9:10-19 NKJV - Ananias Baptizes Saul - Bible Gateway What is the significance of the story of Ananias and Sapphira? His acceptance by the latter was finally brought about through his friendship with Barnabas (Acts 9:27). 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. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel (Luke 2:32). However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Saul proclaimed Jesus to be the Son of God (9:20), a designation understood to refer to Israels awaited Messiah.149. The call of salvation is a call to change. 11:2328; 12:710; Gal. Saul, like Israel, had been blinded as to the meaning of the law because of his rejection of Christ (cf. Sapphira). 1:29, 30, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version. with his wife Sapphira, sold some property and agreed to hold back