INTRUDUCTION
In chapter seven we
saw how Phillip brought the good message to cities outside of Jerusalem. Phillip, who was selected to replace Stephen
who was slain for the name of Jesus, now filled his seat as a deacon of the new
church. Phillips ministry was cut short
by his arrest and subsequent execution.
In chapter nine we learn more about Saul, the persecutor of the new
Christian church. We will see a miracle
transformation of this man from one who persecuted, to one who loved Christ Jesus and His church.
The Conversion of
Saul
Verse 1: Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, Verse 2 : and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
‘The Way’ was the
name for the new faith.
That name appears
several times in Acts. For example, it appears in Acts 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22. The early
Christians used it. The name shows that they followed the way by which people
receive salvation.
Saul had an
unrealistic blind rage towards Jesus and His disciples.
Saul’s hatred burned
with intense fire within his soul, and he sought out those who would teach of
Jesus with the intent to arrest and return them to Jerusalem where they would
be put to death in a most gruesome way ( Acts
26:10; Acts 26:11 ).
The King James
version uses the word slaughter as apposed to murder as found in this
translation.
The word slaughter is
much more descriptive of the method of persecution and death.
Saul’s consuming
hatred compelled him to go beyond the boarders of Jerusalem and seek out the
followers of Jesus.
Saul had watched
Stephen die and believed his death to be just.
Saul petitioned the
high priest for a letter of authority to arrest any who would speak of Jesus
and bring them before the synagogues in Damascus the capital of Syria.
Although the
authority of the Sanhedrin did not extend to Syria the Romans allowed the
synagogues to arrest their own.
The charge blasphemy
brought the death penalty and could only be handed down by the full Sanhedrin
in Jerusalem.
Verse 3: As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; Verse 4: and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
The light was not
from the sun but rather from the Son which shown brighter than the sun.
The light was so
intense that it knocked him to the ground and he was blinded physically as he
had been spiritually.
In verse 3 we note
even though Saul’s name was later changed to Paul it was Saul who was blinded
so that he might see, and it was Paul who was given sight and found forgiveness
and acceptance.
Saul or as he was
later called Paul was a Roman citizen.
The name Paul has existed since the Roman
times and derives from the Roman family name Paulus or Paullus - in particular
in the Roman patrician family of
the Gens Aemilia
In verse 4 we see
Jesus spoke to Saul not with a voice of anger but rather a voice of
sadness. We can feel confident in saying
this because Jesus said Saul, Saul.
Even in today’s world
we often address our children saying there name twice indicating to them we are
saddened by their words or deeds.
Interesting to note
that even though Paul’s name was later changed when he tells this story he uses
the name Saul.
I believe he did this
to accentuate the change in his life;
New life new name.
Or perhaps Paul did
not want to change any detail of what happened to him.
Verse 5: And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, Verse 6: but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”
Saul did not
recognize the supernatural voice, and so he called out using the word Lord.
The word Lord here is
used as a term of respect by Saul.
This term was often
used in that time to identify an unknown important speaker.
Jesus uses the phrase
“Jesus the Nazarene” to make sure Saul knew it was the same Jesus that His
followers preached about.
Saul was persecuting
His followers and thereby was persecuting Jesus.
Jesus had said in Mat
24:45 “Then He will
answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you
did not do it to one of the least of these, you
did not do it to Me. In the king James translation reads:
5 And
he said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am
Jesus whom you persecute: it is hard for you to kick against the pricks.
The phrase “kick
against the pricks” is actually the metaphor of an ox, used here to driving the
goad deeper by kicking against it.
“This phrase is a classic one, and here forcibly
expresses, not only the vanity of all his measures for crushing the Gospel, but
the deeper wound which every such effort inflicted upon himself.” [2]
Verse 7: The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
These men probably
fell to the ground as Saul did. They may have remained in the prone position
while Saul may have then stood upright and looked to see who was talking to
him. This is a supposition and not stated in this verse or later in Acts 26:14.
Again recorded in
John (John
12:28 John 12:29 ) the loud roaring
voice was heard by all, but only Paul understood its meaning.
Wow! What a miracle;
the glory of the Lord was seen only by Saul.
The other men not looking at the glory of God were not blinded.
8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. ( See also Acts 22:9-11 ).
If you were to stare
into the sun your retina would be burned and you would be blinded permanently.
Saul looked into the
glory of God a light much more intense than the sun and yet was only blinded 3
days until Ananias came to him.
Jesus was in the tomb
not seen by the world and rose on the third day.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
“According to
the Hebrew mode
of computation:
he took no food
during the remainder of that day, the entire day following, and so much of the
subsequent day as elapsed before the visit of Ananias.” [2]
His body would have
suffered dehydration and the lack of nourishment must have caused him much
physical pain he felt was not as great as the spiritual pain and shame he felt
when Jesus spoke to his very soul.
I can’t imagine what
Saul must have been feeling when he finally realized during these three days
everything he had been taught from the O.T. was wrong.
“the system of legal
righteousness in which he had, up to that moment, rested and prided himself was
false and fatal.” [3]
During this time of self convection Saul’s hate
dissolved and became love.
Saul did not know
whether he would ever see again
Verses
10-14 summarized
“Many
believers had escaped from Jerusalem. Ananias was one such believer.
Luke
tells us more about him in Acts
22:12. But Ananias knew that Saul had persecuted Christians in
Jerusalem.
He
also knew why Saul had come to Damascus.
Saul
had come to arrest believers!
People
had told Ananias some very bad things about Saul.
Ananias
was probably very afraid of him.
10 Now there was a
disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision,
“Ananias.” and he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
Ananias was respected
as a man and a student of the law but more important he love Jesus and obeyed
Him ( Acts
22:12 ).
11 And the
Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the
street called Straight, and inquire at the house of
Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,
Today there is still
a street in Damascus by this name {Maundrell}
Tarsus was the
capital of the province of Cilicia.
Tarsus was located
along the Northeast coast of the Mediterranean.
12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias com in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.
Other than what is
said in this verse I can find no other verse giving the account of Saul’s
vision of Ananias.
The Lord knew the
heart of Ananias was hardened towards Saul.
The Lord explained in
this verse that Saul had been changed and now prayed to the very God he
persecuted.
13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
Ananias balked at
giving grace to this man who persecuted so many.
Ananias did not yet
full understand that forgiveness would be given to all who would accept Jesus
as Lord and follow Him.
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 name’s sake.”
The word chosen
vessel implies that Saul had been emptied out and would be refilled with the
Holy Spirit.
Some people may boast
of binging people to salvation. They forget if it was not for the conviction of
the Holy Spirit and the empting out of the self will; No salvation would be
possible.
Gods sovereign
election of a person can also be seen in the following: Romans
9:21-23; 2 Corinthians
4:7; 2 Timothy 2:20 -21.
God also tells
Ananias that Saul was not going to get a free ride but rather would suffer
greatly in the name of Jesus
Saul/Paul was to go
to the gentile and preach
17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit,”
We see here that
Ananias did not question what the Lord wanted him to do but instead obeyed
immediately.
Ananias greeted Saul
calling him brother, thus acknowledging him as a fellow inheritor as a child
and follower of the risen Christ.
Ananias was acting as
the welcome wagon welcoming Saul into the family of God and giving also the
restoration of Saul’s sight.
I believe that Saul’s
sight was taken so that he might see the truth, and his sight was restored to
be baptized into the body of Christ and receive the Holy Spirit.
Saul had seen Ananias
in a vision forgiving him in the name of Jesus.
Know this Saul was
anticipating the arrival of Ananias.
The laying on of
hands is an act of anointing, and in this case the healing touch.
Once Saul could see
the Holy Spirit filled him and Ananias baptized Saul with water.
The Samarians
received the baptism first then the Holy Spirit unlike Saul who received the
Holy Spirit first.
Saul received the
Holy Spirit then he was baptized into the body of believers.
Is it possible to
serve Jesus without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
NO!! The Holy Spirit
is the one who guides our path and teaches us and give to us the utterances
that God would have us deliver to His intended.
SAUL BEGINS HIS MINISTRY
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized: regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened.
The writer of acts
reveals himself as a doctor by graphically describing the regaining of Saul’s
sight.
Saul after receiving
the Holy Spirit Saul eat again and his weaken condition improved.
Why did Saul not eat
or drink for three days?
He was cleansing his
physical body and devoting his time to prayer otherwise know as fasting.
20: Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
Saul received first
hand witnessing of Jesus from the disciples in Damascus, and immediately began
his ministry.
Saul’s transformation
was completed and he was not seen as the persecutor but rather he was
proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God; the long awaited Christ ( Acts 9:22 ).
21 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?”
Jesus chose the
unlikely, and the undesirable to accomplish his mission on earth.
And so it was with
Saul; Israel’s most hardened persecutor became the most noted disciple of Jesus
proclaiming Jesus to both Jew and Gentile.
22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
Saul was a Pharisee,
well trained in public speaking.
Saul was full of the
Holy Spirit who gave him the words but it was his training that gave his
messages mass appeal.
Knowing the
scriptures Saul gave evidence to the Jews which they could not ignore or
rebut.
23 When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but their plot become known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.
The Jews referred to
here were, with out a doubt, working under the auspices of the Chief priest.
Paul states after
escaping from Damascus he went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.
The period of time
between his first and last visit to Damascus was about three years.
26: When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
Even though Saul had
completely changed many were afraid he was a pretender in order to capture more
Christians.
As with Moses Saul
was away from Damascus for a considerable length of time.
This absence would
have cause initially bewilderment and then to doubt.
When a persons
persona is doubted by others there words are also doubted.
27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.
Barnabas giving his
witness of the Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus and how he was
changed.
The name Barnabas means a person of
encouragement.
Barnabas tells the
apostles that Saul received his commission directly from Jesus.
28 And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.
Saul spoke to the
Greek speaking Jews in Jerusalem.
Saul found cause to
argue with these Jews.
It is likely these
Jews were among those who sought to kill Steven and now were seeking Saul’s
death as well.
Saul’s preaching
irritated these Jews in the same way Stephen angered them.
There solution to
silence Stephen was to kill him and they also sought the same for Saul, as we
will soon learn.
29: And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death.
It is ironic, Saul
received the same hatred throughout his ministry that he had earlier held for
the Christians he so willingly persecuted.
30: But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
His journey did not
take him directly to Tarsus but rather he landed at Seleucia and then traveled
to Antioch and Cilicia ending his Journey in Tarsus.
Being from Tarsus
Saul must have felt joy at returning home.
Saul preached Jesus
to his kinsmen, sister and maybe her son, as well as many others.
It is always a great joy to see a loved one come into a
personal relationship with Jesus.
31: So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.
There was peace in
the region because the chief persecutor (Saul) was gone and the new disciple of
Jesus (Saul) was enthusiastically witnessing of Jesus.
"The fear of the
Lord" expresses their holy walk; "the comfort of the Holy
Ghost," their "peace and joy in believing," under the silent
operation of the blessed Comforter.” [2]
We now move from
Saul’s ministry and take pick up Peter’s ministry once again.
PETER’S MINISTRY
32 Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.
Peter was surely
fleeing the persecution and yet did not abandon his mission of the churches
which were planted.
Lydda is about five miles
east of Joppa
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed.
On his own Peter
realized he did not have the power to heal and therefore he called upon Jesus
to heal the man.
Jesus healed the man
through Peter’s prayers.
Peter was careful to
give all the glory to Jesus, taking none for himself.
Jesus healed many
people while on earth and now we see Him healing people while sitting at the
Fathers right hand.
Jesus healed then and
He heals today through the prayers of His followers.
34 Peter said to him, “Aneneas, Jesus Christ heals you: get up and make your bed.” Immediately he got up.
When Jesus healed the
lame man He told him to pick up his bed ( sleeping mat ); ( Mark 2:11 ).
This man used a mat
while begging for alms.
After Aneneas was healed Peter
told him to make his bed neat because he would no longer need to use it except
at night.
I think we can safely
assume this man was in his home and in bed when Peter called upon Jesus to heal
him, in that Peter said “make his bed” and not pick up his bed.
Take notice what
Peter said “ Jesus Christ heals you”.
Peter is telling the
lame man that Jesus is healing him not Peter.
Peter is also
pointing out that Jesus is the long awaited for Christ.
35 And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Sharon was the
northern plain near the coast between Joppa and Caesarea.
36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.
Today Joppa is called
Jaffa.
The name Dorcas means gazelle a
beautiful animal who is know for its ability to run fast and jump high.
This women is called
a disciple of Jesus learned and followed the teachings of Jesus.
She showed the love
of Jesus in all the deeds she did for others.
This women is a
wonderful example of putting in practice those lessons Jesus taught to all of
us.
37 And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room.
It was the custom of
the Jewish people to wash the body in preparation for burial.
The upper chamber was
most likely the bed room.
38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, “Do not delay in Coming to us”.
39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.
The grieving widows
wanted to show Peter the beautiful work she did and gave away to them.
I believe we could
safely assume these widows where wearing the closes given to them by Dorcas.
The widows owned no
property and were very poor and so we see hear the beautiful works of Dorcas.
40 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
Jesus made Jairus well again and there
were these who witnessed this act Peter,
John, James, as well as Jairus and his wife who
stayed in the room.
Peter prayed and
spoke some words in Aramaic; he said Tabitha get up.
Now when Jesus raised
Jairus’ daughter he said
“little girl get up”.
41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
Peter showed this
miracle to the believers to strengthen their faith.
He also showed the
widows probably to reassure them they would still have help.
42 It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
The trade of a tanner
was not highly regarded because a tanner works with dead animal skin because of
the blood connected with the tanning of the hide they were considered unclean.
Simon’s house was
located away from the town by the seaside where he conducted his business.
He could not conduct
his business the city walls because his job made him unclean.
Peter stayed in Joppa
undoubtedly to teach the new believers, who came to believe because of the raising of Dorcas.
CREDITS, LINKS, AND CITATION
[4]
– Wikipedia. Org
[5]
– The student Bible dictionary – Karen Dockery, Johnnie Godwin, Phyllis Goodwin
