If this passage is profoundly important, it also poses its problems. In this chapter we have, I. Web'And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2. "how many things he must suffer for Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. 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. 136. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 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. Pauls method was consistent with his message. What happened to Saul when Ananias laid hand on him? This old city is the most enduring in the history of the world (Knowling). 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). The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The Old Testament passages which I have suggested bear to Saul (blind, light) are passages which speak of Israel in their original context. in 1971. Thus, he did not use the method of many others, which was man-centered, not Christ-centered: For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void. Ananias found Later it was the seat of administration of an Assyrian province. It was as the Son of God that Christ was revealed to him on the Damascus road (Gal. What do you suppose the saints would have prayed at this special prayer meeting? The Story of Ananias: Faith over Fear | Tactical Christianity This first account occurs when the word is first spread to the Gentiles. Michael Garicoits (1797-1863) was born into a poor, but hardworking and humble family. (11) Sauls conversion was a watershed event which greatly affected the history of the church. There are all too many autonomous Christians, those who feel that coming to faith in Christ does not necessitate identifying with His body, the church. 17(K)And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and (L)laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord [c]Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and (M)be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. (Acts 9:11)? (1 Corinthians 9:1). 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. This method of argument Paul continued to use with the Jews (Acts 17:3). What did Ananias do for Saul? 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. 6 What was Ananias role in Sauls conversion to Christianity? There is no more appropriate conclusion to our message than the words of the apostle Paul, which immediately follow those above, and which aptly express the response of the Christian to the wisdom, the grace, and the sovereignty of the God who has saved us, and who works all things together for His glory and for the good of His chosen ones: Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Note the following impressions gained from a reflection on the passage as a whole. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). They do not understand the gospel well enough. In peace, as in persecution, the church was comforted and continued to increase. ANANIAS 87-89), plays out the two views of Sauls conversion, the first (and seldom held the view of Ramsay), that Saul was suddenly and radically converted; second, that there was a considerable process involved. Rueban founded the Tribe of Reuban and Saul was King. I can believe someone might have prayed that Saul be waylaid, or terminated, in some divine act or providential accident (act of God). It was Gods initiative all the way. Saul was also blinded, which identified him with the blindness of the nation Israel of which the Old Testament prophets wrote (see above). What Paul learned about himself, personally, on the road to Damascus he came to understand and to preach concerning all men. 137 The Way is a designation for the new movement used several times in Acts 9:19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22; cf. 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all (D)who call on Your name., 15But the Lord said to him, Go, for (E)he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before (F)Gentiles, (G)kings, and the (H)children[b] of Israel. Unstoppable The remaining verses of this account describe the results of Sauls conversion, all of which serve as dramatic proof of his radical transformation as a result of his encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. If there is one thing of which Saul is now convinced (by what he has so far seen and heard on the road) it is that whoever he is talking to is LORD. 15But the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,m With the conversion of Saul, persecution of the church did not stop, for now some of the Hellenistic Jews were opposing his preaching (and no doubt, the church at large as well). Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? (7) The salvation of Saul was Christ-centered. (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. Saul Nevertheless, there must have been those who intended to use Sauls coming to oppose the church. This light would thus have been very bright indeed. 26o When he arrived in Jerusalem* he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 136 E. M. Blaiklock, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Wm. The results of Sauls preaching were predictable, very much like the response Saul would have had (or did have) to the preaching of the gospel before his conversion. 1* Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,a went to the high priestb Web3. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. He was to come to the earth as the great light, the light to the Gentiles, and so He did. That Luke would narrate this conversion three times is testimony to the importance he attaches to it. Present active participle of sunbubazo, old verb to make go together, to coalesce, to knit together. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1:18). For all the saints. 1:11, Acts 20:23; 2 Cor. All of this account describes the two complementary divine visions which Ananias and Saul received. There is no story in Acts more important than Saul/Pauls call, his encounter with the risen Christ. The obedience and faith that Ananias demonstrated in going to Saul and helping to restore his sight were incredible, to say the least. 138 Three times (8:3; 9:2; 22:4) this fact of persecuting women is mentioned as a special blot in Pauls cruelty (the third time by Paul himself) and one of the items in his being chief of sinners (1 Tim. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Now that the Lord had identified Himself as Jesus, Saul recognized that he was the sinner. Saul, like Israel, had been blinded as to the meaning of the law because of his rejection of Christ (cf. It was an act of faith and bravery equivalent to helping a lion out of a trap. Blaiklock, for example (pp. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. Saul, in my opinion, is portrayed by Luke as the first-fruits of these promises. The argument of the Book of Acts is essentially this: The expansion of the gospel through the church as it is empowered by the Holy Spirit. WebThats when Ananias heard a word from the Lord. The ananias anointing | Church Page | murrayledger.com 36Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated means Dorcas). 130 In our text, we are told the Saul went to the high priest to ask for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus (9:1-2), but in Acts 22:5-6 Paul indicates that the Council (the Sanhedrin) was also involved in providing him with letters of authorization to arrest Christians in Damascus. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. . We know from Romans 7, for example, that Paul had struggles in his spiritual walk. The Apostle Paul: Saul and Ananias 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. Ananias Thus, his opposition to Christ and His church took on a missionary spirit. During his conversion 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). Imagine for a moment that this is the week of Sauls arrival at Damascus. Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. also 2:14-17; 3:12-18; 4:1-18; 5:17-21; 6:13--7:1; Galatians 1:13-17; cf. 141 Compare this voice with that in John 12:29. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you (Isaiah 60:1). In Damascus, the Lord had spoken to a man named Ananias, and the Lord told Ananias to find Saul and to lay his hands on Saul and pray so that Sauls sight would be restored. Were these people as eager as Saul to destroy the church? 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. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 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. After this, Saul broke his fast and was strengthened. . This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. The baptism of Saul was his testimony to the change which had taken place. How old was Jesus when he was crucified? Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped (Isaiah 35:5). With the help of a priest who knew his parents he was allowed to attend religious school. It is also bad news for the self-righteous. 10 i There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. He answered, Here I am, Lord. 11 The Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:5-7). 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.l Upon hearing Peters words, Ananias fell to the ground and died. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? The good news of the gospel is that Christ Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13). Over and over in his epistles, Paul spoke of salvation in terms of radical change. 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 that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead (Isaiah 59:10). (Philippians 1:4-9). 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. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the holy Spirit it grew in numbers. 9 What happened to Sapphira in the Bible? When Saul stood up, he discovered he was completely blind, and the men who were with him had to lead him by his hand until they reached Damascus. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. Ananias It strikes many readers as harsh, a return to Old Testament retribution. Paul was no ordinary followerhe became the most visible and active pillar of the new Christian church. In different contexts, preachers might want to draw specific analogies concerning those for whom the congregation should be praying even though it cuts against our grain to do so. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. What happened to Straight Street since then? Ananias came to Saul with grace to liberate him from his wrong-headed beliefs and open his heart to Jesus. In fact, as Saul would later write, he realized that he was chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He is trying to inform God of whats going on. Then you hear the Lord telling you to minister to that person. by the sin of Adam. The apostles had nothing to do with Sauls conversion, and they were reluctant to believe it had happened or to welcome him into their fellowship. [ a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads. 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). (6) Sauls salvation was a conversion, a radical change. To open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness (Isaiah 42:7). His parents allowed visiting priests to minister secretly in their home during the dangers of the French Revolution. There he was transfigured before them. He got up and was baptized, If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 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. Linking is encouraged, but content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed including, but not limited to such means as framing or other digital copying and/or distribution method, in whole or in part without the publisher's written consent. 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:4-11). But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze upon him, and said, You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? Lessons from a Fearful Follower Everyone is born in sin, and every part of their being is affected by sin (intellect, emotions, and will). When one looks at all the references to this event, it was, in fact, a personal appearance of the risen, glorified Jesus to Saul (cf. Granted, his experience is unique and dramatic. (3) The racial expansion from the Jews to the Gentiles. WebWe do not know whether Ananias already had previous experience miracles of healing, but the Lord was instructing him to interview the notorious Pharisee Saul, who fiercely persecuted Christians, and to heal his blindness. WebThe Conversion of Saul. 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. After this incident with Paul we hear no more 147 The more Saul preached, the more the Jews were confused. Some of the Hellenistic Jews responded to the preaching of Saul as they had to Stephens preaching; they wanted to kill him (9:29). One cannot help but wonder if it did not send chills up and down Pauls spine when he cast the spell of blindness on the Jewish false prophet, Bar-Jesus: And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. What a terrible revelation this isthat all are sinners, even the best, the most religious, the most righteous! And thus, in Gods time, Saul was dramatically converted, seeing the Christ whom he had been persecuting, risen from the dead and in His heavenly glory. Grace is not only the basis for ones salvation, but also for ones spiritual walk and service: As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude (Colossians 2:6-7). The conversion of Saul is important in another way. Acts 9:17 - Ananias Baptizes Saul - Bible Hub About three hours later, Sapphira arrived. Lesson Text Acts 9:1-19 Scripture Memory Verse Amen. 7 Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? * [9:8] He could see nothing: a temporary blindness (Acts 9:18) symbolizing the religious blindness of Saul as persecutor (cf. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was the first recorded sin in the newly organized church. Saul could only be persecuting Jesus through the members of His body, the church. Ananias would have lost a human beings greatest privilege, of being an agent of the Lord (like an angel of the Lord). What is meant by the competitive environment? In the place of Ananias we would fear that it might not work out, and the consequences could be very serious. The question must be asked as to whether or not Sauls conversion has a more general application and relevance.