11 The Lord told him, Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsusp named Saul, for he is praying. 7The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one.g Peter Heals Aeneas at Lydda. What was Ananias role in Sauls conversion to Christianity? The answer to both questions is no. We dont know why Ananias is only mentioned once after Acts chapter nine. Note the following impressions gained from a reflection on the passage as a whole. What do Ananias actions, when asked in the passage to heal Saul, suggest about his feelings toward him? 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:4-11). . By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. Word was out that Saul would soon be arriving. In the end, God Himself will provide the illumination so that the sun and the stars will not be needed for this function: The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted (Isaiah 30:26). Not only does the narrator tell the story of Sauls transformation from persecutor to apostle in Acts 9, Saul himself re-tells the story twice when defending himself before persecutors (before the tribune in Jerusalem, Acts 22:1-21; and before Agrippa, Acts 26:1-23). This Paul knew and testified to. But beyond this, his conversion totally changed the remainder of his life. Now they grope through the streets like men who are blind. Have you had such an encounter? 12And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight., 13Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, (C)how much [a]harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. That He had already appeared to Saul "on the road" Paul was no ordinary followerhe became the most visible and active pillar of the new Christian church. The words, Brother Saul must not have come easily to Ananias. Note Pauls summary of the gospel at the end of Galatians 2: I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20). Peter Restores Tabitha to Life. First, there are problems which appear to be serious. The first words spoken to Saul were, Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting Me? (Acts 9:4). Christianity was described as putting off the old and putting on the new (Colossians 3). Julius Caesar confirmed those rights and privileges anew to the Jewish nation (although Judaea was no longer a sovereign state), and more particularly to the high-priesthood. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), pp. Is paralegal higher than legal assistant? Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? It was just such a miracle which gave Saul his spiritual sight, as he received back his physical sight. 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. 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. A letter delivered at that time by a Roman ambassador to Ptolemy VIII of Egypt concludes with the demand: If any pestilent men have fled to you from their own country {Judaea}, hand them over to Simon the high priest, so that he may punish them according to their law (1 Macc. We do not know the exact time when Saul was saved. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 18Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. There are two primary options for preaching from this text. Israel too will just as surely return to God; and when it happens, it will be all of God, all to His glory and praise: 15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. 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). How humorous it seems to hear Ananias informing the Lord that Saul was an enemy, one who had caused many Christians great suffering and adversity, as though He was unaware of this! The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. 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. Ananias Loves Paul Missions Lesson 2 Lesson at a Glance But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God (John 3:19-21). The man who, days before, was persecuting Christ was now preaching Christ. /w\/)sr?o|cBw3>E> The towns of Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa were populated by both Jews and Gentiles and their Christian communities may well have been mixed. And so, Saul asked the LORD who He was. Lesson Text Acts 9:1-19 Scripture Memory Verse His conversion was by far the most vital influence in Pauls life. (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. Why do you think the street was named "Straight" Then you hear the Lord telling you to minister to that person. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Conversion of Saul He is there praying,j 3 And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? 5 And he said, Who art Thou, Lord?139 And He said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do. 7 And the men who traveled with him140 stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one.141 8 And 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.142 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Instead, he became the first believer to minister to Saul. 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. Ananias small act of obedience led to a great harvest for the kingdom. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The Apostle Paul: Saul and Ananias. His Word Today What changed about Saul/Paul after Jesus appeared to him? Were they some of those converted to Christ through his preaching? 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. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. 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. What is meant by the competitive environment? The laying on of Ananias hands was also an expression of unity, as was the later right hand of fellowship extended by some of the apostles to Saul (Galatians 2:9). We will next seek to learn how this description of Sauls conversion fits into and contributes to the development of Lukes argument in Acts. About three hours later, Sapphira arrived. 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! Used by permission. 17 Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. 21:29 (30); John 5:7; 12:21; 20:15; and should be so in John 9:36. It was an act of faith and After this, Saul broke his fast and was strengthened. also Romans 1:1-7, 13-17; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:3-11; cf. 34Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, They too rebelled against God and forsook His word and persecuted His prophets. Saul is welcomed into the church. Lessons from a Fearful Follower He was, indeed, Stephens replacement. 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. 20and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he That our Lords contemporaries believed the Messiah to be in some special sense the son of God is rendered probable by the wording of the high priests question to him at his trial: `Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? (Mark 14:61 par. Saul was told at the time of his conversion that God had chosen him to bear witness to the Gentiles, to kings, and to the Jews (9:15). B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photo-lithoprinted}, 1966), p. 90. Sauls vision prepared him for the arrival of Ananias, clearly indicating that he was the one God had appointed to reveal His will for him. How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move 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. Saul was not seeking God. Saul was saved in spite of himself. Thus, persecuting the church was persecuting Jesus Christ. WebAnd was Ana- nias still reluctant to help Saul after the Lord explained the situation to him? 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). The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world (John 1:4-5, 7-9). Why did Ananias have to overcome his fear? 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. 35And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. 2:22, Acts 13:2; 22:21; Rom. 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Romans 6). Do not let anyone despise you (Titus 2:11-15). The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The only question is who is the LORD? This is why Jesus was so receptive of sinners and so hard on the self-righteous. WebSauls Baptism. Damascus, a city some 150 miles to the northeast of Jerusalem, was one such city. 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. Devotion Saul In fact, as Saul would later write, he realized that he was chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). in 1971. 140 They are called his sunodeuontes, `those who were in the caravan with Him (cf. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? He constantly defended the gospel against those who would diminish grace and seek to pollute it with works. Three times in the Book of Acts it is reported, the first time in the third person (he) by Luke (Acts 9:1-31), the second time in the first person (I) by the apostle, as he spoke to his Jewish unbelieving brethren in defense of his ministry (Acts 22:1-21), and the third time, again in the first person, as his personal testimony to King Agrippa, Festus, and Bernice (Acts 26:1-23). (8) The salvation of Saul made him a vital part of Christs body, the church. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. Did they think their task would be a simple one? 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. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? The Diocese of Rochester In America 1868-1993. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Acts does not tell us that he goes on to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, found churches in urban centers across the Roman Empire, stand true to the gospel while on trial for his faith over and again, and end up under house arrest in Rome awaiting a trial before Caesar. 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). With the help of a priest who knew his parents he was allowed to attend religious school. WebThere was no indication in Jesus words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit. 9oY+ Stat two things God told Anaias concerning Saul Briefly describe what happened during Anaias' meeting with Saul. 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. Ananias restores Saul's sight - Catholic Courier Rather than attempt to pacify Ananias or to alleviate his apprehension, God went on to tell him that Saul would not only be a brother, but he would be His instrument for bringing the gospel to Gentiles too. I do not question that he did receive the Spirit, but merely observe that this receiving of the Spirit (accompanied by the laying on of hands) was not something Luke wanted to emphasize. 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. 133 I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 173. When her lie had been exposed, she also fell down and died at Peters feet. 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. (You know, just in case God has forgotten something) Questions: Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? For you are our glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). When Paul spoke of his conversion here in Galatians 1, he did not speak of the light which shone without, but rather of the light which shone within. 144 Was Ananias the one who told him what he must do? What happened to Straight Street since then? 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. 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. (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. The church did not shrink or suffer for Sauls arrival, but it grew because of it. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:6-7). But these laws, which seek to summarize the gospel in a concise way, should always be applied individually. No one, it would seem, was even thinking of what God was about to do. * [9:8] He could see nothing: a temporary blindness (Acts 9:18) symbolizing the religious blindness of Saul as persecutor (cf. Nevertheless, there must have been those who intended to use Sauls coming to oppose the church. Would the church not have undertaken the task of discipling these folks? How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! Christian ministry be reconciled with the wealth and prosperity that There are differences between the three accounts given to us in Acts. Dont let it trouble youalthough if you can gain your freedom, do so. Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus and was Ananiass vision was intended to direct him to the house of Judas and to Saul. Ananias was used as Gods instrument in the conversion of Saul, but even he had to be pushed to go to Saul. In peace, as in persecution, the church was comforted and continued to increase. (9) Finally, I believe that Lukes portrayal of Sauls salvation is typical of that of the nation Israel, which is still future. The message which Saul received was not only a call to salvation, but a divine call to ministry. 20:32; 26:18) is a common term in Pauls writings and describes Christians as people who have been set apart for Gods service and must show an appropriate character. It was only with the exit of Saul from the Holy Land, back to his native land (Tarsus), that peace once again returned. Did he still not realize who the Lord was? ACTS 9:10-14 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, The obedience and faith that Ananias demonstrated in going to Saul and helping to restore his sight were incredible, to say the least. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. They are private Christians, living like islands rather than as a part of His body. Who was Ananias that help Saul in the Bible to regain his sight? Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. 31* The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. At this point, the conversion of the hero of the Gentile mission is recounted. When I look through the Gospels and the Book of Acts, I never find the gospel presented in the same way to different people. 28 And he was with them moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. That Luke would narrate this conversion three times is testimony to the importance he attaches to it. on it belonged to the Roman province of Syria, but had a measure of municipal autonomy in the loose federation of cities called the Decapolis. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 181. What is the meaning of Sapphira in the Bible? He was a man of great respect and influence, and thus he realized that his actions would have broad ramifications. 2. He who had wanted to kill these saints now wanted to fellowship with them. 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. If Luke had any ax to grind on this issue, here would have been a great place to stress this matter, but he did not do so. Were these people as eager as Saul to destroy the church? As persecution was no longer needed to disperse the church and the gospel, peace was restored to the land. Saul and Ananias required neighboring states to grant it the privileges of a sovereign state, including the right of extradition.