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. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. This happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. 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. He should not become uncircumcised. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow-citizens with the saints, and are of Gods household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22). * [9:36] Tabitha (Dorcas), respectively the Aramaic and Greek words for gazelle, exemplifies the right attitude toward material possessions expressed by Jesus in the Lucan Gospel (Lk 6:30; 11:41; 12:33; 18:22; 19:8). But as I see the call of God referred to in the New Testament, it seems that the call of salvation assumes other callings, to which Paul and other New Testament writers made frequent reference: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1). 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.. Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard (Isaiah 58:8). The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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). When the man asked why he should do this, the pastor said, I dont believe anyone can continue hating someone when they have consistently prayed for that person to be blessed by God. This text portrays one of the historical landmarks of the church. How much better to petition God to save those whom we are concerned about, a God who desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Webb Ananias was successful because he trusted Jesus and he viewed Saul as his brother. (12) The same Saul who played a role in Stephens execution was to become, in large measure, his replacement. It is one of the few accounts of a conversion which is described with some detail (although this detail is much less than we would prefer). 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? Saul was the bad guy. Saul sought them out to persecute, even kill them, as an unbeliever; but he sought them out to worship and fellowship with them as a Christian. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. 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. Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Web The children will describe Ananias as a man who helped Saul even though he was afraid. The voice from heaven did not call out, Have you ever heard of the four spiritual laws?152 Ananias was sent to Saul only. Hd7/`l@TM0h#`C2 +u-AsQ3j++&?Fu7_[1_?a^J> 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). 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 man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. the citation of Ps 2:7 in Pauls speech at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:33). 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. "how many things he must suffer for After this incident with Paul we hear no more of him. It is evident in the way he was saved. It's still there and you can still see the evidence of the colonnades (click Thus, persecuting the church was persecuting Jesus Christ. As applied to our Lord, then, the title `Son of God marks him out as the true representative of the Israel of God and as Gods anointed king; but it is no merely official title. To establish the congregations identity with Ananias, the preacher might want to begin in the middle of the passage which actually looks back to Acts 8:1-3 (and 9:1). 154 What is both interesting and important about this text is that the call of salvation does not necessarily require a change of career. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The Church at Peace. It was as the Son of God that Christ was revealed to him on the Damascus road (Gal. What Paul learned about himself, personally, on the road to Damascus he came to understand and to preach concerning all men. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. ). A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 115. That Luke would narrate this conversion three times is testimony to the importance he attaches to it. Charles Spurgeon once wrote: Prayer is the autograph of the Holy Spirit upon the renewed heart. God was sealing Saul to Himself. Upon hearing Peters words, Ananias fell to the ground and died. When he was still very young, Michael was hired out as a shepherd boy. He was, indeed, Stephens replacement. It is here that Paul took the leadership and became the dominant or leading individual, instead of Barnabas. Used by permission. This can hardly be possible. I am not at all sure how this can be determined from the text. I. 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. You, my brothers, were called to be free. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15). Peter Heals Aeneas at Lydda. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ, 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. They were based, as I understand it, on what the Lord had revealed to Ananias and not on any confession or actions of Saul, for these seem to follow these initial actions and words of Ananias. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. With the help of Ananias, he was transformed into a follower of Jesus and became one of the most well-known evangelists ever. ,%d/3o3o6jda=|4S-LJ3ajLcNfZyV;CkCl>390q {KQ0lQ)0>~cy:CJkP|4M-\v 135 There are those who describe Saul as a tormented man after the stoning of Stephen. The Essene community at Qumran used the same designation to describe its mode of life. Saul did not agree with his teacher, Gamaliel, on how the Christians should be dealt with, however. 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. Imagine for a moment that this is the week of Sauls arrival at Damascus.129 By this time Saul has gained a reputation as the ringleader of the movement to make Christianity extinct. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. He has sovereignly chosen to use people to lead people to salvation, Spirit baptism, deliverance, and healing. The salvation of Saul was to result in the gospel being preached to distant people and lands, and in the extension of the church to many key cities. 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. He started to KNOW GRACE! The two messages cannot be reconciled. Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers (Ephesians 4:11). To him be honor and might forever. That He had already appeared to Saul "on the road" Ananias and Saul - June 3, 2022. 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. He knew what Saul had done to the church in Jerusalem. Present active participle of sunbubazo, old verb to make go together, to coalesce, to knit together. 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 Just as Saul was called to a live of suffering, so Peter tells his readers that they too, like all saints, are called to suffer for His name: To this {suffering} you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). And if this was important for Saul to do, it was equally important for the church to accept him into their fellowship, as an expression of their unity in Christ. (1 Corinthians 9:1). 28, p. 185. 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. Elsewhere in Acts, such as with the apostles, Stephen and Philip, the message of the gospel was underscored by signs and wonders which accompanied the message. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Peter Restores Tabitha to Life. But his blindness was symbolic of his condition. Here is a graphic illustration of what true repentance isit is a turning about, beginning with ones belief and bearing fruit in ones conduct. You also know this person is a recognized hater of your faith, and wants little if anything to do with you. 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. Let us be careful to discern what changes the gospel requires and what changes it does not. But everyone can pray for and with those who have scorned the church and are scorned by the church. OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? There are two primary options for preaching from this text. 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. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in There is surely a connection between Saul and persecution, and Saul and peace. 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). The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave Why did Ananias have to overcome his fear? Perhaps Ananias called a meeting of the church to discuss how they would deal with Sauls arrival. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. 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? Shortly afterwards, the Lord spoke to a disciple named Ananias, asking him to go to Saul, place his hands on him, and restore his sight. Hypocrisy is the most dangerous spiritual virus to infect the church. He sent me so that you can Nevertheless, conversion has certain elements which are vital and which are to be present in any salvation experience.
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