Post by Fletch on Apr 14, 2009 22:11:46 GMT -8
Acts 9:1-19 NIV
1) Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2) and ask him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3) As he neared Damascus on his journey, syddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4) He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5) "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," He replied. 6) "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7) The men traveling with Saul sood there speechless; they had headr the sound but did not see anyone. 8) Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9) For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10) In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,
"Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.
11) The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he will be praying. 12) In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."
13) "Lord," Ananias answered. "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14) And he has come here with authority from the cheif priests to arrest all who call on you name."
15) But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16) I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
17) Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord - Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as your were coming here - has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18) Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19) and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul was so zealous for his Jewish beliefs that he began a persecution campaign against all who believed in Christ, all who were followers of the Way. This name implied “the way of the Lord” or “the way of salvation.”
Why would the Jews in Jerusalem want to persecute Christians as far away as Damascus? There are several possibilities: (1) to seize the Christians who had fled; (2) to prevent the spread of Christianity to other major cities; and (3) to keep the Christians from causing any trouble with Rome.
The letters requested by Saul would not only introduce him, but they would provide him with the high priest’s authorization to seize followers of Christ and bring them back to Jerusalem. Most synagogues in Syria probably recognized this right of extradition. Not only was Saul going to pursue them, he also was going to arrest both men and women and bring them back in chains.
As Saul traveled to Damascus, pursuing Christians, he was confronted by the risen Christ and brought face to face with the truth of the Good News. Sometimes God breaks into a life in a spectacular manner, and sometimes conversion is a quiet experience. Beware of people who insist that you must have a particular type of conversion experience. The right way to come to faith in Jesus is whatever way God brings you.
“Not him, Lord; that’s impossible. He could never become a Christian!” In essence, that’s what Ananias said when God told him of Saul’s conversion. After all, Saul had pursued believers to their death. Despite these understandable feelings, Ananias obeyed God and ministered to Saul. We must not limit God—he can do anything. We must obey and follow God’s leading, even when he leads us to difficult people and places.
Faith in Christ brings great blessings but often great suffering, too. Paul would suffer for his faith. God calls us to commitment, not to comfort. He promises to be with us through suffering and hardship, not to spare us from them.
Although there is no mention of a special filling of the Holy Spirit for Saul, his changed life and subsequent accomplishments bear strong witness to the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in his life. Evidently, the Holy Spirit filled Saul when he received his sight and was baptized.
1) Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2) and ask him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3) As he neared Damascus on his journey, syddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4) He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5) "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," He replied. 6) "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7) The men traveling with Saul sood there speechless; they had headr the sound but did not see anyone. 8) Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9) For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10) In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,
"Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.
11) The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he will be praying. 12) In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."
13) "Lord," Ananias answered. "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14) And he has come here with authority from the cheif priests to arrest all who call on you name."
15) But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16) I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
17) Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord - Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as your were coming here - has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18) Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19) and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul was so zealous for his Jewish beliefs that he began a persecution campaign against all who believed in Christ, all who were followers of the Way. This name implied “the way of the Lord” or “the way of salvation.”
Why would the Jews in Jerusalem want to persecute Christians as far away as Damascus? There are several possibilities: (1) to seize the Christians who had fled; (2) to prevent the spread of Christianity to other major cities; and (3) to keep the Christians from causing any trouble with Rome.
The letters requested by Saul would not only introduce him, but they would provide him with the high priest’s authorization to seize followers of Christ and bring them back to Jerusalem. Most synagogues in Syria probably recognized this right of extradition. Not only was Saul going to pursue them, he also was going to arrest both men and women and bring them back in chains.
As Saul traveled to Damascus, pursuing Christians, he was confronted by the risen Christ and brought face to face with the truth of the Good News. Sometimes God breaks into a life in a spectacular manner, and sometimes conversion is a quiet experience. Beware of people who insist that you must have a particular type of conversion experience. The right way to come to faith in Jesus is whatever way God brings you.
“Not him, Lord; that’s impossible. He could never become a Christian!” In essence, that’s what Ananias said when God told him of Saul’s conversion. After all, Saul had pursued believers to their death. Despite these understandable feelings, Ananias obeyed God and ministered to Saul. We must not limit God—he can do anything. We must obey and follow God’s leading, even when he leads us to difficult people and places.
Faith in Christ brings great blessings but often great suffering, too. Paul would suffer for his faith. God calls us to commitment, not to comfort. He promises to be with us through suffering and hardship, not to spare us from them.
Although there is no mention of a special filling of the Holy Spirit for Saul, his changed life and subsequent accomplishments bear strong witness to the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in his life. Evidently, the Holy Spirit filled Saul when he received his sight and was baptized.