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). (Acts 9:11)? 6Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.f WebThe last time they saw Saul, he was arresting and killing Christians. Saul is welcomed into the church. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. This would leave AD 33-46 for the visit to Arabia (Gal. He officiated as high priest from about AD 47 to 52. Our text presents Saul as a man who was not only running from God, but one who was actively opposing Him. the light and blind passages above). 16For (I)I will show him how many things he must suffer for My (J)names sake.. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. Yes, Lord, he answered. What is the meaning of Sapphira in the Bible? 136 E. M. Blaiklock, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Wm. He sought to preach Christ in simplicity and not in a way that would detract from Him. There he was transfigured before them. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast (Galatians 2:8-9). These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 28He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. Saul asked.I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, he replied. 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. 146 It is possible, however, to understand the expression, Brother, as referring to Saul only as a fellow Jew. It was time for Saul to ponder what he had seen and heard. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. Think about what happened as a result of this man overcoming his fear and obeying God. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. 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. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. * [9:43] The fact that Peter lodged with a tanner would have been significant to both the Gentile and Jewish Christians, for Judaism considered the tanning occupation unclean. See Appendix B for information on Sauls Theology in the Book of Romans. His career as a persecutor of Christians seems to have begun with Stephen, but it quickly spread to all of the Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 7:588:3). It does not store any personal data. called for him to be slapped. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Handed down. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the Lord? (Isaiah 42:18-19). These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. (Philippians 1:4-9). 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. He started NOW to trust God. (8) The salvation of Saul made him a vital part of Christs body, the church. Now they were keeping watch on the gates day and night so as to kill him, Perhaps Ananias called a meeting of the church to discuss how they would deal with Sauls arrival. Salvation may occur in a large group, such as those saved at the preaching of Peter at Pentecost, but each individual was saved because of a personal encounter with Christ. 16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. The man who, days before, was persecuting Christ was now preaching Christ. [9:1] 8:3; 9:13; 22:4; 1Cor 15:9; Gal 1:1314. Do not gloat over me, my enemy! And the second group, who were waiting for Saul to come and help them deal with the followers of the Way, were about to discover that Saul had joined them, perhaps bringing other members of the opposition along with him. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The first is this: every saved person must have a personal conversion experience. 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. 21All who heard him were astounded and said, Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests? . 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, 1:1; 1 Cor. 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). Saul proclaimed Jesus to be the Son of God (9:20), a designation understood to refer to Israels awaited Messiah.149. According to Acts 9:10, Ananias was living in Damascus. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. 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. WebAnanias went. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. One of the most dramatic revelations of Sauls Damascus road experience was that he was not serving God, but he was persecuting Him. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. No doubt God had used Ananias to serve as Sauls first Barnabas. Just as Barnabas would vouch for Saul with the apostles in Jerusalem, so Ananias, a highly respected Jewish Christian, would vouch for Saul here. Sauls Conversion. And because Saul is welcomed into the church, he is sent out by the church. 11:2328; 12:710; Gal. We can overcome our fears if, like Ananias, we trust that Jesus is directing the preaching work, Saul saw and heard the resurrected Christ. * [9:8] He could see nothing: a temporary blindness (Acts 9:18) symbolizing the religious blindness of Saul as persecutor (cf. 1:11--2:10; Ephesians 3:1-13; cf. Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations (Isaiah 51:4). Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit because it was the Holy Spirit who dwelt in the apostles, giving them their power and authority. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. 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! Ironically, Ananias could have become one of Sauls targets of persecution for following the Lord Jesus. The call to salvation is also the call to a life of holiness and obedience. Thus, his opposition to Christ and His church took on a missionary spirit. All of these should be expected and can be rather easily explained. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Acts 9, 22, 26; Romans 15:15-21; cf. Up till now, Jesus was the sinner, and Saul was the saint. 9For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank. All of this account describes the two complementary divine visions which Ananias and Saul received. 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. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. During his conversion 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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Then you hear the Lord telling you to minister to that person. Later it was the seat of administration of an Assyrian province. 25but his disciples took him one night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. 1:11, Acts 20:23; 2 Cor. Present active participle of sunbubazo, old verb to make go together, to coalesce, to knit together. 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). Saul recognized that he was a sinner, and that his righteousness was but dung before God. At first he found himself in the position of being regarded as an apostate by the Jews and suspect by the Christian community of Jerusalem. . There is not so much as a hint that anyone prayed for Sauls salvation or took the initiative to bring it about. Ananias found Introduction: suppose you heard someone was coming to arrest you, or even worse. The conversion of Saul is important in another way. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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. The Lord seeks and saves individuals, and thus our methods should be personal. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. WebWe can understand why Ananias would be afraid of Saul. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in We are given a little insight from the account in Acts 12 when Peter was imprisoned and it appeared he would soon be executed, as James had already been, and as we would infer Herod purposed to do with Peter (Acts 12:1-4). They may have been attempting to compile a list of known (and even suspected) Christians, along with addresses, to facilitate Sauls task. But his blindness was symbolic of his condition. . Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. One thing was certain; no matter how much time had passed, the apostles were not yet convinced of Sauls conversion. This text portrays one of the historical landmarks of the church. Used by permission. Thus, persecuting the church was persecuting Jesus Christ. It was the most powerful piece of artillery in the Jewish camp that was suddenly turned round upon them. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 123. When the Christians learned that the Hellenists to whom Saul had preached were plotting to kill them, they helped him escape through Caesarea and on to Tarsus. I see a man who is confident, aggressive, and zealous, rather than a man troubled by inner doubts. The risen Lord selected Saul out of the group with which he was traveling to hear, to see Him, and to understand His words. 31* The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. Those whose lives Saul would gladly have taken in his unsaved days now sought to save his life by sending him away. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photo-lithoprinted}, 1966), p. 90. 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). I very much doubt anyone prayed that this Saul might be saved. What is meant by the competitive environment? We can learn more about his life in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, and we can still read some of the letters he wrote that have been collected into the Bible, such as Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians. 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. Why were Ananias and Sapphira killed on the spot? The call of salvation is a call to change. ACTS 9:27 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. also 16:17; 18:25-26). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, 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. That is all we know about Ananias - the small but essential part he played at the start of Paul's pilgrimage of faith. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. Damascus, a city some 150 miles to the northeast of Jerusalem, was one such city. FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Did they send for Saul? Ananias Get up and go to the street called Straight, to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is difficult. At length, in Gods good time, the door opened, and the events of half a lifetime assumed final and complete significance. E. M. Blaiklock, The Acts of the Apostles, (Grand Rapids: Wm. They, too, were afraid of Saul and did not believe he really was a follower of Jesus Christ. 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. 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). I. Web3. Conybeare and Howson {The Life and Times of Saint Paul, p. 77 (sic punct.)} The towns of Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa were populated by both Jews and Gentiles and their Christian communities may well have been mixed. Upon hearing Peters words, Ananias fell to the ground and died. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. He sent me so that you can Your merchants were the worlds great men. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. His disciples150 lowered him in a basket, from the window of a room which was in the wall of the city (9:25). 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! Why did Saint Paul change his Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? Copyright 2023 Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. All rights reserved. How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move This is very evident in the conversion of Saul. 141 Compare this voice with that in John 12:29. Ancestry, Pharisaic training, Hellenistic education, were fused by it into the character which the Holy Spirit formed and fashioned over the fourteen years of training. It would seem not to be there on the road to Damascus. (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. 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). Saul seems to have been the instigator of the persecution of the church, which began at the death of Stephen in Jerusalem and worked outward from there. It may well be a call to live transformed lives in the same circumstances in which we were found. That is because our Lord always confronts, convicts, and converts men and women individually, in the light of their own actions and beliefs. As at Damascus, Saul eventually had to leave the city of Jerusalem to save his life. 40Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. 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. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15). These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. . 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. If the blinding of Saul was a major turning point in his life, so was the blinding of Bar-Jesus. WebThe Conversion of Saul. Sauls conversion was a miracle, short and simple, but not so much the result of the external miracle of the bright light and the voice of the Lord as the internal transformation and illumination which God wrought: 15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man (Galatians 1:15-16). He spoke of it as the movement from darkness to light (Colossians 1:12-13; Ephesians 4:8-14) in which the new believer should now walk. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. All Ananias did was to obey Christs command to go pray with Saul so that Saul could do all those things. the Romans . Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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.