It is difficult to estimate the amount of resistance Ananias would have had to this divine instruction to receive Saul as a brother in the Lord. 22 For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lords freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christs slave. Handed down. One is the truth from God Himself, The message of the gospel, to be sure, is always the same, but the approach is not. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). WebAnswer: > 10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. Here I am, Lord, he replied. Instead, he became the first believer to minister to Saul. Ananias came to Saul with grace to liberate him from his wrong-headed beliefs and open his heart to Jesus. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Saul Visits Jerusalem. It was due to the intervention of Barnabas, a man who would prove to be a lifetime friend of Paul, that the apostles risked a meeting with him and then granted him the freedom to associate with the saints in Jerusalem. 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. The call of salvation is a call to change. 20and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments (Lamentations 4:14). Ananias who was 1:29, 30, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. WebThe Lord called to him in a vision, o Ananias!. 180-181. Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. Leave them; they are blind guides. The account records their sudden deaths after lying to the Holy Spirit about money. sOGOSapQ3[y~@9W 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. Why did Ananias have to overcome his fear? The Creator of the universe specifying the name of a street and the house in one of His planets. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. His conversion was by far the most vital influence in Pauls life. Ananias baptised Saul in the name of Jesus - the one who had sent him to the vanquished enemy of the church. The blinding of Bar-Jesus thus seems to be the second major turning point in the ministry of Paul. The conversion of Saul is important in another way. [ a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads. There may well have been a long time between Sauls conversion and his arrival at Jerusalem. 19 From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. by the sin of Adam. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". During his conversion In His coming as the light, those who come to the light become lights to the world themselves: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Isaiah 9:2). 145 We may note incidentally the two new descriptions of the Christians used here. ). A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 115. Ananias Loves Paul Missions Lesson 2 Lesson at a Glance Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the Lord? (Isaiah 42:18-19). There is surely a connection between Saul and persecution, and Saul and peace. Why was Saul (later called Paul) going to Damascus? For all the saints. WebAs Donald Davis notes, In case God has overlooked Sauls atrocities, [Ananias] takes occasion to issue a brief reminder. His disciples150 lowered him in a basket, from the window of a room which was in the wall of the city (9:25). He was a man of great respect and influence, and thus he realized that his actions would have broad ramifications. We may not be able to identify the precise moment or the exact events which brought it about, but salvation does not happen in some kind of group way. Israel too will look on Him whom they have pierced and mourn. This silence is instructive, in my opinion. They too rebelled against God and forsook His word and persecuted His prophets. WebAnanias, had he disobeyed Christ, would not have helped Saul on that path in which he, as Paul the apostle, did so much, and suffered so much, for Christ. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. That is all we know about Ananias - the small but essential part he played at the start of Paul's pilgrimage of faith. WebThe Conversion of Saul. By divine revelation, Peter called out Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit and to God. Did Saul's many sufferings during his ministry for Jesus' name come as a surprise to him? Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Jesus words, Why are you persecuting Me?, clearly implied that Sauls persecution of the church was a persecution of the Lord. Second, the only result of this event shown in the Bible is that Saul received his sight. * [9:3143] In the context of the period of peace enjoyed by the community through the cessation of Pauls activities against it, Luke introduces two traditions concerning the miraculous power exercised by Peter as he was making a tour of places where the Christian message had already been preached. The answer is: Jesus. The risen Lord selected Saul out of the group with which he was traveling to hear, to see Him, and to understand His words. 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;* so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.h What is remarkable about the Lord's directions to Ananias? Lesson: Conversion Saul and Ananias Prayer 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, Please come to us without delay. . 1:2; 2 Tim. here - view only). 39So Peter got up and went with them. He was afraid because Saul killed Jesus’ followers🤨 There were three Ananiases in the Bible. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Saul was not seeking God. Saul was saved in spite of himself. The first evidence of Sauls conversion was his immediate identification with the church in Damascus. He didnt know that the risen Christ had confronted Saul on the road to Damascus just as Christ is now confronting him This sets up a flashback to verses 1-9. How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 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). Ananias would probably be afraid to go see Saul because Ananias was a Christian, and Saul was coming to the city to arrest the Christians. The New International Version 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. He hears the voice of the Lord crying out to him. It is here in Acts, for the first time, that Saul is called Paul. See Appendix B for information on Sauls Theology in the Book of Romans. Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. . If the worst sinner (Saul) was not too sinful to save, then you are not too sinful for God to save. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Some would like the excuse to make some changes to make their life more comfortable. It's still there and you can still see the evidence of the colonnades (click With the help of Ananias, he was transformed into a follower of Jesus and became one of the most well-known evangelists ever. The Essene community at Qumran used the same designation to describe its mode of life. . Upon hearing Peters words, Ananias fell to the ground and died. 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). 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 Lord 143 . 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. He has sovereignly chosen to use people to lead people to salvation, Spirit baptism, deliverance, and healing. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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). 129 By this time Saul has gained a reputation as the ringleader of the movement to make Christianity extinct. They, not unlike Ananias, were very reluctant to have anything to do with this Christian killer. Ananias Laid Hands on Paul Ananias did as the Lord commanded and went to Sauls house and laid his hands on him. The towns of Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa were populated by both Jews and Gentiles and their Christian communities may well have been mixed. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Paul Receive the Holy Spirit by the Laying 37Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid [her] out in a room upstairs. also 16:17; 18:25-26). When Saul looked at the disciples of The Way (Jesus disciples) all he saw was a heretical sect that was a threat to the nation of Israel and Gods Law. If the unity of Christ and His body, the church, were a vital truth with respect to Sauls persecution of the church, it was also a vital truth for him as a Christian. When Sapphira showed up, she, too, lied to Peter and to God, saying that they had donated the entire proceeds of the sale of the land to the church. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? It does not store any personal data. "how many things he must suffer for And yet, even in opposing God, he furthered Gods purposes; he was instrumental in the evangelization of the Gentiles (Acts 8:1, 4; 11:19-21). 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).
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