These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 5 How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? 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). AT this season we are called upon to think of foreign missions. In the Bible, Reuben and Saul were of no relation to each other. It is the very word that Luke will use in 16:10 of the conclusion reached at Troas concerning the vision of Paul. Then, on the road to Damascus, he was blinded by a vision of Jesus. My names sake". What is wrong with Ananias response to the Lord? This Paul knew and testified to. And laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. 92 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 94 /H [ 1243 743 ] /L 503600 /E 43371 /N 16 /T 501642 >> endobj xref 92 42 0000000016 00000 n 0000001188 00000 n 0000001986 00000 n 0000002200 00000 n 0000002434 00000 n 0000002614 00000 n 0000002636 00000 n 0000004226 00000 n 0000004248 00000 n 0000005775 00000 n 0000005798 00000 n 0000008986 00000 n 0000009009 00000 n 0000012094 00000 n 0000012305 00000 n 0000013156 00000 n 0000014011 00000 n 0000014230 00000 n 0000014604 00000 n 0000014827 00000 n 0000023280 00000 n 0000023869 00000 n 0000024230 00000 n 0000024446 00000 n 0000024731 00000 n 0000024987 00000 n 0000025380 00000 n 0000026152 00000 n 0000026257 00000 n 0000029454 00000 n 0000029477 00000 n 0000032108 00000 n 0000032131 00000 n 0000034910 00000 n 0000034933 00000 n 0000037945 00000 n 0000040047 00000 n 0000040070 00000 n 0000043063 00000 n 0000043141 00000 n 0000001243 00000 n 0000001964 00000 n trailer << /Size 134 /Info 91 0 R /Root 93 0 R /Prev 501632 /ID[<3cb89dccfaad5f26269ffad0f6f6443b><3cb89dccfaad5f26269ffad0f6f6443b>] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 93 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 89 0 R >> endobj 132 0 obj << /S 672 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 133 0 R >> stream Ananias and Saul. Verse 18 tells us that, "straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight, and he arose and was baptized." And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time. And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. Dont let it trouble youalthough if you can gain your freedom, do so. (1) Sauls salvation was the salvation of a sinner. A vision, in this context, was a supernatural sight from God. Just as Saul was stopped short by his blindness, so was Bar-Jesus. I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. 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. This would mean that the Gospel isnt as good as we thought it was and that God violates the law of double jeopardy where He punishes the same sin twice. The longer I study Sauls conversion, the more convinced I am that his conversion is typical. It is some 150 miles Northeast from Jerusalem and watered by the river Abana from Anti-Lebanon. A devout Hellenistic Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, Saul was a member of the Pharisees and was taught by none other than Gamaliel, 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. 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. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.. part of the price for themselves while donating it to the church Could it be that God had also appointed someone to meet Saul as he entered the city, with specific instructions as to where he was to stay? Salvation is the miracle whereby God removes the blindness of sin and of Satan, whereby God replaces death with life. 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. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. Israel was called of God and set apart to proclaim the way of salvation to the Gentiles. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:8-11). There are two primary options for preaching from this text. Hebrew Baby Names Meaning: In Hebrew Baby Names the meaning of the name Sapphira is: Sapphire (gem); beautiful. It is hardly likely that at this stage Saul recognized Jesus as Lord, though he does so greet him in 22:10 `What shall I do, Lord? A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, pp. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Saul, in my opinion, is portrayed by Luke as the first-fruits of these promises. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The saints (9:32, 41; 26:10; cf. 1:11--2:10; Philippians 3:1-14; Colossians 1:24-29; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; 6:13-16; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Titus 2:11-15; 3:1-7. Maybe he died, but it also may be because most of the rest of Acts is fo- cused on more distant places. east-west thoroughfare through Damascus built by the Greeks after the city Israels watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep (Isaiah 43:8-10). * [9:13] Your holy ones: literally, your saints.. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light. When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them (John 12:35-36). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. And, who knows, God may even answer those prayers and the persons life be blessed and changed in ways we cannot even imagine.. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. It was, of course, Ananias who instructed Saul to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. And now, he is preaching the same message. The conversion of Saul is a very crucial event in this book, which spells out from a historical point of view (Romans, from a theological viewpoint) the relationship of Jews and Gentiles in the plans and purposes of God. Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him (Daniel 2:22). ,%d/3o3o6jda=|4S-LJ3ajLcNfZyV;CkCl>390q {KQ0lQ)0>~cy:CJkP|4M-\v 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). A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. came under Alexander the Great's rule. You, my brothers, were called to be free. Saul did not agree with his teacher, Gamaliel, on how the Christians should be dealt with, however. OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? The Lord told him, Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. WebAnanias was afraid of Saul. That Luke would narrate this conversion three times is testimony to the importance he attaches to it. Amen (Romans 11:33-36). Ananiass vision was intended to direct him to the house of Judas and to Saul. A man who, along 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. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. Why were Ananias and Sapphira killed on the spot? Indeed, God would reveal His sovereignty by using Saul to further the gospel, first by his opposition (which scattered the church and spread the gospel), and then by his conversion (which resulted in his powerful proclamation of Jesus as Messiah). Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? (5) Sauls salvation was an act of divine grace. 2, called him Ananias ben Nebedeus. 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. Now this would have been a very bitter pill to swallow for many Jewish Christians. (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. When he was still very young, Michael was hired out as a shepherd boy. Pauls language in Acts 26:11 seems to mean that Damascus is merely one of other `foreign cities to which he carried the persecution. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 114. also Psalm 50:15; Joel 2:32; Jeremiah 29:12; 33:3-8). They found that their cause was literally shut down by Sauls arrival, and the wind was taken out of their sails by his conversion. Paul would make much more of this point in the first chapter of Galatians. 10 i There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. He answered, Here I am, Lord. 11 The Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of In Galatians 1, Saul wrote that God had called him while he was still in his mothers womb (Galatians 1:15). Under the influence of this experience he gradually developed his understanding of justification by faith (see the letters to the Galatians and Romans) and of the identification of the Christian community with Jesus Christ (see 1Cor 12:27). It is not just in the Book of Acts that the importance of Sauls conversion is evident. This is why Jesus was so receptive of sinners and so hard on the self-righteous. WebAnanias was afraid of Saul. No one could fault the reluctance of Ananias. 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). Is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 harsh? NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NKJV, Chronological Study Bible: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word. Ananias not only WebSaul/Paul was a pretty mean guy who persecuted Christians. He became a priest himself in 1823. He trusted that Christ had a future purpose for Saul (verse 15) even though Sauls past as he knew it seemed to point toward a different future. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. There is clearly no attempt to establish some kind of pattern or formula for evangelism here, at least as far as methodology is concerned. WebExplain why Ananias was told that Saul was a 'Chosen Vessel' Give an account of the vision which Saul had while traveling on the road to the Damascus. Also, Ananias came to Saul with grace to liberate him from his wrong-headed beliefs and open his heart to Jesus. From the fact that three different accounts of Sauls conversion are recorded in Acts, we know this event had to play a crucial role in the expansion of the church. 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. also Romans 1:1-7, 13-17; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:3-11; cf. What was the decision of Ananias and Sapphira? By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. here - view only). Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? This method of argument Paul continued to use with the Jews (Acts 17:3). 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. . I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 171. (3) The racial expansion from the Jews to the Gentiles. 9oY+ The light from heaven brought Saul to the ground. In different contexts, preachers might want to draw specific analogies concerning those for whom the congregation should be praying even though it cuts against our grain to do so. It is here that Paul took the leadership and became the dominant or leading individual, instead of Barnabas. Only a radical conversion can produce this attitude in the life of a man like Saul: For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:8). 153 Sauls conversion did not bring instant maturity or spirituality, but was the point where growth commenced. We know from Romans 7, for example, that Paul had struggles in his spiritual walk. For all the saints. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. He knew what Saul had done to the church in Jerusalem. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. And they will reign for ever and ever (Revelation 22:5). 139 A. T. Robertson writes, It is open to question if kurie should not here be translated Sir as in 16:30 and in Matt. There is a great basis for comfort in the sovereignty of God. The couple wanted to appear as outstanding church members, but they didnt want to part with their possessions. They too rebelled against God and forsook His word and persecuted His prophets. WebTeach the children the account of Sauls conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ as found in Acts 9:120. 148 I would assume that Saul was one of those who covered his ears so as not to hear the praise of Stephen, as reported in Acts 7:57. But why would they be called his disciples? 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. See Appendix B for information on Sauls Theology in the Book of Romans. 26:63; Luke 22:67, 70). WebThe last time they saw Saul, he was arresting and killing Christians. Their attempt to deceive the apostles was an attempt to deceive God putting the Spirit of the Lord to the test (v. 9) and they paid the price! When he found him, he "laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'" 19 From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. But Saul only became bolder in his preaching. This happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. 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. Yes, Lord, he answered. The Old Testament passages which I have suggested bear to Saul (blind, light) are passages which speak of Israel in their original context. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). (Acts 9:11)? 1 What is the significance of the story of Ananias and Sapphira? He wrote letters to the first churches in order to help them understand the Scriptures and to tell them how to live as good Christians. Am I not an apostle? The message which Saul received was not only a call to salvation, but a divine call to ministry. Thank God that is what happened. 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. 136 E. M. Blaiklock, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Wm. 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. When all is said and done, the miracle which took place on the way to Damascus (and likely in Damascus as well) was that Saul saw Jesus as the Son of God, as the Messiah, and as his Savior and Lord: Am I not free? Here Saul took the various items in the life of Jesus of Nazareth and found in them the proof that he was in reality the Messiah (ho Christos). For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him. 00:00. 20and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. I am not at all sure how this can be determined from the text. Paul was no ordinary followerhe became the most visible and active pillar of the new Christian church. The election of Saul to salvation was specific and thus, personal. And so, Saul asked the LORD who He was. In other words, Is Sauls conversion typical and illustrative of the conversion of every saint, or is it unique, the exceptional case, which has little correspondence to most converts?. WebThe Conversion of Saul. Not everyone can be Paul, but we all can and should be Ananias. Think about what happened as a result of this man overcoming his fear and obeying God. in 1971. Israel too will look on Him whom they have pierced and mourn. 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all (D)who call on Your name., 15But the Lord said to him, Go, for (E)he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before (F)Gentiles, (G)kings, and the (H)children[b] of Israel. To Him be the glory forever. What changed about Saul/Paul after Jesus appeared to him? It was Gods initiative all the way. Introduction: suppose you heard someone was coming to arrest you, or even worse. 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 (Philippians 3:1-9; cf. What did Ananias do for Saul? 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). 13:1 On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity (Zechariah 12:1013:1). The children will practice being giving and friendly with someone that they do not know. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. The second option is to invite the congregation to identify with Ananias (who shows up in verse 10). After this incident with Paul we hear no more 129 The history of Damascus goes back to remote antiquity. . They are also very significant in what they conveyed to Saul. Fifth, faith must take the text on face value, as it is written, and believe it as Gods inspired, inerrant, authoritative word. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.

Why Miriam Defensor Santiago Is A Great Leader, Swansea Magistrate Court Listings, Anne Anderson Convy Today, Mee6 Bad Words List, Articles W