8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. Amen. At least we can say that no one had enough faith to believe it, even as Peter stood at the door, knocking to get in (12:12-17). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Jesus did not address the entire group but said, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? The others knew that something unusual was going on, but they did not grasp it (Acts 22:9). There are affinities between his conversion experience and Ezekiels inaugural vision, in which the prophet saw the likeness of the heavenly throne and above it a likeness as it were of a human form (Ezek. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Webb Ananias was successful because he trusted Jesus and he viewed Saul as his brother. Their story is rarely shown in art, but is the subject of one of the Raphael Cartoons, and a panel on the Brescia Casket, both illustrated here. Let us suppose further that the church had gathered on this particular evening for a time of prayer, prompted by the news that Saul was soon to arrive, with all the necessary legal machinery (that is, the authorization of the chief priests and the Sanhedrin130) to arrest and extradite131 the saints who were in the city. 17So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit. * [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. ). A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 115. Now they were keeping watch on the gates day and night so as to kill him, For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all (Romans 11:25-32). 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?. . 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To Him be the glory forever. So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help. 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.'" While I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5). One thing was certain; no matter how much time had passed, the apostles were not yet convinced of Sauls conversion. (7) The salvation of Saul was Christ-centered. Up till now, Jesus was the sinner, and Saul was the saint. No doubt entered the mind of Saul that the One who spoke to him was Jesus of Nazareth, the long-looked-for Messiah, the Consolation and Redeemer of Israel. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. `}Hq)l2hZ0r89asO70Da`qg [9:1] 8:3; 9:13; 22:4; 1Cor 15:9; Gal 1:1314. . A letter delivered at that time by a Roman ambassador to Ptolemy VIII of Egypt concludes with the demand: If any pestilent men have fled to you from their own country {Judaea}, hand them over to Simon the high priest, so that he may punish them according to their law (1 Macc. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them (Isaiah 42:16). Q 154 What is both interesting and important about this text is that the call of salvation does not necessarily require a change of career. This three-fold repetition is a clear indication of the importance of this event, especially in the themes Luke is seeking to develop in the Book of Acts. 10. WebThats when Ananias heard a word from the Lord. Later it was the seat of administration of an Assyrian province. After he put his hands on Saul, the Bible only records that Saul received his sight. 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? You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you (Deuteronomy 28:28-29). 19and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.*. WebThe Lord called to him in a vision, o Ananias!. Luke is emphatic in his representation of mans salvation as having been ordained and orchestrated by God, as a manifestation of His sovereign grace: And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48). 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). 30And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.p. But Elymas the magician (for thus his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. This Paul knew and testified to. For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Colossians 1:13-19). The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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). * [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). This text portrays one of the historical landmarks of the church. 37Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid [her] out in a room upstairs. This expression, calling on the name of the Lord seems to be one used consistently in the Old Testament. First, there are problems which appear to be serious. 3. 11:2328; 12:710; Gal. Upon hearing Peters words, Ananias fell to the ground and died. 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. 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). in 1971. The first thing we shall do is to make some observations on the passage as a whole to attempt to see the forest before we scrutinize the trees. 2, called him Ananias ben Nebedeus. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. . The words of Jesus, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? related by Luke with no variation in all three accounts, exerted a profound and lasting influence on the thought of Paul. Why this swift act of judgment? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. (10) Sauls encounter with Christ was not only a conversion, but it was also a call to a very specific ministry. (8) Saul was saved independently of the apostles. New King James Version (NKJV). It is, in the Bible, the radiance of Gods glory. When her lie had been exposed, she also fell down and died at Peters feet. The good news of the gospel is that Christ Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Have you had such an encounter? I see a man who is confident, aggressive, and zealous, rather than a man troubled by inner doubts. 145 We may note incidentally the two new descriptions of the Christians used here. 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. It was irresistible argument and spread consternation among the Jews. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives. This account is accompanied by an asseveration of its truth which suggests that some people were contradicting it.133. The conversion of Saul is important in another way. What is the meaning of Sapphira in the Bible? 140 They are called his sunodeuontes, `those who were in the caravan with Him (cf. Or could it be that these disciples of Saul were Sauls disciples before his conversion, who accompanied him as he sought to capture Christians. WebThere was no indication in Jesus words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit. This man who had formerly cringed at the preaching of the gospel148 was now proclaiming the same message. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. Israel was called of God and set apart to proclaim the way of salvation to the Gentiles. What happened to Straight Street since then? The question must be asked as to whether or not Sauls conversion has a more general application and relevance. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christtheir Lord and ours 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 9). After this incident with Paul we hear no more 9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Acts 26:18). 15:21). That our Lords contemporaries believed the Messiah to be in some special sense the son of God is rendered probable by the wording of the high priests question to him at his trial: `Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? (Mark 14:61 par. 9For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank. (You know, just in case God has forgotten something) 134 Blaiklock comes to this conclusion concerning the time of Sauls conversion: Probably the earliest acceptable date for the conversion on the Damascus road is AD 33. There are no exceptions in this all of Romans 3:23, as Paul indicated in these Old Testament words, cited just before: THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE (Romans 3:10b-12). When Saul stood up, he discovered he was completely blind, and the men who were with him had to lead him by his hand until they reached Damascus. Finally, we shall attempt to focus on the application of this passage to our own lives. While Saul in solitude at the house of Judas continued in prayer and supplication, the Lord appeared in a vision to a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, telling him that Saul of Tarsus was praying and in need of help. Let us not fail to respect the individuality of the conversion experience and to deal with people in the light of their individuality. Here the Jews were strong in numbers (10,000 butchered by Nero later) and here some disciples had found refuge from Sauls persecution in Judea and still worshipped in the synagogues. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. Charles Spurgeon once wrote: Prayer is the autograph of the Holy Spirit upon the renewed heart. God was sealing Saul to Himself. Saul went to other cities where he sought to arrest Christians and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. The expansion is three-fold: (1) The expansion from Christ, to His apostles, to His church, (2) The geographical expansion from Jerusalem to Rome. 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. WebAnanias, I am sure. 16and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name. . Now that the Lord had identified Himself as Jesus, Saul recognized that he was the sinner. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?d The Creator of the universe specifying the name of a street and the house in one of His planets. All of these should be expected and can be rather easily explained. Saul Visits Jerusalem. 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. . When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking. The church in Damascus has been talking about Saul and its members rightfully afraid of him he has, after all, been dragging Christians out of house after house, throwing them into prison, and desiring their deaths. Fifth, faith must take the text on face value, as it is written, and believe it as Gods inspired, inerrant, authoritative word. The call to salvation is also the call to a life of holiness and obedience. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. 20and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. Third, these discrepancies may well have been evident to the writers, who did not see fit to remove or explain every problem. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 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. (Acts 9:11)? 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. Saul, like Stephen, spoke with such power and authority that his opponents could not refute him. 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Choose from news (Monday), leisure (Thursday) or worship (Saturday) or get all three! If Ananias and Sapphira were born again believers and God judged them for their sin, it means that even though Jesus was judged for sin, God still judged them for their sin. 129 By this time Saul has gained a reputation as the ringleader of the movement to make Christianity extinct. Nothing is more evident in the account of Sauls conversion than his radical reversal. The "Straight Street" or Via Recta in Latin, was a straight Sauls baptism followed, accompanied by his profession of faith, his calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). 2 What do we know about Ananias in Acts 9? also 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 11:32-33; cf. 27Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. The life-changing implications of conversion are expressed in these words of Paul to Titus: 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 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. Who is blind but my servant {Israel}, and deaf like the messenger I send? Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. (3) Sauls salvation was personal. 136. 1:16f. The church did not shrink or suffer for Sauls arrival, but it grew because of it. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isaiah 60:3). 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. We will next seek to learn how this description of Sauls conversion fits into and contributes to the development of Lukes argument in Acts. 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). 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. The first evidence of Sauls conversion was his immediate identification with the church in Damascus. Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. We would readily grant that every conversion which is recorded is unique, to some degree. He knew that going to see Saul would put his life in danger. Linking is encouraged, but content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed including, but not limited to such means as framing or other digital copying and/or distribution method, in whole or in part without the publisher's written consent. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 132 The impact of Sauls conversion on his message and his ministry is testified to by A. T. Robertson: Luke evidently attached great importance to the story of Sauls conversion as the turning point not simply in the career of the man, but an epoch in the history of apostolic Christianity. 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! Ananias found To whom did the Lord communicate "in a vision"? If the worst sinner (Saul) was not too sinful to save, then you are not too sinful for God to save. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? The children will practice being giving and friendly with someone that they do not know. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in 129 The history of Damascus goes back to remote antiquity. He was, indeed, Stephens replacement. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped (Isaiah 35:5). The children will practice being giving and friendly with someone that they do not know. Even then he knew he wanted to live the life of a religious. We do not know the exact time when Saul was saved. 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). The answer to both questions is no. We dont know why Ananias is only mentioned once after Acts chapter nine. WebThis happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. To both Ananias (Acts 9:10) and Saul (Acts 9:12). (N)Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. There is a great deal of information we are not given, and thus we cannot be dogmatic about our conclusions. WebThe Lord called to him in a vision, o Ananias!. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Pauls hatred for Christ and His followers was common knowledge. >zZ0y^C{tg Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). Nevertheless, at some point in time Saul did arrive in Jerusalem. They do not understand the gospel well enough. In Peters words, Ananias and Sapphira agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord(v9), which appears to be a terrible sin in the eyes of God, so terrible that it even warranted having the couple killed on the spot, without even being given the chance to confess and repent. [ a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads. How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. With the help of Ananias, he was transformed into a follower of Jesus and became one of the most well-known evangelists ever. In our text Ananias was instructed to go to Saul and to lay hands on him so that he might receive his sight (9:12). To the church, Saul turned out to be a friend, a fellow-believer, in fact, a flaming evangelist, who proclaimed Christ more clearly and powerfully than anyone had previously done in Damascus. At first Ananias was afraid because he knew how Saul persecuted the Christians, but the Lord said that Saul had a special ministry he must fulfill. 116-117. Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight,. There are differences between the three accounts given to us in Acts. 3 Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Word was out that Saul would soon be arriving. Web3. The towns of Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa were populated by both Jews and Gentiles and their Christian communities may well have been mixed. 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). Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Yes, Lord, he answered. He should not be circumcised. In the place of Ananias we would fear that it might not work out, and the consequences could be very serious. Theologically, we know this as the doctrine of mans total depravity.151 Paul surely believed that it was essential for men to begin with the understanding of their own sin, for in his Epistle to the Romans, he took the first two and one-half chapters to prove that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. 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. The church sent him on his way to Tarsus by way of Caesarea. Second, the only result of this event shown in the Bible is that Saul received his sight. And if Sauls blindness led to his own conversion, at least the blinding of Bar-Jesus contributed to the conversion of the proconsul (and perhaps too his own conversionwho knows?). Christian ministry be reconciled with the wealth and prosperity that And having escaped from Damascus in a basket, most likely alone, he probably returned to Jerusalem alone, without a witness who could corroborate his claims. It is not clear whether this official was a representative of the king resident in Damascus to look after the interests of the Arabs there, or whether Damascus at this time was under the control of Nabataea. I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 168. How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move remark on the symmetry with which Luke sets forth the two stories: The simultaneous preparation of the hearts of Ananias and of Saul, and the simultaneous preparation of those of Peter and Cornelius,the questioning and hesitation of Peter and the questioning and hesitation of Ananias,the one doubting whether he might make friendship with the Gentiles, the other doubting whether he might approach the enemy of the Church,the unhesitating obedience of each when the Divine will was made known,the state of mind in which both the Pharisee and the centurion were found,each waiting to see what the Lord would say to them,this close analogy will not be forgotten by those who reverently read the two consecutive chapters. Maybe he died, but it also may be because most of the rest of Acts is fo- cused on more distant places. 41He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive. 3 He said: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. Our text presents Saul as a man who was not only running from God, but one who was actively opposing Him. Web3. Rather, he sought the arrest, trial, conviction, and punishment (with imprisonment the norm and death the ideal, it would seem) of those in Jerusalem. 1:19; Rom. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 23After a long time had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. And when this time comes, God will use their obedience to serve Him: For if their rejection be the salvation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Romans 11:15). In 47 B.C. Ananias (/nnas/ AN--NY-s; Ancient Greek: from Hebrew , Hananiah, favoured of the LORD) was a disciple of Jesus at Damascus mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, which describes how he was sent by Jesus to restore the sight of Saul of Tarsus (who later was called Paul the Apostle) and . Many are the plans in a mans heart, But the counsel of the LORD, it will stand (Proverbs 19:21). 9. Imagine for a moment that this is the week of Sauls arrival at Damascus. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. No sinner is beyond the grace and the grasp of God. . 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. 141 Compare this voice with that in John 12:29. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. While Paul may not have brought about the execution of all those whom he arrested, including women as well as men (verse 2), verse 1 strongly suggests that this was his desire and ambition. Hear, you deaf! We know that the salvation of men rests ultimately with God and not with usand not even with the one whom we wish to see saved.