Saul Is Converted
Acts 9
1In Jerusalem Saul was still threatening the followers of the Lord by saying
he would kill them. So he went to the high priest 2and asked him to write letters
to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Then if Saul found any followers of
Christ’s Way, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to
Jerusalem.
3So Saul headed toward Damascus. As he came near the city, a bright light
from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4Saul fell to the ground and heard a
voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
5Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?”
The voice answered, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6Get up now
and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do.”
7The people traveling with Saul stood there but said nothing. They heard the
voice, but they saw no one. 8Saul got up from the ground and opened his eyes,
but he could not see. So those with Saul took his hand and led him into
Damascus. 9For three days Saul could not see and did not eat or drink.
10There was a follower of Jesus in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke
to Ananias in a vision, “Ananias!”
Ananias answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
11The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to Straight Street. Find the house of
Judas, and ask for a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. He is there now,
praying. 12Saul has seen a vision in which a man named Ananias comes to him
and lays his hands on him. Then he is able to see again.”
13But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man
and the terrible things he did to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14Now he has
come here to Damascus, and the leading priests have given him the power to
arrest everyone who worships you.”
15But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen Saul for an important
work. He must tell about me to those who are not Jews, to kings, and to the
people of Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17So Ananias went to the house of Judas. He laid his hands on Saul and said,
“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw on the road on your
way here. He sent me so that you can see again and be filled with the Holy
Spirit.” 18Immediately, something that looked like fish scales fell from Saul’s
eyes, and he was able to see again! Then Saul got up and was baptized. 19After he
ate some food, his strength returned.
Saul Preaches in Damascus
Saul stayed with the followers of Jesus in Damascus for a few days. 20Soon
he began to preach about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “Jesus is the Son of
God.”
21All the people who heard him were amazed. They said, “This is the man
who was in Jerusalem trying to destroy those who trust in this name! He came
here to arrest the followers of Jesus and take them back to the leading priests.”
22But Saul grew more powerful. His proofs that Jesus is the Christ were so
strong that the Jewish people in Damascus could not argue with him.
23After many days, some Jewish people made plans to kill Saul. 24They were
watching the city gates day and night, but Saul learned about their plan. 25One
night some followers of Saul helped him leave the city by lowering him in a
basket through an opening in the city wall.
Saul Preaches in Jerusalem
26When Saul went to Jerusalem, he tried to join the group of followers, but
they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he was really a follower. 27But
Barnabas accepted Saul and took him to the apostles. Barnabas explained to them
that Saul had seen the Lord on the road and the Lord had spoken to Saul. Then he
told them how boldly Saul had preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
28And so Saul stayed with the followers, going everywhere in Jerusalem,
preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29He would often talk and argue with
the Jewish people who spoke Greek, but they were trying to kill him. 30When the
followers learned about this, they took Saul to Caesarea and from there sent him
to Tarsus.
31The church everywhere in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace
and became stronger. Respecting the Lord by the way they lived, and being
encouraged by the Holy Spirit, the group of believers continued to grow.
Peter Heals Aeneas
32As Peter was traveling through all the area, he visited God’s people who
lived in Lydda. 33There he met a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had
not been able to leave his bed for the past eight years. 34Peter said to him,
“Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Stand up and make your bed.” Aeneas stood up
immediately. 35All the people living in Lydda and on the Plain of Sharon saw him
and turned to the Lord.
Peter Heals Tabitha
36In the city of Joppa there was a follower named Tabitha (whose Greek name
was Dorcas). She was always doing good deeds and kind acts. 37While Peter was
in Lydda, Tabitha became sick and died. Her body was washed and put in a room
upstairs. 38Since Lydda is near Joppa and the followers in Joppa heard that Peter
was in Lydda, they sent two messengers to Peter. They begged him, “Hurry,
please come to us!” 39So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived,
they took him to the upstairs room where all the widows stood around Peter,
crying. They showed him the shirts and coats Tabitha had made when she was
still alive. 40Peter sent everyone out of the room and kneeled and prayed. Then he
turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, stand up.” She opened her eyes, and when
she saw Peter, she sat up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he
called the saints and the widows into the room and showed them that Tabitha was
alive. 42People everywhere in Joppa learned about this, and many believed in the
Lord. 43Peter stayed in Joppa for many days with a man named Simon who was a
tanner.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version
SITUATION
Saul (later known as Paul) continued his aggressive persecution of the church. Many Believers had fled Jerusalem to seek refuge in other cities. Saul went as far as Damascus, Syria (150 miles from Jerusalem), to track down Christians. It was on this trip that God saved him. After Saul's conversion, the church enjoyed a time of peace during which Peter ministered in Lydda and Joppa.
OBSERVATION
Even such an unlikely prospect as Saul. who was a fanatical enemy of the church, can be saved by God's power.
INSPIRATION
Before he encountered Christ, Paul had been somewhat of a hero among the Pharisees....
Blue-blooded and wild-eyed, this young zealot was hell bent on keeping the kingdom pure-and that meant keeping the Christians out. He marched through the countryside like a general demanding that backslidden Jews salute the flag of the motherland or kiss their family and hopes good-bye.
All this came to a halt, however, on the shoulder of a highway.... That's when someone slammed on the stadium lights, and he heard the voice.
When he found out whose voice it was, his jaw hit the ground, and his body followed. He braced himself for the worst. He knew it was all over.... He prayed that death would be quick and painless.
But all he got was silence and the first of a lifetime of surprises.
He ended up bewildered and befuddled in a borrowed bedroom. God left him there a few days with scales on his eyes so thick that the only direction he could look was inside himself. And he didn't like what he saw.
He saw himself for what he really was-to use his own words, the worst of sinners.
. . . Alone in the room with his sins on his conscience and blood on his hands, he asked to be cleansed.
. . . The legalist Saul was buried, and the liberator Paul was born. He was never the same afterwards. And neither was the world....
The message is gripping:
Show a man his failures without Jesus and the result will be found in the roadside gutter. Give a man religion without reminding him of his filth, and the result will be arrogance in a three-piece suit. But get the two in the same heart-get sin to meet Savior and Savior to meet sin-and the result just might be another Pharisee turned preacher who sets the world on fire. (From The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado)
APPLICATION
Have you met people who are hostile to Christians? Maybe a popular celebrity or prominent people in your community make a stand against the church. Pray for these people by name. Ask God to save them. Look at people who oppose your faith as needy people not enemies.
EXPLORATION
Conversion - John 3:3-8,16-21; 6:44, 65; 11:25-26; Acts 22:13-16; Romans 10:9-10; Galatians 6:12-16.
No comments:
Post a Comment