why was ananias afraid of helping saul

Salvation is a revolution, not an evolution. Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead (Isaiah 59:10). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Saul was also blinded, which identified him with the blindness of the nation Israel of which the Old Testament prophets wrote (see above). 10. And what a comfort to know that God always finishes what He starts: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). In 47 B.C. Preachers can narrate verses 10-14, and then basically say, You see, Ananias didnt know what had just happened. WebAnanias went. I can believe someone might have prayed that Saul be waylaid, or terminated, in some divine act or providential accident (act of God). Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. He should not be circumcised. WebAs Donald Davis notes, In case God has overlooked Sauls atrocities, [Ananias] takes occasion to issue a brief reminder. 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? to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Acts 26:18). The LORD identified Himself as the Jesus, whom he had been persecuting. 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). 2. If there is one thing of which Saul is now convinced (by what he has so far seen and heard on the road) it is that whoever he is talking to is LORD. gJi\!2LITShA%)&bqd=/)@Eg*tttpt @V6wCAp{GyAGG9h d=u3zDca{y:&0}=!P`XX z;g3 {~paveta +w Say to them, This is what the Sovereign Lord says. 5 And whether they listen or fail to listenfor they are a rebellious housethey will know that a prophet has been among them. to go lay hands on Saul (soon to be known as Paul) and restore his So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. He went on to become a respected teacher and the founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Betharram. It was irresistible argument and spread consternation among the Jews. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in To put it differently, the account of Sauls conversion in Acts 9 is but the first of three accounts, the other two coming from the lips of Paul himself. The pastor advised him to pray for the person every day for two weeks pray for the person not about the person. What is meant by the competitive environment? 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). The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. 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). Barnabas, one of the Christians, assured them Sauls faith was genuine. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:6-7). Jesus words, Why are you persecuting Me?, clearly implied that Sauls persecution of the church was a persecution of the Lord. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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. Would the church not have undertaken the task of discipling these folks? What do Ananias actions, when asked in the passage to heal Saul, suggest about his feelings toward him? 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. A man who, along At this point, the conversion of the hero of the Gentile mission is recounted. Why do you think the street was named "Straight" A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, 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. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave and friendly. 9For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank. 142 His companions therefore took him by the hand and led him through the gate of Damascus to the place where, presumably, arrangements had been made for him to stay. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 185. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. 30 But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. But as Saul grew in strength and as his arguments were irrefutable, just as Stephens had been (Acts 6:10), his opponents realized that the only way to silence Saul was to kill him. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day (2 Timothy 1:8-12). Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Did they send for Saul? And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, Chapter 9. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see Teaching from the Scriptures, p. It may well be a call to live transformed lives in the same circumstances in which we were found. 131 . It says nothing about him receiving the Holy Spirit. There will be no more night. The message which Saul received was not only a call to salvation, but a divine call to ministry. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 1:16; cf. What are 3 long term physical effects of tobacco use? He amazed everyone because they knew he was speaking the same words as the people he had been persecuting. It is also bad news for the self-righteous. Up till now, Jesus was the sinner, and Saul was the saint. 153 Sauls conversion did not bring instant maturity or spirituality, but was the point where growth commenced. He realized that it was nothing which he had donenor ever would dobut only by what Jesus Christ had done that saved him. Ananias found Saul and said to him, 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. As soon as Ananias spoke, Saul could see again. Peter Restores Tabitha to Life. Or could it be that these disciples of Saul were Sauls disciples before his conversion, who accompanied him as he sought to capture Christians. It was a city in the days of Abraham, and at the time of the Israelite monarchy it was the capital of the most important Aramaean kingdom. a. WebThe Conversion of Saul. 7 Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? It's still there and you can still see the evidence of the colonnades (click For Paul, the method of proclaiming the gospel must be consistent with the message itself, and so it was. The answer to both questions is no. We dont know why Ananias is only mentioned once after Acts chapter nine. Who is blind but my servant {Israel}, and deaf like the messenger I send? It is the very word that Luke will use in 16:10 of the conclusion reached at Troas concerning the vision of Paul. Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard (Isaiah 58:8). Pauls conversion is one of the great stories of the early church, and it has rightfully inspired Christians from every generation. He officiated as high priest from about AD 47 to 52. But there is a greater discrepancy between the accounts of Sauls conversion in Acts and that which Paul gave in Galatians 1. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. But then the preacher can continue that even though Ananias didnt know about Sauls epiphany, he did as the Lord told him anyway. Jesus was LORD and not a false prophet! Note the following impressions gained from a reflection on the passage as a whole. The conversion of Saul is important in another way. Thus, persecuting the church was persecuting Jesus Christ. Just as Saul seemingly had hatred toward Christ-followers, how do you think a Christ-follower like Ananias felt toward Saul? 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.l For the remainder of this essay, I will pursue the second option. The question must be asked as to whether or not Sauls conversion has a more general application and relevance. In the place of Ananias we would fear that it might not work out, and the consequences could be very serious. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isaiah 59:15b60:13). No change in life is greater than the change from unbelief to belief in Christ, from being lost and condemned to being saved and eternally secure, from being separated from God and others to being united with Him and with all believers. Blaiklock, for example (pp. WebYou know someone is coming, perhaps to arrest you for being a Christian. 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. There are two primary options for preaching from this text. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The conversion of Saul, as depicted in our text, was not only a divine call to salvation, but it was also a call to service. Web'And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2. * [9:8] He could see nothing: a temporary blindness (Acts 9:18) symbolizing the religious blindness of Saul as persecutor (cf. Like Stephen, the enemies of the gospel attempted to kill Saul when they could not silence him by means of debate. Choose from news (Monday), leisure (Thursday) or worship (Saturday) or get all three! Now they were keeping watch on the gates day and night so as to kill him, And, who knows, God may even answer those prayers and the persons life be blessed and changed in ways we cannot even imagine.. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight (Acts 9:10-12). 87-89), plays out the two views of Sauls conversion, the first (and seldom held the view of Ramsay), that Saul was suddenly and radically converted; second, that there was a considerable process involved. 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. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. His disciples150 lowered him in a basket, from the window of a room which was in the wall of the city (9:25). 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. What Ananias didnt know is that Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Colossians 1:13-19). No sinner is beyond the grace and the grasp of God. Romans 6). Ananias was afraid because he knew Saul's reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church . Saul, like Stephen, had a ministry which focused on the Hellenistic Jews. * 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. One moment, Saul was opposing Jesus, as though He were the sinner; the next, Saul is on his face before this Jesus, calling Him Lord. 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. 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. WebThe last time they saw Saul, he was arresting and killing Christians. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The call of salvation is a call to holiness, and to obedience, and to fellowship, with God and with our fellow-believers. In Sauls account of his conversion to His Jewish brethren, he added that when Ananias arrived, he instructed him to Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name (Acts 22:16). 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. The light was the light of His glory. Saul, as it were, saw the light, but in addition, he was to become a light, a light to the Gentiles, as well as to his own people. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. . Here is a graphic illustration of what true repentance isit is a turning about, beginning with ones belief and bearing fruit in ones conduct. The life of Paul and his writings are very important parts of the New Testament. The expansion is three-fold: (1) The expansion from Christ, to His apostles, to His church, (2) The geographical expansion from Jerusalem to Rome. . Enough revelation for the moment. 154 What is both interesting and important about this text is that the call of salvation does not necessarily require a change of career. . The couple wanted to appear as outstanding church members, but they didnt want to part with their possessions. CE!L;oza!sQjaTsg 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. Think about what happened as a result of this man overcoming his fear and obeying God. Leave them; they are blind guides. Those who call upon your name echoes 2:21 (Joel 2:32) and recurs in 22:16 in a command to Paul himself to be baptized . This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Jesus was alive and not still in the grave! He sent me so that you can 6Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.f Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 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).

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