Why Acts? It’s a worthwhile topic regarding the early Church and challenges of evangelism in a pagan world—sound familiar? We can learn from Acts as God’s people living in a world that has turned away from God.
Saul of Tarsus was present at the stoning of Stephen, and familiar with Peter’s miracles, and yet, his hatred for “the Way” was enormous as noted in v.1 –with murderous threats! Saul’s transition was from persecutor to evangelist. He didn’t choose Jesus; Jesus chose him to be an apostle to the Gentile world.
Tarsus was capital of the Roman province of Cilicia in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey; a predominate Muslim nation.)
Map shows Saul’s journey to Damascus in Syria from Jerusalem, and his encounter with Jesus Christ (next slide). A road trip of about 150 miles.
As previously noted, Saul was on the road to Damascus from Jerusalem to persecute and imprison Christians. The Greek word for "sound" in v.7 can also be translated as "voice". What happened to those other men? Did they return to Jerusalem with a report for the Jewish Council of a blinding light and Paul’s state of mind? Can you imagine the excitement or outrage?
Not mentioned as fact, but presumed, Saul most likely would have bypassed Samaria on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus. Generally, all Jews bypassed Samaria. Traveling by foot, it would have been a two-week trip.
What the scene may have looked like if by horseback. We don’t know if they walked or rode. As stated in v.7 the men with Saul heard the sound but didn’t see anyone. The Bible doesn’t tell us if anyone of them was saved at that moment. The implication is “No” since they did not experience Jesus’ visit, which was exclusively for Saul. But, afterwards, when Saul as an evangelist preached in Jerusalem, perhaps.
As we are told in v.10 Ananias was a disciple, a believer in Jesus Christ. Ananias is listed by Hippolytus of Rome (160-236) and others church historians/theologians, as one of the seventy disciples whose mission is recorded in Luke 10:1-20
Paul had three days of total blindness to ponder what had happened to him. Not only his encounter with Jesus, but his state of mind that led him to this very moment.
The Lord speaks to Ananias to go to Paul in order to restore his sight. Jesus could have done it without Ananias, but worked through His disciple Ananias as a definite sign to Saul, regarding the Way.
Ananias expressed his fear of Saul as a known persecutor of Christians, and concern about visiting him. Jesus told him that Saul has been chosen to bring the gospel to the Gentiles.
Saul was baptized (v.18) as a sign that he had been filled with the Holy Spirit, and as such, a member of the visible Church. He was saved by faith alone, and not by any works on his part, for it is by grace we are saved, through faith in Jesus Christ.
V.22 “grew more and more powerful” in the NIV, is “increased all the more in strength” in the NKJV. Paul didn’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about it and make a labored decision. He was transformed by the Holy Spirit—as Jesus’ chosen vessel.
To reduce the overall length of study, which would required many, many more slides, this and the next slide provide an overview of verses 23-43. You may want to read those verses on your own. V.23-28 the Jews in Damascus, turned against Saul and plotted to kill him. When he went to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples there, but they were afraid of him. Until Barnabas reassured them of Saul’s conversion. Now, Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle and evangelist.
Joppa to Caesarea is about 30 miles as shown on the map. What the town may have looked like.
I wanted to include v.40-42, because of their significance. It demonstrates the power given to the apostles, in this case, Peter, in sharing a "life changing message" of who Christ was, the very one the Jews demanded be crucified. A message that this world and nation are in dire need of.
The principal message of Chapter 9 is the conversion of Saul the persecutor, to Paul the apostle and evangelist. Those in the flesh have no natural inclination to accept Jesus Christ, even Saul, full of hate for those of “the Way”. God singled him out and appeared to him with the message that Jesus was truly the Messiah. And God took that message one step further by blinding Saul, and then being healed by Ananias a Christian. Paul wasn’t just zapped; he was led by the Holy Spirit through grace with a new found faith in Jesus Christ.
Dr. John MacArthur’s 28-minute sermon walks us through Saul the persecutor's Transformation to Paul the Apostle.
https://youtu.be/0lEljjiuegM
(copy and paste into your web browser, then hit enter.)
Pray that the Holy Spirit may touch the hearts of the American people and those in Congress, as He touched Saul the persecutor, in his transformation to Paul the evangelist. Pray for our Pastor, his family and our church. Share the gospel message with a neighbor or friend as the opportunity arises.
