why was ananias afraid of helping saul

136. 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?. There is clearly no attempt to establish some kind of pattern or formula for evangelism here, at least as far as methodology is concerned. Do not gloat over me, my enemy! 3 Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,* he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the Lord? (Isaiah 42:18-19). Ananiass vision was intended to direct him to the house of Judas and to Saul. We would readily grant that every conversion which is recorded is unique, to some degree. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God (John 3:19-21). Ananias found Not only does the narrator tell the story of Sauls transformation from persecutor to apostle in Acts 9, Saul himself re-tells the story twice when defending himself before persecutors (before the tribune in Jerusalem, Acts 22:1-21; and before Agrippa, Acts 26:1-23). 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinnersof whom I am the worst. It was due to the intervention of Barnabas, a man who would prove to be a lifetime friend of Paul, that the apostles risked a meeting with him and then granted him the freedom to associate with the saints in Jerusalem. WebWe can understand why Ananias would be afraid of Saul. Paul was overwhelmed by a flash of heavenly light. Sauls conversion was also his call to ministry, and this conversion experience is strikingly similar to that of one of his predecessors, Ezekiel: 1:4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the northan immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help. Handed down. 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! Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. Saul . 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). Ananias and Saul: Faith over Fear - livingwithfaith.org The narrative lectionary is a four-year cycle of readings Read more. What is the safe score in JEE Mains 2021? Did Peter and Paul meet? For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:17-18; cf. Jesus dealt with Nicodemus (John 3) very differently from the Samaritan woman (John 4). 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15). Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Or did they somewhat dread his arrival, knowing how zealous he was in his opposition to the church. How many times should a shock absorber bounce? New King James Version (NKJV). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6). My names sake" (Acts 9:16) even before his ministry began. 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. This is very evident in the conversion of Saul. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. a conversion of will, intellect, and emotion, which dictated the abiding purpose and direction of his subsequent life and activity. Saul (3) The racial expansion from the Jews to the Gentiles. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent (Psalm 104:2). 2:22, Acts 13:2; 22:21; Rom. As at Damascus, Saul eventually had to leave the city of Jerusalem to save his life. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. In the place of Ananias we would fear that it might not work out, and the consequences could be very serious. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped (Isaiah 35:5). 6:17; Phil. From 64 B.C. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 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? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. AT this season we are called upon to think of foreign missions. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life (1 Timothy 1:12-16). The election of Saul to salvation was specific and thus, personal. Why was Saul (later called Paul) going to Damascus? No, God showed him "how many things he must suffer for This old city is the most enduring in the history of the world (Knowling). 1:26); but for Saul the one who bore a human form identified himself as a historical person: `I am Jesus. Few of Sauls distinctive insights into the significance of the gospel cannot be traced back to the Damascus-road event, or to the outworking of that event in his life and thought. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. Hd7/`l@TM0h#`C2 +u-AsQ3j++&?Fu7_[1_?a^J> Ananias and Saul in Damascus. Obedience is often not easy, but it is very likely the most direct way forward and the clearest way to honor God. Saul, like Stephen, had a ministry which focused on the Hellenistic Jews. 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. The call of salvation is a call to holiness, and to obedience, and to fellowship, with God and with our fellow-believers. When the man asked why he should do this, the pastor said, I dont believe anyone can continue hating someone when they have consistently prayed for that person to be blessed by God. One moment, Saul was persecuting the church; shortly thereafter he was seeking to fellowship with the saints. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. * [9:119] This is the first of three accounts of Pauls conversion (with Acts 22:316 and Acts 26:218) with some differences of detail owing to Lukes use of different sources. Those things in which Saul would have formerly trusted for his standing before God, he saw in an entirely different light after God found him and saved him: 4b If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. 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. WebAnanias, had he disobeyed Christ, would not have helped Saul on that path in which he, as Paul the apostle, did so much, and suffered so much, for Christ. Saul was received as a true believer, as a brother.146 The laying on of Ananiass hands, however, was a distinct act of identification with Saul. 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. What Paul learned about himself, personally, on the road to Damascus he came to understand and to preach concerning all men. 30 But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. 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). Without Ananias prayer, Saul spends the rest of his life as a blind man wondering what his life might have been. It was, of course, Ananias who instructed Saul to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Saul had been granted permission by the high priest to arrest any man or woman in Damascus who were Christians. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? 1:16f. And if this was important for Saul to do, it was equally important for the church to accept him into their fellowship, as an expression of their unity in Christ. Pauls method was consistent with his message. When the Christians learned that the Hellenists to whom Saul had preached were plotting to kill them, they helped him escape through Caesarea and on to Tarsus. Christian ministry be reconciled with the wealth and prosperity that This Paul knew and testified to. And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14). 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. Sauls conversion was to play a crucial role in the expansion of the gospel. 6Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.f For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). 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. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. We can learn more about his life in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, and we can still read some of the letters he wrote that have been collected into the Bible, such as Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. He spoke of salvation as dying to the old manner of living and as rising from the dead in order to live an entirely new life (Romans 6). Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Just as Saul was stopped short by his blindness, so was Bar-Jesus. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. Why were Ananias and Sapphira killed on the spot? But the gospel is good news for sinners. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is the Son of God. 21 And all those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests? 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding147 the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. 1. One moment, Saul is inflicting pain and suffering on others who trust in Jesus as the Messiah, the next, he is enduring suffering for the sake of Jesus, the Messiah. The second option is to invite the congregation to identify with Ananias (who shows up in verse 10). His parents allowed visiting priests to minister secretly in their home during the dangers of the French Revolution. If the blinding of Saul was a major turning point in his life, so was the blinding of Bar-Jesus. Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). 12and [in a vision] he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay [his] hands on him, that he may regain his sight. To him be honor and might forever. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This doctrine does not hold that men are as bad as they could be in each area of their life, but that sin has permeated every dimension of a persons life. 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? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Saul went to other cities where he sought to arrest Christians and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. Those whose lives Saul would gladly have taken in his unsaved days now sought to save his life by sending him away. He officiated as high priest from about AD 47 to 52. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.l . 16For (I)I will show him how many things he must suffer for My (J)names sake.. 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). Trembling and astonished, he inquired, But why would they be called his disciples? That is because our Lord always confronts, convicts, and converts men and women individually, in the light of their own actions and beliefs. The men who traveled with Saul were frightened and confused. There are two primary options for preaching from this text. 32As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. In the end, then, Ananias decision to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street (verse 11) to lay hands on Saul was a decision to risk his life to do the will of God. Ananias is not only surprised by his commission; he is resistant to it, at least initially. 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. 5He said, Who are you, sir? The reply came, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.e There are all too many autonomous Christians, those who feel that coming to faith in Christ does not necessitate identifying with His body, the church. 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). Hebrew Baby Names Meaning: In Hebrew Baby Names the meaning of the name Sapphira is: Sapphire (gem); beautiful. 149 It is more significant than might be supposed at first glance that the only occurrence of the title `Son of God in Acts should be in this report of Sauls early preaching. The message which Saul received was not only a call to salvation, but a divine call to ministry. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The Diocese of Rochester In America 1868-1993. He should not be circumcised. He sent me so that you can 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). Instead, he became the first believer to minister to Saul. . 153 Sauls conversion did not bring instant maturity or spirituality, but was the point where growth commenced. You also know this person is a recognized hater of your faith, and wants little if anything to do with you. 7 Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? 116-117. That is all we know about Ananias - the small but essential part he played at the start of Paul's pilgrimage of faith. 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. It is impossible to overestimate the worth to the student of Christianity of this event from every angle because we have in Pauls Epistles his own emphasis on the actual appearance of Jesus to him as the fact that changed his whole life (1 Cor. 1 What is the significance of the story of Ananias and Sapphira? It was his preaching that resulted in the conversion of many Gentiles, and it was his writing (his epistles) to these saints which greatly strengthened them in their faith. Rather, he sought the arrest, trial, conviction, and punishment (with imprisonment the norm and death the ideal, it would seem) of those in Jerusalem. 41He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Fourth, if we had all the facts, there would be no problem. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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). I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6). 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. 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. Acts 9 Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible ananisofdamascus - Bible Facts Second, the gospel should be proclaimed in a way that is personal. The first is to ask the congregation to identify with Saul himself. 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.