why was ananias afraid of helping saul

The New International Version And they were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. Saul Those who know themselves sinners, and who call upon Jesus for salvation, are saved: For WHOSOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED (Romans 10:13, citing Joel 2:32). Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus and was Nevertheless, there must have been those who intended to use Sauls coming to oppose the church. Who was Ananias that help Saul in the Bible to regain his sight. A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. Enough revelation for the moment. WebSaul had come to Damascus with letters from the authorities in Jerusalem to find followers of Jesus and arrest them. It may well be a call to live transformed lives in the same circumstances in which we were found. (Acts 9:17) and that Saul was to "be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17). 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. We know from other accounts (22:6; 26:13) that it was high noon when Saul was stopped in his tracks by a bright light from heaven. 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. 4. The blinding of Bar-Jesus thus seems to be the second major turning point in the ministry of Paul. Ananias was afraid because he knew Saul's reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church . Acts 9:19-23 Saul in Damascus. A( ) Ananias is obscure. The Apostle Paul: Saul and Ananias See Appendix B for information on Sauls Theology in the Book of Romans. 11 The Lord told him, Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsusp named Saul, for he is praying. Thus, he did not use the method of many others, which was man-centered, not Christ-centered: For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void. What is meant by the competitive environment? And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.. Yes, Lord, he answered. They too rebelled against God and forsook His word and persecuted His prophets. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. Pauls conversion is one of the great stories of the early church, and it has rightfully inspired Christians from every generation. 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. Discuss 2 ways in which Paul suffered as an apostle 16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 141 Compare this voice with that in John 12:29. 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. . Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? 12 It teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hopethe glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 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. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. . Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:8-11). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". We are simply told that the message itself was proclaimed powerfully and that people were amazed at the message and its miraculous impact on Sauls own conduct. 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. WebWe can understand why Ananias would be afraid of Saul. At this point, the conversion of the hero of the Gentile mission is recounted. Pauls language in Acts 26:11 seems to mean that Damascus is merely one of other `foreign cities to which he carried the persecution. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 114. What is the safe score in JEE Mains 2021? He is there praying,j . I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 171. 1 What happened to Ananias and Sapphira as a result of lying to God? Salvation is a revolution, not an evolution. With this backdrop in place, the preacher can now focus on two movements of Ananias part of this story: his vision and conversation with the Lord (verses 10-16) and his laying hands on Saul leading to Sauls baptism (verses 17-19). Paul would make much more of this point in the first chapter of Galatians. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. 26o When he arrived in Jerusalem* he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. It is the invitation for sinful Israelites to be saved, by repenting and calling on the name of the Lord for salvation: Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Devotion Saul Ananias is not the last believer who has seen fit to keep God up to date (The Storytellers Companion to the Bible: The Acts of the Apostles). 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. 10 i There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. He answered, Here I am, Lord. 11 The Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of 137 The Way is a designation for the new movement used several times in Acts 9:19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22; cf. 17(K)And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and (L)laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord [c]Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and (M)be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious (Ezekiel 1:4, 26-28; 2:1-7).143. 41He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive. Who does the voice of Vanessa on Phineas and Ferb? Shortly afterwards, the Lord spoke to a disciple named Ananias, asking him to go to Saul, place his hands on him, and restore his sight. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. (1) There is considerable emphasis given to Sauls conversion in the Book of Acts. SAUL The details of what was said and done when Ananias arrived are fuzzy. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 28, p. 185. 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). 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;* so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.h sunodia, Luke 2:44). F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), fn. 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. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. (1) Sauls salvation was the salvation of a sinner. The only question is who is the LORD? a disciple from Damascus who received a phophetic dream telling him Have you had such an encounter? 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 1:16f. 3. Some were amazed, taking note of the dramatic turn-about in Sauls faith and practice (9:21). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. 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). We are given a little insight from the account in Acts 12 when Peter was imprisoned and it appeared he would soon be executed, as James had already been, and as we would infer Herod purposed to do with Peter (Acts 12:1-4). 22But Saul grew all the stronger and confounded [the] Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah. Shortly afterwards, the Lord spoke to a disciple named Ananias, asking him to go to Saul, place his hands on him, and restore his sight. The passage which we are studying can be divided into these major segments: We will begin this lesson by making some general observations concerning this account of Sauls conversion,134 after which we will examine the sequence of events leading up to Sauls conversion, the events surrounding his conversion, and the consequences of his conversion as depicted by Luke. 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 had not only heard of how Saul had been systematically destroying the church in Jerusalem, hunting down men and women and turning them over to the authorities, but also knew that he was on the march to Damascus, ready to destroy that church as well. 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. a conversion of will, intellect, and emotion, which dictated the abiding purpose and direction of his subsequent life and activity. How was Saul converted to Christianity? The man who, days before, was persecuting Christ was now preaching Christ. by the sin of Adam. Then Jesus told them, You are going to have the light just a little while longer. 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. The apostles had nothing to do with Sauls conversion, and they were reluctant to believe it had happened or to welcome him into their fellowship. When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple (vs. 26). (3) Sauls conversion experience was quick and dramatic in one sense, but it also involved a process, a process of at least three days.135. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Israel was also blind, and Pauls blindness was but a specific example of this blindness: The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. How much does horse riding lessons cost in Bangalore? Acts does not tell us that he goes on to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, found churches in urban centers across the Roman Empire, stand true to the gospel while on trial for his faith over and again, and end up under house arrest in Rome awaiting a trial before Caesar. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). 9oY+ 19 From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. At first he found himself in the position of being regarded as an apostate by the Jews and suspect by the Christian community of Jerusalem. 6 For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6). How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in part of the price for themselves while donating it to the church The call of salvation is a call to change. But there is a greater discrepancy between the accounts of Sauls conversion in Acts and that which Paul gave in Galatians 1. What happened to Ananias and Sapphira as a result of lying to God? Straight Street was widened and colonnades added to it. Saul Preaches in Damascus. 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. Ananias 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. 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. Preachers can narrate verses 10-14, and then basically say, You see, Ananias didnt know what had just happened. He got up and was baptized, The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him. But the gospel is good news for sinners. Israel too will look on Him whom they have pierced and mourn. Christianity was described as putting off the old and putting on the new (Colossians 3). 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 citation of Ps 2:7 in Pauls speech at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:33). 5He said, Who are you, sir? The reply came, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.e And because Saul is welcomed into the church, he is sent out by the church. 2, called him Ananias ben Nebedeus. 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). To Him be the glory forever. (what was bad was that they lied about the amount). Am I not an apostle? 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. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? They could hear the voice but they did not see anyone who was speaking. WebThe last time they saw Saul, he was arresting and killing Christians. What Israel failed to do, Jesus, the Messiah would do. WebYou know someone is coming, perhaps to arrest you for being a Christian. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! Jesus was LORD and not a false prophet! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. (10) Sauls encounter with Christ was not only a conversion, but it was also a call to a very specific ministry. 20 Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? The "Straight Street" or Via Recta in Latin, was a straight There is not so much as a hint that anyone prayed for Sauls salvation or took the initiative to bring it about. 1:16; cf. He has sovereignly chosen to use people to lead people to salvation, Spirit baptism, deliverance, and healing. In order to have both, they pretended to give the full price of the sale of their property to the apostles. 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). 24n but their plot became known to Saul. Paul Receive the Holy Spirit by the Laying Their attempt to deceive the apostles was an attempt to deceive God putting the Spirit of the Lord to the test (v. 9) and they paid the price! 92 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 94 /H [ 1243 743 ] /L 503600 /E 43371 /N 16 /T 501642 >> endobj xref 92 42 0000000016 00000 n 0000001188 00000 n 0000001986 00000 n 0000002200 00000 n 0000002434 00000 n 0000002614 00000 n 0000002636 00000 n 0000004226 00000 n 0000004248 00000 n 0000005775 00000 n 0000005798 00000 n 0000008986 00000 n 0000009009 00000 n 0000012094 00000 n 0000012305 00000 n 0000013156 00000 n 0000014011 00000 n 0000014230 00000 n 0000014604 00000 n 0000014827 00000 n 0000023280 00000 n 0000023869 00000 n 0000024230 00000 n 0000024446 00000 n 0000024731 00000 n 0000024987 00000 n 0000025380 00000 n 0000026152 00000 n 0000026257 00000 n 0000029454 00000 n 0000029477 00000 n 0000032108 00000 n 0000032131 00000 n 0000034910 00000 n 0000034933 00000 n 0000037945 00000 n 0000040047 00000 n 0000040070 00000 n 0000043063 00000 n 0000043141 00000 n 0000001243 00000 n 0000001964 00000 n trailer << /Size 134 /Info 91 0 R /Root 93 0 R /Prev 501632 /ID[<3cb89dccfaad5f26269ffad0f6f6443b><3cb89dccfaad5f26269ffad0f6f6443b>] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 93 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 89 0 R >> endobj 132 0 obj << /S 672 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 133 0 R >> stream Also, When God spoke to Ananias commanding him to go to the house where Saul was staying, he was to receive him as a brother; and he was told that he was called to suffer as Gods chosen vessel to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, kings, and to his fellow-Israelites. Let us not fail to respect the individuality of the conversion experience and to deal with people in the light of their individuality. It does not store any personal data. Let us be careful to discern what changes the gospel requires and what changes it does not. Presumably this is the case, however I still wonder a bit about this. There are two primary options for preaching from this text. 1:11, Acts 20:23; 2 Cor. When her lie had been exposed, she also fell down and died at Peters feet. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1). Ananias the high priest brought charges against Paul and WebAnanias went. Saul sought them out to persecute, even kill them, as an unbeliever; but he sought them out to worship and fellowship with them as a Christian. 00:00. Indeed, God would reveal His sovereignty by using Saul to further the gospel, first by his opposition (which scattered the church and spread the gospel), and then by his conversion (which resulted in his powerful proclamation of Jesus as Messiah). >zZ0y^C{tg 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. There is a great deal of information we are not given, and thus we cannot be dogmatic about our conclusions. He says: It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Used by permission. 2:1 He said to me, Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you. 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. * She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving. Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? His disciples150 lowered him in a basket, from the window of a room which was in the wall of the city (9:25). And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Not everyone can be Paul, but we all can and should be Ananias. WebTeach the children the account of Sauls conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ as found in Acts 9:120. WebThe Conversion of Saul. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. He was to come to the earth as the great light, the light to the Gentiles, and so He did. Then a voice said to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?, Saul asked the voice, Who are you, sir?, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. The ultimate issue was Gods ability to saveeven the most committed unbeliever. With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith (2 Thessalonians 1:11). For less than $5/mo. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. When Paul spoke of his conversion here in Galatians 1, he did not speak of the light which shone without, but rather of the light which shone within. Under the influence of this experience he gradually developed his understanding of justification by faith (see the letters to the Galatians and Romans) and of the identification of the Christian community with Jesus Christ (see 1Cor 12:27). 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. The obedience and faith that Ananias demonstrated in going to Saul and helping to restore his sight were incredible, to say the least. * He sent me so that you can I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness (John 12:46). 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 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). Ananias and Saul. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in Web17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. His name was Ananias (not to be confused with the husband of Your merchants were the worlds great men. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along. Who is blind but my servant {Israel}, and deaf like the messenger I send? But why would they be called his disciples? Web The children will describe Ananias as a man who helped Saul even though he was afraid. Why this swift act of judgment? What do you suppose the saints would have prayed at this special prayer meeting? Saul got help, though, from a man named Barnabas. He constantly defended the gospel against those who would diminish grace and seek to pollute it with works. 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. Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations (Isaiah 51:4). What changed about Saul/Paul after Jesus appeared to him? 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 election of Saul to salvation was specific and thus, personal. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children (1 Thessalonians 2:7). 2. Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). It is not just in the Book of Acts that the importance of Sauls conversion is evident. It was an act of faith and bravery equivalent to helping a lion out of a trap. 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. 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. To open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness (Isaiah 42:7). Hb```f``:Ab,=`.9Z3{x5v\);]c#qea #'&D|z:wyKN,0(t\tbRFhT2thS2(9.`mNbq)-pk^;>:+pq2Ck AUbK=N\2M/`KqGLZS1 $[S|Rd\.9i'9T\.EXdxlYcqb His career as a persecutor of Christians seems to have begun with Stephen, but it quickly spread to all of the Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 7:588:3). (8) Saul was saved independently of the apostles. 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. 7The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one.g What is remarkable about the Lord's directions to Ananias? Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! If he were viewed as a reactionary, a trouble-maker, perhaps there were some unbelievers who thought Saul was too much trouble. What happened to Ananias and Sapphira as a result of lying to God? To whom did the Lord communicate "in a vision"? 133 I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 173. Saul asked.I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, he replied. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. 6:17; Phil. Were these people as eager as Saul to destroy the church? 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.

Lindsey Beth Goldstein Massachusetts Obituary, Oakland Oregon Transfer Station Hours, Where To Buy Bordier Butter In Los Angeles, Military Softball Team Names, Articles W