It is not clear We know that the salvation of men rests ultimately with God and not with usand not even with the one whom we wish to see saved. It was almost as though Saul had looked intently into the beam of an intensely powerful carbon-act light, the kind used as search lights. Ananias and Saul in Damascus. 1. 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. Salvation is the miracle whereby God removes the blindness of sin and of Satan, whereby God replaces death with life. And Jesus took the persecution of Christians very personally. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children (1 Thessalonians 2:7). Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. Web The children will describe Ananias as a man who helped Saul even though he was afraid. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. 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). 15:10; Gal. Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. (1 Corinthians 9:1). Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). 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. So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help. . 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? 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. 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. He constantly defended the gospel against those who would diminish grace and seek to pollute it with works. The Conversion of Saul There would likely be another group of people meeting on the evening before Saul arrived in Damascusthose who did not believe in Jesus as their Messiah, and who eagerly sought the eradication of the church in their city. For now, he was told to proceed on to Damascus, where he would be given his next instructions.144 His blindness certainly gave Saul the opportunity to dwell on these events. Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. SAUL The conclusion of many of the commentators is that Sauls conversion was a much longer process than I see reflected in this account, or in any other. Sauls conversion was a miracle, short and simple, but not so much the result of the external miracle of the bright light and the voice of the Lord as the internal transformation and illumination which God wrought: 15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man (Galatians 1:15-16). 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. Ananias If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit (Matthew 15:14; cf. 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 casting of this spell on this false prophet could therefore have been an act of kindness, as Gods blinding of Saul had been, intended to cease his opposition and perhaps even to bring about his conversion. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped (Isaiah 35:5). 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. also 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 4:2). sight. Working Preacher from Luther Seminary Not everyone can be Paul, but we all can and should be Ananias. 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. What is the significance of the story of Ananias and Sapphira? The question must be asked as to whether or not Sauls conversion has a more general application and relevance. `}Hq)l2hZ0r89asO70Da`qg No, Ananias did not do any of these things so far as the author of Luke-Acts is concerned. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. On various occasions in his epistles, Paul made either direct or indirect references to his former life of opposition and his radical conversion.132 Pauls theology, his lifestyle, his ministry, and his methodology, all are rooted in his conversion. 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. . Nevertheless, at some point in time Saul did arrive in Jerusalem. 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). . To whom did the Lord communicate "in a vision"? Saul went to other cities where he sought to arrest Christians and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! Ananias How much does horse riding lessons cost in Bangalore? Sauls Conversion. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. 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. Could Judas have been a Christian? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Paul would later use this expression (in the plural) to address his unbelieving Jewish opponents, as in Acts 22:1. a disciple from Damascus who received a phophetic dream telling him Sapphira). Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. How many times should a shock absorber bounce? 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands onq him to restore his sight.. Obedience is often not easy, but it is very likely the most direct way forward and the clearest way to honor God. Saul Visits Jerusalem. 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. 43* r And he stayed a long time in Joppa with Simon, a tanner. Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. 20and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it . He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. The first evidence of Sauls conversion was his immediate identification with the church in Damascus. In our text Ananias was instructed to go to Saul and to lay hands on him so that he might receive his sight (9:12). And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. Grace is also the source and the standard for our service: Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:6). (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 text portrays one of the historical landmarks of the church. here - view only). Saul was the bad guy. In His coming as the light, those who come to the light become lights to the world themselves: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Isaiah 9:2). 2 What do we know about Ananias in Acts 9? 20 Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Saul, why do you persecute me? These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. It was time for Saul to ponder what he had seen and heard. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Ananias and Saul - June 3, 2022. 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. 19So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Damascus was an important town, about 150 miles (242 km) from Jerusalem, with a considerable Jewish population. Saul was not seeking God. Saul was saved in spite of himself. Their story is rarely shown in art, but is the subject of one of the Raphael Cartoons, and a panel on the Brescia Casket, both illustrated here. Road to Damascus 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. It is no wonder then that this one who was Sauls all in all would be the focus, the substance, of the gospel which he preached: But we preach Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23). The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 26 Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 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). 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). When Saul was confronted on the road to Damascus, he saw the risen, glorified Lord. What is meant by the competitive environment?

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