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. Transform us as you transformed Paul. Ananias baptised Saul in the name of Jesus - the one who had sent him to the vanquished enemy of the church. If Luke had any ax to grind on this issue, here would have been a great place to stress this matter, but he did not do so. We can overcome our fears if, like Ananias, we trust that Jesus is directing the preaching work, Ananias No doubt entered the mind of Saul that the Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. So it would appear. Web The children will describe Ananias as a man who helped Saul even though he was afraid. Peter Restores Tabitha to Life. It lay within the jurisdiction of the Roman province of Syria, and it formed part of the Decapolis, a league of self-governing cities. 10i There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. He answered, Here I am, Lord. It was evidently a term used by the early followers of Jesus to denote their movement as the way of life or the way of salvation. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 181. When Saul reached Jerusalem, the Christians there also were afraid of him, because they thought he was going to have them all arrested. They wanted to keep Gods blessings to themselves. 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. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along. What Ananias didnt know is that Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Israel too will just as surely return to God; and when it happens, it will be all of God, all to His glory and praise: 15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. 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. 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. As I look at the problem, I believe several conclusions must be drawn. Enough revelation for the moment. 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 5 How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? Paul was no ordinary followerhe became the most visible and active pillar of the new Christian church. 2 What do we know about Ananias in Acts 9? Why did Ananias and Sapphira sell their property? This is very evident in the conversion of Saul. For all the saints. 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. 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). Ananias hesitation to visit Saul showed that he had good relationship with Jerusalem, for he knew of the trouble that the persecutor had raised against the early converts, and of the goal of his mission to Damascus. Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way,137 both men and women,138 he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. with his wife Sapphira, sold some property and agreed to hold back Think about what happened as a result of this man overcoming his fear and obeying God. It is a miraculous, dramatic reversal, first of ones beliefs, and then of ones behavior. Hd7/`l@TM0h#`C2 +u-AsQ3j++&?Fu7_[1_?a^J> Q 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. 21:29 (30); John 5:7; 12:21; 20:15; and should be so in John 9:36. Saul immediately began to preach about the Son of God in the synagogues. Verse 18 tells us that, "straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight, and he arose and was baptized." Ananias ANANIAS 1:15). A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 114. There will be no more night. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11). Acts 9:17 - Ananias Baptizes Saul - Bible Hub 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). (Acts 9:17) and that Saul was to "be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17). Leave them; they are blind guides. From the fact that three different accounts of Sauls conversion are recorded in Acts, we know this event had to play a crucial role in the expansion of the church. 1:11--2:10; Philippians 3:1-14; Colossians 1:24-29; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; 6:13-16; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Titus 2:11-15; 3:1-7. 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. 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. Did Saul's many sufferings during his ministry for Jesus' name come as a surprise to him? l. [9:14] 9:12; 26:10; 1Cor 1:2; 2Tm 2:22. Sermon Seeds: The Way Forward - United Church of Christ 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. In this chapter we have, I. (12) The same Saul who played a role in Stephens execution was to become, in large measure, his replacement. Yes, Lord, he answered. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. 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. called for him to be slapped. Saul was not aware, until after our Lords words, that the One who had interrupted his journey was Jesus, and that Jesus was, indeed, the Messiah, the LORD, but he was certain, at this point, that whoever this One was, He was the LORD. 23:16-17, 19, 24; 23:26). By your magic spell all the nations were led astray (Revelation 18:23). Continue Learning about Religious Studies. He spoke of it as the movement from darkness to light (Colossians 1:12-13; Ephesians 4:8-14) in which the new believer should now walk. 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. also Psalm 50:15; Joel 2:32; Jeremiah 29:12; 33:3-8). 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?d 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. 1:4). F. F. Bruce, p. 190. After that Saul was welcomed by the Christians and he preached freely in and around Jerusalem. Those whose lives Saul would gladly have taken in his unsaved days now sought to save his life by sending him away. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). He is there praying,j What was the decision of Ananias and Sapphira? They could hear the voice but they did not see anyone who was speaking. Later, when Paul looked back on his past devotion and deeds, all done in the name of Judaism, he came to view his apparent righteous deeds for what they really weredung: 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! (13) As Stephens death, instigated (or at least assisted) by Saul, resulted in an intense and widespread persecution of the churches in Jerusalem and elsewhere, so Sauls conversion seems to have been directly related to the return of peace (cf. 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). 1:11, Acts 20:23; 2 Cor. This old city is the most enduring in the history of the world (Knowling). 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. Did they send for Saul? Saul, like Stephen, spoke with such power and authority that his opponents could not refute him. 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. It was Gods initiative all the way. ananisofdamascus - Bible Facts How true are two of the proverbs, which read: The mind of a man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end (Isaiah 60:20). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". WebActs 9:10-18 Ananias. 37Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid [her] out in a room upstairs. 17So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, 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. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. Saul and Ananias | A Story of Learning to See Again Now they were keeping watch on the gates day and night so as to kill him, 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). . The words, Brother Saul must not have come easily to Ananias. The call of salvation is a call to holiness, and to obedience, and to fellowship, with God and with our fellow-believers. The LORD identified Himself as the Jesus, whom he had been persecuting. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. 10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Old Testament passages which I have suggested bear to Saul (blind, light) are passages which speak of Israel in their original context. Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. And notice one more detail about the way in which Ananias did this. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Rather than attempt to pacify Ananias or to alleviate his apprehension, God went on to tell him that Saul would not only be a brother, but he would be His instrument for bringing the gospel to Gentiles too. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands onq him to restore his sight.. Ananias It was, of course, Ananias who instructed Saul to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? 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. Saul, the typical (albeit more zealous) Jew, opposed God in the person of Christ and His body, the church, even while he thought he was serving Him. What happened to Straight Street since then? 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. 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. Ananias Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. During the subsequent Roman rule, the It was an act of faith and bravery equivalent to helping a lion out of a trap. (3) Sauls salvation was personal. 1:15; Eph. 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. (1) There is considerable emphasis given to Sauls conversion in the Book of Acts. Acts 9 Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible I. His name was Ananias (not to be confused with the husband of (N)Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Who was Ananias that help Saul in the Bible to regain his sight? 10. (5) Sauls salvation was an act of divine grace. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent (Psalm 104:2). 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. 17 And Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he arose and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isaiah 59:15b60:13). But these laws, which seek to summarize the gospel in a concise way, should always be applied individually. All Ananias did was to obey Christs command to go pray with Saul so that Saul could do all those things. They could not out-argue him. Acts 26:18). sight. 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). It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the holy Spirit it grew in numbers. 116-117. Let us be careful to discern what changes the gospel requires and what changes it does not. His acceptance by the latter was finally brought about through his friendship with Barnabas (Acts 9:27). It would seem not to be there on the road to Damascus. 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. While at first he thought he might have to correct God, in the end he submitted himself and his very life to Gods call. Here the Jews were strong in numbers (10,000 butchered by Nero later) and here some disciples had found refuge from Sauls persecution in Judea and still worshipped in the synagogues. 26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 17 Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Saul could only be persecuting Jesus through the members of His body, the church. Theologically, we know this as the doctrine of mans total depravity.151 Paul surely believed that it was essential for men to begin with the understanding of their own sin, for in his Epistle to the Romans, he took the first two and one-half chapters to prove that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The remaining verses of this account describe the results of Sauls conversion, all of which serve as dramatic proof of his radical transformation as a result of his encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. One of the most dramatic revelations of Sauls Damascus road experience was that he was not serving God, but he was persecuting Him. Working Preacher from Luther Seminary Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 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. This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. 20:32; 26:18) is a common term in Pauls writings and describes Christians as people who have been set apart for Gods service and must show an appropriate character. Were they some of those converted to Christ through his preaching? 17) and the restoration of the man after the shattering experience he had known, and for the early ministry in Tarsus, Syria, Cilicia, and Antioch, which prepared mind and method for the major assault on the pagan world. Discuss 2 ways in which Paul suffered as an apostle ANANIAS To persecute them was to persecute Him. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, 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 ananias anointing | Church Page | murrayledger.com This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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). He was, indeed, Stephens replacement. This first account occurs when the word is first spread to the Gentiles. Saul, in my opinion, is portrayed by Luke as the first-fruits of these promises. Just as Saul was called to a live of suffering, so Peter tells his readers that they too, like all saints, are called to suffer for His name: To this {suffering} you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. 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). Both are call stories. (7) Those who were saved by Sauls ministry were convinced by the power of the gospel message he preached and not by miraculous signs and wonders. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photo-lithoprinted}, 1966), p. 90. There he was transfigured before them. This man who had formerly cringed at the preaching of the gospel148 was now proclaiming the same message. How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in Blaiklock, for example (pp. 139 A. T. Robertson writes, It is open to question if kurie should not here be translated Sir as in 16:30 and in Matt. 19 From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. When her lie had been exposed, she also fell down and died at Peters feet. That our Lords contemporaries believed the Messiah to be in some special sense the son of God is rendered probable by the wording of the high priests question to him at his trial: `Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? (Mark 14:61 par. At first, I thought this was unique with Saul. Yes, Lord, he answered. 4. As he himself understood the heavenly voice which said to him at his baptism, You are my Son (Mark 1:11 par. Lesson: Saul Believes in Jesus - Ministry-To-Children The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory (Isaiah 60:19). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. In this approach, preachers are offering their congregation a chance to relate to Ananias dream that leads him to overcome his preconception of Saul (a correct but now outdated preconception), come to see Saul as someone God has called, and respond faithfully.