At least we can say that no one had enough faith to believe it, even as Peter stood at the door, knocking to get in (12:12-17). I can believe someone might have prayed that Saul be waylaid, or “terminated,” in some divine act or providential accident (“act of God”). required neighboring states to grant it the privileges of a sovereign state, including the right of extradition. Here is a graphic illustration of what true repentance is—it is a turning about, beginning with one’s belief and bearing fruit in one’s conduct. (1 Corinthians 9:1). 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 Saul’s early preaching. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3:1-9; cf. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped (Isaiah 35:5). Israel was also blind, and Paul’s blindness was but a specific example of this blindness: The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. There are two very important implications to the personal dimension of Saul’s conversion. In Hellenistic times it was completely replanned on the Hippodamian grid-system. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. A pedal tone emerges in the middle of the piece, symbolizing the “one true light. Thus, whenever he spoke of his conversion and his call to ministry, he always spoke of this incident as an act of divine grace, of God’s unmerited favor, of an act of mercy toward him: I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:15-16). also 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 11:32-33; cf. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. In this occasion, no one seems to have prayed for Peter’s miraculous escape. Here the Jews were strong in numbers (10,000 butchered by Nero later) and here some disciples had found refuge from Saul’s persecution in Judea and still worshipped in the synagogues. When I look through the Gospels and the Book of Acts, I never find the gospel presented in the same way to different people. God chose Saul and had his destiny planned, before He saved him. To persecute them was to persecute Him. How to Obtain Help from Jesus (Matthew 15:21-28). At first, I thought this was unique with Saul. Second, the gospel should be proclaimed in a way that is personal. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to his death (Philippians 3:7-10). For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Granted, his experience is unique and dramatic. Was it from the sudden “light from heaven” or seeing Jesus in His Shekinah glory? 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. 40 But Peter (BK)sent them all out and (BL)knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “(BM)Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. Everyone is born in sin, and every part of their being is affected by sin (intellect, emotions, and will). 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. 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. All were acquainted with Saul's opposition to Jesus and his zeal in hunting out and delivering up to death all who believed on His name; and his miraculous conversion convinced many that Jesus was the Son of God. We know from Romans 7, for example, that Paul had struggles in his spiritual walk. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photolithoprinted}, 1966), p. 91. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Or could it be that these “disciples of Saul” were Saul’s disciples before his conversion, who accompanied him as he sought to capture Christians. The first words of the Lord Jesus to Saul were intended to teach him the inseparable unity between Christ and His church. Were they some of those converted to Christ through his preaching? 20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1:18). 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. the Romans . They do not understand the gospel well enough. Fifth, faith must take the text on face value, as it is written, and believe it as God’s inspired, inerrant, authoritative word. The LORD identified Himself as the Jesus, whom he had been persecuting. He sought to preach Christ in simplicity and not in a way that would detract from Him. And what a comfort to know that God always finishes what He starts: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9). 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). This account is accompanied by an asseveration of its truth which suggests that some people were contradicting it.”133. We shall then seek to identify the characteristics of Saul’s conversion which are typical of every conversion. 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). There is clearly no attempt to establish some kind of pattern or formula for evangelism here, at least as far as methodology is concerned. Proving (sunbibazon). 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). Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i... More. 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent (Psalm 104:2). This can hardly be possible. If the unity of Christ and His body, the church, were a vital truth with respect to Saul’s persecution of the church, it was also a vital truth for him as a Christian. 133 I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 173. They are made available for free download under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license . Leave them; they are blind guides. He was, indeed, Stephen’s replacement. The saint himself is in a blue doublet and hose of the painter's day. Enough revelation for the moment. The message which Saul received was not only a call to salvation, but a divine call to ministry. The church did not shrink or suffer for Saul’s arrival, but it grew because of it. Do not let anyone despise you (Titus 2:11-15). This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. also Romans 1:1-7, 13-17; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:3-11; cf. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children (1 Thessalonians 2:7). Frequent biblical texts speak of God in terms of light: You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game (Psalm 76:4). Grace is not only the basis for one’s salvation, but also for one’s spiritual walk and service: As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude (Colossians 2:6-7). Those who think themselves worthy of God’s blessings (as many Jews did in that day) are those who are in trouble. It is hardly likely that at this stage Saul recognized Jesus as Lord, though he does so greet him in 22:10 `What shall I do, Lord?’” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, pp. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. Philip, one of the seven travels to Samaria, where many accept the Good News. We are simply told that the message itself was proclaimed powerfully and that people were amazed at the message and its miraculous impact on Saul’s own conduct. It is the very word that Luke will use in 16:10 of the conclusion reached at Troas concerning the vision of Paul. In the end, God Himself will provide the illumination so that the sun and the stars will not be needed for this function: The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted (Isaiah 30:26). The blinding of Bar-Jesus thus seems to be the second major turning point in the ministry of Paul. He also warned those who would corrupt grace, to make it a pretext for sin (cf. I believe that as Luke portrays Saul in Acts, it is as a prototype, a picture of Israel. 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). What a shock Saul’s conversion must have been to both groups! 1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Let us avoid “cookie cutter conversions.”. Saul, like Stephen, had a ministry which focused on the Hellenistic Jews. PROPOSITION: In the conversion of Saul we see 1) Confrontation, 2) Contrition, 3) Concern, and 4) Conversion. .” I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 171. It was as the Son of God that Christ was revealed to him on the Damascus road (Gal. (10) Saul’s encounter with Christ was not only a conversion, but it was also a call to a very specific ministry. After his conversion, Saul's name was changed to Paul, and he spent the rest of his life serving Jesus and teaching people about him. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling (BN)the [y]saints and (BO)widows, he presented her alive. The first thing we shall do is to make some observations on the passage as a whole to attempt to see the forest before we scrutinize the trees. This conclusion could be based upon Paul’s argument in Galatians 1 and 2, along with the expression, “when many days had elapsed” in Acts 9:23. sunodia, Luke 2:44).” F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), fn. The voice from heaven did not call out, “Have you ever heard of the four spiritual laws?”152 Ananias was sent to Saul only. For Paul, the method of proclaiming the gospel must be consistent with the message itself, and so it was. This painting took Michelangelo in a new direction with a more mannerist approach, underlining his constant desire to try out new techniques. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, [s]because he was paralyzed. Nothing is said in our text about any miracles being performed by Saul, as yet. 9:31). 1. What Paul learned about himself, personally, on the road to Damascus he came to understand and to preach concerning all men. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. This would leave AD 33-46 for the visit to Arabia (Gal. (5) Saul’s salvation was an act of divine grace. Romans 6). 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. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Saul certainly loved God; however, his passion was misdirected (cf. 24 Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to (1 Corinthians 7:15, 17-22, 24).154. Reflect on What You Learn. And look, you blind, that you may see. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,” says the Lord. God’s promises and purposes would not be stopped by this madman, Saul. 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. 28, p. 185. 151 The doctrine of total depravity is that every person, every man, woman, and child, has been affected (infected?) Amen (Romans 11:33-36). He should not be circumcised. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. 23 When (AJ)many days had elapsed, (AK)the Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but (AL)their plot became known to Saul. Saul, like Stephen, was a Hellenistic Jew. . Ancestry, Pharisaic training, Hellenistic education, were fused by it into the character which the Holy Spirit formed and fashioned over the fourteen years of training. Jesus’ words, “Why are you persecuting Me?,” clearly implied that Saul’s persecution of the church was a persecution of the Lord. Saul’s salvation was focused on one thing and on one thing alone—Christ. One thing was certain; no matter how much time had passed, the apostles were not yet convinced of Saul’s conversion. 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. Luke is emphatic in his representation of man’s salvation as having been ordained and orchestrated by God, as a manifestation of His sovereign grace: And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48). It was bright enough to bring about a period of blindness. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:12-14). I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. The risen Lord selected Saul out of the group with which he was traveling to hear, to see Him, and to understand His words. 3 He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. 15:9; Acts 22:3-5). (2) Saul’s salvation was exclusively the work of a sovereign God. This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. (3) The racial expansion from the Jews to the Gentiles. 10 Now there was a disciple in (N)Damascus named (O)Ananias; and the Lord said to him in (P)a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from (Q)Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen [f]in a vision a man named Ananias come in and (R)lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, (S)how much harm he did to (T)Your [g]saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he (U)has authority from the chief priests to [h]arrest all who (V)call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for (W)he is a chosen [i]instrument of Mine, to bear My name before (X)the Gentiles and (Y)kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for (Z)I will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after (AA)laying his hands on him said, “(AB)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 (AC)filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like fish scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened. 87-89), plays out the two views of Saul’s 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. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. The approach the Lord took was one of dealing with Saul in the light of his sin, of his salvation, and of his ministry. 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. You will remember that when the apostles chose a replacement for Judas, they required that this person must have seen the risen Lord (Acts 1:21-22). 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. By submitting himself completely to Jesus, Paul was able to spread the gospel throughout the known world. There is a great deal of information we are not given, and thus we cannot be dogmatic about our conclusions. The first question which must be asked with regard to the interpretation of this text is this: “What is the meaning of this text in the context of the whole book?” Luke has included this account of Saul’s conversion in order to contribute to the argument which he is seeking to develop. 43 And Peter stayed in (BR)Joppa many days with (BS)a tanner named Simon. Question cards (question mark space): When a group lands on a “question” space, one member picks a question card and hands it to you without reading it. One cannot help but wonder if it did not send chills up and down Paul’s spine when he cast the spell of blindness on the Jewish false prophet, Bar-Jesus: And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. Among the Church’s persecutors, Saul was singular in his zeal, unabashed in his purpose. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16). 1:11--2:10; Ephesians 3:1-13; cf. He was a man of great respect and influence, and thus he realized that his actions would have broad ramifications. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him (Daniel 2:22). There would likely be another group of people meeting on the evening before Saul arrived in Damascus—those who did not believe in Jesus as their Messiah, and who eagerly sought the eradication of the church in their city. It is here that Paul took the leadership and became the dominant or leading individual, instead of Barnabas. 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. It is one of the few accounts of a conversion which is described with some detail (although this detail is much less than we would prefer). This is a miracle, a miracle which is all of God, and all of grace. When all is said and done, the miracle which took place on the way to Damascus (and likely in Damascus as well) was that Saul saw Jesus as the Son of God, as the Messiah, and as his Savior and Lord: Am I not free? 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. (AM)They were also closely watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.