why was ananias afraid of helping saul why was ananias afraid of helping saul

1:19; Rom. A man once confessed to his pastor that even though he didnt think of himself as hating people, there was one person he really hated for the way the person had wronged him. (8) Saul was saved independently of the apostles. They could hear the voice but they did not see anyone who was speaking. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. . 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). Saul took this most seriously, not eating or drinking until after his confession of faith by means of his baptism. 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. . More than that, he had a deep dislike and hostility toward Christians before his conversion. To whom did the Lord communicate "in a vision"? My names sake" (Acts 9:16) even before his ministry began. Were these people as eager as Saul to destroy the church? Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). Did Peter and Paul meet? The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Matthew 4:16). He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him (Daniel 2:22). 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Saul Visits Jerusalem. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It was irresistible argument and spread consternation among the Jews. . Israel was called of God and set apart to proclaim the way of salvation to the Gentiles. on it belonged to the Roman province of Syria, but had a measure of municipal autonomy in the loose federation of cities called the Decapolis. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 181. 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. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. here - view only). Nevertheless, Ananias obeyed. Web3. 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). (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. And thus, in Gods time, Saul was dramatically converted, seeing the Christ whom he had been persecuting, risen from the dead and in His heavenly glory. 10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. In Hellenistic times it was completely replanned on the Hippodamian grid-system. 16For (I)I will show him how many things he must suffer for My (J)names sake.. We know nothing of Ananias beyond this story in the shadows. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands onq him to restore his sight.. No change in life is greater than the change from unbelief to belief in Christ, from being lost and condemned to being saved and eternally secure, from being separated from God and others to being united with Him and with all believers. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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! Sapphira). Saul seems to have been the instigator of the persecution of the church, which began at the death of Stephen in Jerusalem and worked outward from there. I do not question that he did receive the Spirit, but merely observe that this receiving of the Spirit (accompanied by the laying on of hands) was not something Luke wanted to emphasize. 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord (Acts 13:6-12). Is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 harsh? Nothing is more evident in the account of Sauls conversion than his radical reversal. There are differences between the three accounts given to us in Acts. 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. He realized that it was nothing which he had donenor ever would dobut only by what Jesus Christ had done that saved him. 35And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Second, the gospel should be proclaimed in a way that is personal. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. In Damascus, the Lord had spoken to a man named Ananias, and the Lord told Ananias to find Saul and to lay his hands on Saul and pray so that Sauls sight would be restored. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! 9. WebAnd Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, Saul recognized that he was a sinner, and that his righteousness was but dung before God. 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). Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers (Ephesians 4:11). We know from Romans 7, for example, that Paul had struggles in his spiritual walk. * [9:3143] In the context of the period of peace enjoyed by the community through the cessation of Pauls activities against it, Luke introduces two traditions concerning the miraculous power exercised by Peter as he was making a tour of places where the Christian message had already been preached. 43* r And he stayed a long time in Joppa with Simon, a tanner. This light was more, much more, than just a bright 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 Gods 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). Ananias was afraid because he knew Saul's reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church . 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. 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. 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. Choose from news (Monday), leisure (Thursday) or worship (Saturday) or get all three! 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? Let us be careful to discern what changes the gospel requires and what changes it does not. Up till now, Jesus was the sinner, and Saul was the saint. ,%d/3o3o6jda=|4S-LJ3ajLcNfZyV;CkCl>390q {KQ0lQ)0>~cy:CJkP|4M-\v Michael Garicoits (1797-1863) was born into a poor, but hardworking and humble family. There is a great basis for comfort in the sovereignty of God. He is there praying,j 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. He started to KNOW GRACE! We would readily grant that every conversion which is recorded is unique, to some degree. The same grace which was shown to Saul in his salvation is shown to all whom God calls to Himself: 8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. Paul was no ordinary followerhe became the most visible and active pillar of the new Christian church. 31* The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. This can hardly be possible. Ananias the high priest brought charges against Paul and 4. A devout Hellenistic Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, Saul was a member of the Pharisees and was taught by none other than Gamaliel, whom we have already met (Acts 5:34-40). Over and over in his epistles, Paul spoke of salvation in terms of radical change. And notice one more detail about the way in which Ananias did this. The first words spoken to Saul were, Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting Me? (Acts 9:4). This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. 2:7; 2 Tim. The result was the restoration of Sauls sight and, it would seem, Sauls reception of the Holy Spirit. What is remarkable about the Lord's directions to Ananias? He got up and was baptized, Sauls conversion is a watershed event, catapulting the gospel to the Gentiles and to more distant places. What Paul learned about himself, personally, on the road to Damascus he came to understand and to preach concerning all men. 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. 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. 23 And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. The election of Saul to salvation was specific and thus, personal. And laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Present active participle of sunbubazo, old verb to make go together, to coalesce, to knit together. 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. We will next seek to learn how this description of Sauls conversion fits into and contributes to the development of Lukes argument in Acts. The life of Paul and his writings are very important parts of the New Testament. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lords wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. We can overcome our fears if, like Ananias, we trust that Jesus is directing the preaching work, Who was Ananias that help Saul in the Bible to regain his sight. 7The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one.g Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Saul Preaches in Damascus. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the Lord? (Isaiah 42:18-19). 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. When we look at Pauls great love and compassion for the saints, we have to remind ourselves of the hate he once had toward them. WebAs Donald Davis notes, In case God has overlooked Sauls atrocities, [Ananias] takes occasion to issue a brief reminder. He is trying to inform God of whats going on. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was the first recorded sin in the newly organized church. 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 Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3:1-9; cf. 130 In our text, we are told the Saul went to the high priest to ask for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus (9:1-2), but in Acts 22:5-6 Paul indicates that the Council (the Sanhedrin) was also involved in providing him with letters of authorization to arrest Christians in Damascus. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is difficult. called for him to be slapped. 30And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.p. Saul could only be persecuting Jesus through the members of His body, the church. 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). Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers (Ephesians 4:11).