why was ananias afraid of helping saul

We honor him on May 14. (1 Corinthians 9:1). Some of the Hellenistic Jews responded to the preaching of Saul as they had to Stephens preaching; they wanted to kill him (9:29). (8) The salvation of Saul made him a vital part of Christs body, the church. many pulpits today promise to those who will follow Jesus. And they will reign for ever and ever (Revelation 22:5). There is no story in Acts more important than Saul/Pauls call, his encounter with the risen Christ. (4) More space is devoted to the process of getting Ananias to Saul than is devoted to getting Saul to Damascus and to the home of Judas. Ananias was used as Gods instrument in the conversion of Saul, but even he had to be pushed to go to Saul. We can overcome our fears if, like Ananias, we trust that Jesus is directing the preaching work, Rising Strong Small Groups The importance of Sauls conversion can hardly be overestimated. 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). Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? - Answers And when this time comes, God will use their obedience to serve Him: For if their rejection be the salvation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Romans 11:15). The ananias anointing | Church Page | murrayledger.com When the plot became known to Saul, he made a successful, albeit undignified, escape from the city of Damascus. 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. 23 And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. Bible Hub 1:11, Acts 20:23; 2 Cor. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:24-27). It was only with the exit of Saul from the Holy Land, back to his native land (Tarsus), that peace once again returned. (9) Finally, I believe that Lukes portrayal of Sauls salvation is typical of that of the nation Israel, which is still future. And, who knows, God may even answer those prayers and the persons life be blessed and changed in ways we cannot even imagine.. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, Please come to us without delay. To whom did the Lord communicate "in a vision"? Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? * [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. came under Alexander the Great's rule. Without Ananias prayer, Saul spends the rest of his life as a blind man wondering what his life might have been. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave . It is here in Acts, for the first time, that Saul is called Paul. 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all (D)who call on Your name., 15But the Lord said to him, Go, for (E)he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before (F)Gentiles, (G)kings, and the (H)children[b] of Israel. Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for, And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting, he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before, I will show him how many things he must suffer for My. 27Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. Saul Used by permission. You, my brothers, were called to be free. Saul And look, you blind, that you may see. 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. Then he turned to her body and said, Tabitha, rise up. She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.q 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 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. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. And so, Saul asked the LORD who He was. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". This doctrine does not hold that men are as bad as they could be in each area of their life, but that sin has permeated every dimension of a persons life. Ananias was afraid because he knew Saul's reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church . Ananias and Saul - June 3, 2022. east-west thoroughfare through Damascus built by the Greeks after the city They, too, were afraid of Saul and did not believe he really was a follower of Jesus Christ. One of the most dramatic revelations of Sauls Damascus road experience was that he was not serving God, but he was persecuting Him. Devotion Saul There will be no more night. One moment, Saul is inflicting pain and suffering on others who trust in Jesus as the Messiah, the next, he is enduring suffering for the sake of Jesus, the Messiah. They were to be a light to the Gentiles, but they failed. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness (Micah 7:8-9). 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. I very much doubt anyone prayed that this Saul might be saved. Finally, we shall attempt to focus on the application of this passage to our own lives. When Saul reached Jerusalem, the Christians there also were afraid of him, because they thought he was going to have them all arrested. 28, p. 185. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave and friendly. Who was Ananias that help Saul in the Bible to regain his sight? For just as you once were disobedient to God but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. WebWe do not know whether Ananias already had previous experience miracles of healing, but the Lord was instructing him to interview the notorious Pharisee Saul, who fiercely persecuted Christians, and to heal his blindness. WebSaul had come to Damascus with letters from the authorities in Jerusalem to find followers of Jesus and arrest them. 1. 5 How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? ,%d/3o3o6jda=|4S-LJ3ajLcNfZyV;CkCl>390q {KQ0lQ)0>~cy:CJkP|4M-\v So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help. From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of Gods choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life (1 Timothy 1:12-16). 28 And he was with them moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. The men who traveled with Saul were frightened and confused. They could not out-argue him. 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." sunodia, Luke 2:44). F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), fn. Linking is encouraged, but content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed including, but not limited to such means as framing or other digital copying and/or distribution method, in whole or in part without the publisher's written consent. Saul and Ananias That is because our Lord always confronts, convicts, and converts men and women individually, in the light of their own actions and beliefs. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time. And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. But as I see the call of God referred to in the New Testament, it seems that the call of salvation assumes other callings, to which Paul and other New Testament writers made frequent reference: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1). Ananias The man who, days before, was persecuting Christ was now preaching Christ. Word was out that Saul would soon be arriving. My names sake". 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. WebThis happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness (John 12:46). We do not know the exact time when Saul was saved. 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). He sent me so that you can Saul was knocked to the ground and confronted with the reality that hed been working against God rather than helping God. Ananias baptizes Saul, and Saul's eyes are opened. But his blindness was symbolic of his condition. He knew that going to see Saul would put his life in danger. Why did Saint Paul change his The children will practice being giving and friendly with someone that they do not know. No sinner is beyond the grace and the grasp of God. Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers (Ephesians 4:11). 9For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank. The expansion is three-fold: (1) The expansion from Christ, to His apostles, to His church, (2) The geographical expansion from Jerusalem to Rome. 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. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. The second option is to invite the congregation to identify with Ananias (who shows up in verse 10). 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. 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). It was time for Saul to ponder what he had seen and heard. Like Stephen, Saul seemed to gravitate toward preaching to the Hellenistic Jews (9:29). Ananias who was The second evidence of Sauls conversion was in his bold proclamation of his newly found faith in Jesus as the Messiah. 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. Saul Visits Jerusalem. 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). Pauls hatred for Christ and His followers was common knowledge. At first Ananias was afraid because he knew how Saul persecuted the Christians, but the Lord said that Saul had a special ministry he must fulfill. It was an act of faith and sight. 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? The New International Version Christianity was described as putting off the old and putting on the new (Colossians 3). 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. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. It was just such a miracle which gave Saul his spiritual sight, as he received back his physical sight. 10. Second, the only result of this event shown in the Bible is that Saul received his sight. 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. 150 It is interesting to ponder the identity of these disciples of Saul. 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. Upon hearing Peters words, Ananias fell to the ground and died. Second, we are not given enough information in the biblical text to solve them dogmatically. For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Colossians 1:13-19). One is the truth from God Himself, What happened to Ananias and Sapphira as a result of lying to God? . Did Peter and Paul meet? Continue Learning about Religious Studies. We will next seek to learn how this description of Sauls conversion fits into and contributes to the development of Lukes argument in Acts. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Why did Ananias have to overcome his fear? At this point, the conversion of the hero of the Gentile mission is recounted. He was afraid because Saul killed Jesus followers What did Ananias's do to heal Paul's eyes? Saul The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7; cf. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Fourth, if we had all the facts, there would be no problem. The Church at Peace. 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. He did not say that God revealed his Son to him, but that He revealed His Son in him. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Imagine for a moment that this is the week of Sauls arrival at Damascus. 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). He started to KNOW GRACE! His conversion was by far the most vital influence in Pauls life. 29He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,* but they tried to kill him. Christian ministry be reconciled with the wealth and prosperity that The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 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). (what was bad was that they lied about the amount). They are also very significant in what they conveyed to Saul. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The message of the gospel, to be sure, is always the same, but the approach is not. For the remainder of this essay, I will pursue the second option. Why did Ananias and Sapphira sell their property? A Period of Peace After Sauls Conversion (Acts 9:31) (N)Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Web3. 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. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photolithoprinted}, 1966), p. 91. Q Web The children will describe Ananias as a man who helped Saul even though he was afraid. Israel was called of God and set apart to proclaim the way of salvation to the Gentiles. * She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving. I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. The children will practice being giving and friendly with someone that they do not know. The Lord seeks and saves individuals, and thus our methods should be personal. 1:19; Rom. It was a city in the days of Abraham, and at the time of the Israelite monarchy it was the capital of the most important Aramaean kingdom. 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. As I look at the problem, I believe several conclusions must be drawn. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 6Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.f 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. Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? 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. There are differences between the three accounts given to us in Acts. >zZ0y^C{tg Pauls experience was not visionary but was precipitated by the appearance of Jesus, as he insists in 1Cor 15:8. Second, the gospel should be proclaimed in a way that is personal. It is also bad news for the self-righteous. The words of Jesus, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? related by Luke with no variation in all three accounts, exerted a profound and lasting influence on the thought of Paul.

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