why was ananias afraid of helping saul

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. also Isaiah 64:6). (6) Little emphasis is placed on Sauls reception of the Holy Spirit, and nothing is said about what happened as Saul received the Spirit. But his blindness was symbolic of his condition. By divine revelation, Peter called out Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit and to God. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave and friendly. In Pauls speech in Acts 22, he describes Ananias as a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews that dwelt in Damascus (Acts 22:12). Amen (Romans 11:33-36). We know that Paul was not instantly a biblical scholar or a seasoned apostle. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. The emphasis in the account is on Paul as a divinely chosen instrument (Acts 9:15). 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. 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. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photolithoprinted}, 1966), p. 91. Lesson Text Acts 9:1-19 Scripture Memory Verse (You know, just in case God has forgotten something) Would the church not have undertaken the task of discipling these folks? The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is difficult. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". To the church, Saul turned out to be a friend, a fellow-believer, in fact, a flaming evangelist, who proclaimed Christ more clearly and powerfully than anyone had previously done in Damascus. These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. The expansion is three-fold: (1) The expansion from Christ, to His apostles, to His church, (2) The geographical expansion from Jerusalem to Rome. Preachers working through the narrative lectionary with their congregations, then, will do well to explore this passage in detail in order to establish the character of Paul well for the second half of Acts (Acts 13-28; see how this role is foreshadowed in 9:15), which shifts the focus from the ministry of the Twelve in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria to his role in taking the gospel throughout Asia Minor, Greece, and even to Rome (see Acts 1:8). 1:11--2:10; Ephesians 3:1-13; cf. God then used this man to further His purposes in launching the career of the most influential of the apostles. This can hardly be possible. It says nothing about him receiving the Holy Spirit. 4. Introduction: suppose you heard someone was coming to arrest you, or even worse. The common characteristics of conversion are those on which I would like to focus in the conversion of Saul. Saul saw and heard the resurrected Christ. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There is more space devoted to convincing Ananias than there is to the conversion of Saul. What Israel failed to do, Jesus, the Messiah would do. Who is blind but my servant {Israel}, and deaf like the messenger I send? This first account occurs when the word is first spread to the Gentiles. 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. (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. 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). What happened to Straight Street since then? Not knowing what had happened, she, too, lied about the offering and was also struck dead (Acts 5:111). 00:00. The result of that reluctant leap of faith is that Sauls eyes are opened and he is baptized, becoming part of (and eventually a leader in) the very church he sought to wipe out. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6). 9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Introduction. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, here am I, Lord. 11 And the Lord said to him, Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight. 13 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Thy saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name.145 15 But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My names sake.. Were they some of those converted to Christ through his preaching? The church in Damascus has been talking about Saul and its members rightfully afraid of him he has, after all, been dragging Christians out of house after house, throwing them into prison, and desiring their deaths. to go lay hands on Saul (soon to be known as Paul) and restore his Everyone is born in sin, and every part of their being is affected by sin (intellect, emotions, and will). These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 2 What do we know about Ananias in Acts 9? 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. What is the safe score in JEE Mains 2021? WebAnd was Ana- nias still reluctant to help Saul after the Lord explained the situation to him? This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus and was helpful to the Lord. How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! This man who had formerly cringed at the preaching of the gospel148 was now proclaiming the same message. It was the most powerful piece of artillery in the Jewish camp that was suddenly turned round upon them. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 123. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, But then the preacher can continue that even though Ananias didnt know about Sauls epiphany, he did as the Lord told him anyway. (Acts 9:17) and that Saul was to "be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17). Barnabas, one of the Christians, assured them Sauls faith was genuine. Saul recognized that he was a sinner, and that his righteousness was but dung before God. If Ananias and Sapphira were born again believers and God judged them for their sin, it means that even though Jesus was judged for sin, God still judged them for their sin. And yet, even in opposing God, he furthered Gods purposes; he was instrumental in the evangelization of the Gentiles (Acts 8:1, 4; 11:19-21). 92 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 94 /H [ 1243 743 ] /L 503600 /E 43371 /N 16 /T 501642 >> endobj xref 92 42 0000000016 00000 n 0000001188 00000 n 0000001986 00000 n 0000002200 00000 n 0000002434 00000 n 0000002614 00000 n 0000002636 00000 n 0000004226 00000 n 0000004248 00000 n 0000005775 00000 n 0000005798 00000 n 0000008986 00000 n 0000009009 00000 n 0000012094 00000 n 0000012305 00000 n 0000013156 00000 n 0000014011 00000 n 0000014230 00000 n 0000014604 00000 n 0000014827 00000 n 0000023280 00000 n 0000023869 00000 n 0000024230 00000 n 0000024446 00000 n 0000024731 00000 n 0000024987 00000 n 0000025380 00000 n 0000026152 00000 n 0000026257 00000 n 0000029454 00000 n 0000029477 00000 n 0000032108 00000 n 0000032131 00000 n 0000034910 00000 n 0000034933 00000 n 0000037945 00000 n 0000040047 00000 n 0000040070 00000 n 0000043063 00000 n 0000043141 00000 n 0000001243 00000 n 0000001964 00000 n trailer << /Size 134 /Info 91 0 R /Root 93 0 R /Prev 501632 /ID[<3cb89dccfaad5f26269ffad0f6f6443b><3cb89dccfaad5f26269ffad0f6f6443b>] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 93 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 89 0 R >> endobj 132 0 obj << /S 672 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 133 0 R >> stream 134 Blaiklock comes to this conclusion concerning the time of Sauls conversion: Probably the earliest acceptable date for the conversion on the Damascus road is AD 33. 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. 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. ). A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 115. When the plot became known to Saul, he made a successful, albeit undignified, escape from the city of Damascus. 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. Perhaps so, but I am not as confident of this as I once was. 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). I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). 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. . The blinding of Bar-Jesus thus seems to be the second major turning point in the ministry of Paul. What happened to Straight Street since then? How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in When God spoke to Ananias commanding him to go to the house where Saul was staying, he was to receive him as a brother; and he was told that he was called to suffer as Gods chosen vessel to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, kings, and to his fellow-Israelites. 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. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! There is not so much as a hint that anyone prayed for Sauls salvation or took the initiative to bring it about. Now this would have been a very bitter pill to swallow for many Jewish Christians. At this point, the conversion of the hero of the Gentile mission is recounted. 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. With the conversion of Saul, persecution of the church did not stop, for now some of the Hellenistic Jews were opposing his preaching (and no doubt, the church at large as well). 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. helpful to the Lord. 2 What was the decision of Ananias and Sapphira? . What else did Jesus explain to Ananias? 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. Indeed, God would reveal His sovereignty by using Saul to further the gospel, first by his opposition (which scattered the church and spread the gospel), and then by his conversion (which resulted in his powerful proclamation of Jesus as Messiah). WebAnanias was afraid of Saul. It was only with the exit of Saul from the Holy Land, back to his native land (Tarsus), that peace once again returned. 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. The Old Testament passages which I have suggested bear to Saul (blind, light) are passages which speak of Israel in their original context. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. Saul, like Stephen, was a Hellenistic Jew. 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. We are simply told that the message itself was proclaimed powerfully and that people were amazed at the message and its miraculous impact on Sauls own conduct. A( ) Ananias is obscure. Ananias is not only surprised by his commission; he is resistant to it, at least initially. Web The children will describe Ananias as a man who helped Saul even though he was afraid. 132 The impact of Sauls conversion on his message and his ministry is testified to by A. T. Robertson: Luke evidently attached great importance to the story of Sauls conversion as the turning point not simply in the career of the man, but an epoch in the history of apostolic Christianity. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 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.

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