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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday July 10, 2016
SAUL’S CONVERSION
Acts 9:1-18
Before we can help a person to change, we must
first show that person our love for them just as they are. In Acts chapter 9,
verses 1-18, Luke gives us a vivid description, of the most famous, and
perhaps, the most sweeping transformation of any human being in the annals of
biblical literature. Here we see chronicled, the story of how Saul (the Apostle
Paul) was converted by JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF, one day on the road to Damascus,
the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, and the capital of Syria.
Scripture
tells us that Saul, who was apparently an important figure to the Libertines (a
group of freed slaves who had converted to Judaism), was an arch-enemy of the
Christians, who referred to themselves at that time as “Adherents of the way”.
Remember the Libertines were the group that stoned Stephen to death back in Acts
chapter 7, setting off a round of major persecutions against the followers of
CHRIST in Jerusalem.
Saul
embodied a deep hatred for this so-called sect of the Nazarenes that followed
and promoted the ideology of JESUS, and, who were gaining much in popularity
following HIS death at Golgotha. Little did Saul know at the time, that Stephen’s
death at Jerusalem would be used by GOD to birth, and force the spread of
Christianity throughout the world, and, that he, would become the face of that radical
movement.
The
strong preaching and teaching of the original Apostles of CHRIST, and other
early Church leaders such as Barnabas, Philip, and the like, had catapulted the
Christian doctrine of “Good News” into a legitimate threat against the powerful
Church of Judaism at Jerusalem. The Gospel of CHRIST was swiftly becoming
accepted by vastly increasing numbers of Jewish converts, who were formally
associated with Judaism.
Here
in Acts chapter 9, we find Saul, on a rampage, eager to destroy any of the
followers of CHRIST who crossed his path. He goes to the High Priest and
requests letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus asking their
cooperation in the arrest of anyone proclaiming to be a follower of CHRIST that
he found there. He wanted to bring them back to Jerusalem in chains to either,
jail, beat, or stone them to death.
However,
as Saul was nearing Damascus on this mission of hate, he is overcome by a
brilliant light from Heaven, beaming down to the earth and causing him to fall
to his knees in helpless wonderment. Suddenly the voice of JESUS rang out
saying, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? When Saul asks, “who are you?”
The voice replies, “I am JESUS, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go
into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
The men with Saul also heard this voice, but
they saw no one, and they all stood speechless in utter amazement. Saul, now
blind, rises to his feet, and is led by his companions, into Damascus. He
abided there for three days, fasting, going totally without food or water.
There was a believer in Damascus, by the
name of Ananias, whom the LORD spoke to, in a vision. HE instructed Ananias to
go over to “Straight Street”, the main thoroughfare in Damascus in those days,
to the house of Judas, where Saul was residing. A protesting Ananias, who
already knew of Saul’s exploits against the followers of CHRIST, is further
instructed by JESUS to pray and lay hands on Saul, so that he would be healed
of his blindness.
Ananias
reluctantly goes and finds Saul and lays hands on him, as CHRIST had instructed
him to do, and the scales fell from Saul’s eyes. Saul is then baptized, and
remains in Damascus with the believers for a few days. After being baptized and
filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, Saul immediately begins to preach about JESUS in
the Synagogues saying, “JESUS truly is the SON of the LIVING GOD!”.
It
is a life-changing thing, getting to know, and then, becoming accustomed to
practicing the word of GOD. Getting to know CHRIST transforms our lives into
something wonderful and new, and then, our commitment to that change, catapults
us into everlasting freedom from Fear, Self, Other People, and finally, Sin.
GOD is not willing that any should perish, and so HE, in HIS wonderful grace,
offers this opportunity of change, to all mankind so that HIS grace and mercy
towards us will win out over HIS judgment for us (katachauchatai).
SAUL
EARNS CREDIBILITY WITH THE HELP OF BARNABAS
Acts
9:19-31
After Saul’s
conversion, he abided in Damascus preaching about CHRIST for a few more days,
and all who heard him were amazed at his transformation of doctrine, and, his
behavior (his sudden surrender to CHRIST). They could hardly believe that this
was the same man who had once terrorized the “Adherents of the Way” (followers
of CHRIST) every chance he got. As Saul’s preaching became more and more
powerful, the Jews in Damascus were no longer able to refute his proofs that
JESUS truly was, and indeed is, the MESSIAH.
In
the meantime, Saul’s old Jewish comrades, the Pharisees, began plotting to kill
him for what they viewed as his betrayal to them. They were to lie in wait for
him at the gates of the city, but Saul was alerted of their plot by a group of
believers who sneaked him out of the city by lowering him down the wall one
night in a large basket, and he was able to flee, making the 140-mile trip back
to Jerusalem with no trouble (Vs.23-25).
Upon
Saul’s arrival in Jerusalem a week later, he tried to meet with the believers
there but they were afraid of him because of his history of persecuting those
who followed CHRIST’ doctrine. They thought that maybe he was only pretending
to be a believer so that he might draw them out to be jailed or even killed.
However, Barnabas, a trusted ally in the new Church brought Saul to the apostles
and vouched for him, telling of the good work that Saul had done in Damascus
over a three-year period (Galatians 1:18), and how he had been truly converted
by CHRIST JESUS on the Damascus Road.
The
apostles accepted Saul among them on Barnabas’ word, and were willing to give
him a chance to prove to them, his new-found loyalty to the Christian cause. In
time, they all came to trust in him completely, and while in Jerusalem, Saul
preached boldly in the name of JESUS. He even debated a group of Greek-speaking
Jews, who, as a result of Saul’s powerful defense of the Gospel, were left
helpless and speechless, and in their anger, they plotted to murder him
(Vs.23-29).
When
the believers heard about this plot they took Saul to Caesarea, and from there,
sent him back to his hometown of Tarsus where he remained for about nine years
teaching and preaching the Gospel. At that time the Church was at peace
throughout, and it grew by leaps and bounds in both strength (quality), and, in
numbers. They walked both, in the fear of the LORD, and, in the comfort of the
HOLY SPIRIT (Vs.30-31).
Thanks
to Barnabas, a man of GOD who insisted on believing that there is some degree
of good in every man (GOD’s nature), Saul was accepted into a leadership role
at the Church in Jerusalem. Barnabas understood that only GOD can change a
person for the better, wealth can’t do it, man can’t do it, the greatest
secular education in the world can’t do it, only GOD can save us from
destruction.
When
Barnabas first heard that JESUS had caused this change in Saul, it was all that
he needed to know. We can absolutely trust the change that GOD can make in a
person through JESUS CHRIST, and, with the help of the HOLY SPIRIT. It is a
GOD-like trait to be courageous enough to give a man a second chance at
redemption. Through JESUS CHRIST, GOD is saying that HE will never allow our
past to permanently separate us from HIMSELF.
Saul
learned very early in his Christian walk that he would have to suffer many
persecutions along the way, for he himself had at one time been a source of
such persecutions. And he must have always wondered to himself why a person
would gladly endure the kinds of treatment that he himself used to exact upon
the believers of CHRIST. But in time he came to understand that, suffering
persecution for CHRIST’ sake, should be considered the greatest compliment to a
believer, because it lends a certain proof that the evil forces of satan knows
that what we’re doing really matters in GOD’s plan for the world HE created.
PETER
HEALS AENEAS AND RAISES DORCAS
Acts
9:32-42
Acts chapter 9 closes with Luke’s
account of when the Apostle Peter traveled to the town of Lydda, one of his many stops along his
itinerant missions around Judea. Today this city is called Lod, and it is
located just south of Israel’s international airport. Here Peter encounters a
man named Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.
Peter’s miraculous healing of this man, in the name of CHRIST JESUS, caused
many Jews in Lydda, and, in the nearby plains of Sharon, to convert to the
Christian faith and accept CHRIST as their LORD and SAVIOR.
While Peter was in
Lydda, an endeared Christian woman by the name of Tabitha (“Dorcas” in the
Greek ), who lived in the nearby city of Joppa, became ill and died. Dorcas was
widely known for her ministry in working with the poor. After hearing of
Peter’s miraculous healing of Aeneas in Lydda, two men were sent there to try
and persuade Peter to take the eleven-mile trip to Joppa and, perhaps, perform
another miracle by restoring the beloved Dorcas to life. They had faith that,
through Peter, GOD, could and would, raise this beloved woman from the dead,
just as CHRIST had done a few years earlier with HIS resurrection of Lazarus.
Upon his arrival in
Joppa, Peter was taken to an upper room where Dorcas’ body laid in state
awaiting burial. The room was filled with weeping widows whose lives had been
touched by Dorcas’ charity, caring, and compassion over the years. After
entering the room, in the tradition of Elisa the prophet (2 Kings 4:33), and
our LORD JESUS CHRIST (Luke 8:51), Peter sent everyone out.
He then knelt down
and began to pray before turning to the deceased and commanding her to get up.
Dorcas opened her eyes and Peter took her by the hand, helped her up, and then
called the others back into the room to see that she was indeed alive.
Because of these
miraculous events, news spread throughout the land of the goodness of GOD, and
how HE can work in the lives of those who believe on CHRIST JESUS. It was
events like these that, Luke tells us, catapulted Christianity from being a
tiny little-known Jewish sect, in those days, into a major religious movement
by the end of the first century. And it all began with the real-life examples
of charitable, caring people like Peter, Dorcas, and originally, CHRIST JESUS,
HIMSELF.
When we show others
that we care for them, we are exercising the same form of evangelism that was
used to springboard and spur the growth of the Christian Church into the
formidable mechanism that it is today. Miracles have never been solely for
those believers who benefited from them personally, but rather, they are most
often used by GOD to help non-believers make the decision to come to CHRIST.
By showing others
that we care for them, we are really showing our love for JESUS. In fact, we
don’t really love JESUS unless we are willing to take on HIS task and to take
up our own cross. And the biggest part of performing that task lies in us
learning to love and care for one another in the traditions and examples of
CHRIST, and the CHRIST-like people of scripture who preceded us.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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