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

The apostles had nothing to do with Sauls conversion, and they were reluctant to believe it had happened or to welcome him into their fellowship. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lords wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. What is the safe score in JEE Mains 2021? The words, Brother Saul must not have come easily to Ananias. Why was Saul (later called Paul) going to Damascus? Later, when Paul looked back on his past devotion and deeds, all done in the name of Judaism, he came to view his apparent righteous deeds for what they really weredung: 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. This light would thus have been very bright indeed. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. It is evident in the way he was saved. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13). Charles Spurgeon once wrote: Prayer is the autograph of the Holy Spirit upon the renewed heart. God was sealing Saul to Himself. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? How much better to petition God to save those whom we are concerned about, a God who desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, Saul was the bad guy. This divine illumination is that miracle which God performs within a lost, blinded, dead soul, so as to bring about salvation: 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. Saul was not seeking God. Saul was saved in spite of himself. So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help. Think about what happened as a result of this man overcoming his fear and obeying God. Questions: Why were Ananias and Sapphira not given a second chance? I can believe the saints who gathered to pray would have prayed for the protection of the church in Damascus and for the safety of individual saints, especially the leaders and the most visible Christians. It would seem not to be there on the road to Damascus. "how many things he must suffer for WebSaul/Paul was a pretty mean guy who persecuted Christians. Ananias son of Nebedeus (or Nedebeus) was a high priest who, according to the Acts of the Apostles, presided during the trials of the apostle Paul at Jerusalem (Acts 23:2) and Caesarea (Acts 24:1). What is wrong with Ananias response to the Lord? It was time for Saul to ponder what he had seen and heard. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. A vision, in this context, was a supernatural sight from God. Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus and was These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Why were Ananias and Sapphira killed on the spot? Saul asked.I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, he replied. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Ananias is not the last believer who has seen fit to keep God up to date (The Storytellers Companion to the Bible: The Acts of the Apostles). Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. Did God Judge Ananias and Sapphira for the same sin? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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! But the gospel is good news for sinners. But there is a greater discrepancy between the accounts of Sauls conversion in Acts and that which Paul gave in Galatians 1. Then he turned to her body and said, Tabitha, rise up. She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.q You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. He realized that it was nothing which he had donenor ever would dobut only by what Jesus Christ had done that saved him. And so, Saul asked the LORD who He was. Saul was knocked to the ground and confronted with the reality that hed been working against God rather than helping God. WebSauls Baptism. We know nothing of Ananias beyond this story in the shadows. Ananias is not only surprised by his commission; he is resistant to it, at least initially. of him. This method of argument Paul continued to use with the Jews (Acts 17:3). 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. 26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. The laying on of Ananias hands was also an expression of unity, as was the later right hand of fellowship extended by some of the apostles to Saul (Galatians 2:9). Pauls opposition resulted in the scattering of the Christians from Jerusalem, thus taking the gospel to Judea, Samaria, and beyond (Acts 8:1; 11:19-21). 5 Why did Ananias and Sapphira lie to God? When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 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. In Jerusalem, as in Damascus, Saul spoke out boldly proclaiming Jesus to be the Christ, the promised Messiah. 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. (Acts 9:11)? Instead, he became the first believer to minister to Saul. Acts does not tell us that he goes on to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, found churches in urban centers across the Roman Empire, stand true to the gospel while on trial for his faith over and again, and end up under house arrest in Rome awaiting a trial before Caesar. 2. Some of the Hellenistic Jews responded to the preaching of Saul as they had to Stephens preaching; they wanted to kill him (9:29). Did he still not realize who the Lord was? Saul had been granted permission by the high priest to arrest any man or woman in Damascus who were Christians. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave 2. 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). The longer I study Sauls conversion, the more convinced I am that his conversion is typical. Saul, why do you persecute me? 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. (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. 17 And Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, 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 filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he arose and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Jesus repeated his command, explaining that Saul was his chosen instrument to deliver the gospel to the Gentiles, their kings, and the people of Israel. 138 Three times (8:3; 9:2; 22:4) this fact of persecuting women is mentioned as a special blot in Pauls cruelty (the third time by Paul himself) and one of the items in his being chief of sinners (1 Tim. But Elymas the magician (for thus his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 20and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 18Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. 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. At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. 31* The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. The second option is to invite the congregation to identify with Ananias (who shows up in verse 10). They could only kill him, and this they were determined to do (9:23). Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. 24n but their plot became known to Saul. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The conversion of Saul is important in another way. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. Yes, Lord, he answered. There is a great deal of information we are not given, and thus we cannot be dogmatic about our conclusions. We will also attempt to determine to what degree Sauls conversion was typical and to what degree it was unique. ). A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 115. To Paul, his relationship, by faith, to Jesus Christ was also the beginning of his new relationship to the body of Christ, the church: Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christs afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. Did Peter and Paul meet? To whom did the Lord communicate "in a vision"? How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". With the help of Ananias, he was transformed into a follower of Jesus and became one of the most well-known evangelists ever. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. We know from Romans 7, for example, that Paul had struggles in his spiritual walk. Michael Garicoits (1797-1863) was born into a poor, but hardworking and humble family. Saul could only be persecuting Jesus through the members of His body, the church. Let us be careful to discern what changes the gospel requires and what changes it does not. Their attempt to deceive the apostles was an attempt to deceive God putting the Spirit of the Lord to the test (v. 9) and they paid the price! This is very evident in the conversion of Saul. Saul, like Stephen, had a ministry which focused on the Hellenistic Jews. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". a. Who is blind but my servant {Israel}, and deaf like the messenger I send? The words which Ananias spoke to Saul indicate he was also to lay hands on him so that he would receive the Holy Spirit (9:17). Jesus dealt with Nicodemus (John 3) very differently from the Samaritan woman (John 4). 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 133 I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 173. Despite the threats Saul had made and his notorious track record of persecuting, arresting and even affirming the execution of Christians, Ananias, whose Nothing is more evident in the account of Sauls conversion than his radical reversal. Those who call upon your name echoes 2:21 (Joel 2:32) and recurs in 22:16 in a command to Paul himself to be baptized . What Ananias didnt know is that Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:4-11). many pulpits today promise to those who will follow Jesus? 139 A. T. Robertson writes, It is open to question if kurie should not here be translated Sir as in 16:30 and in Matt. When her lie had been exposed, she also fell down and died at Peters feet. 5He said, Who are you, sir? The reply came, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.e Israel too will look on Him whom they have pierced and mourn. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! 00:00. AT this season we are called upon to think of foreign missions. The church sent him on his way to Tarsus by way of Caesarea. WebYou know someone is coming, perhaps to arrest you for being a Christian. How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 12 It teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hopethe glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 136. Shortly afterwards, the Lord spoke to a disciple named Ananias, asking him to go to Saul, place his hands on him, and restore his sight. Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). They could hear the voice but they did not see anyone who was speaking. What happened to Straight Street since then? 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 141 Compare this voice with that in John 12:29. Not everyone can be Paul, but we all can and should be Ananias. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. He was, indeed, Stephens replacement. WebAnanias placed his hands upon Saul who received the Holy Spirit and the restoration of his sight. This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. 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. 116-117. There is not so much as a hint that anyone prayed for Sauls salvation or took the initiative to bring it about. The results of Sauls preaching were predictable, very much like the response Saul would have had (or did have) to the preaching of the gospel before his conversion. To both Ananias (Acts 9:10) and Saul (Acts 9:12). `}Hq)l2hZ0r89asO70Da`qg It's still there and you can still see the evidence of the colonnades (click Why did Ananias have to overcome his fear? They, too, were afraid of Saul and did not believe he really was a follower of Jesus Christ. Some would like the excuse to make some changes to make their life more comfortable. He also warned those who would corrupt grace, to make it a pretext for sin (cf. 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 145 We may note incidentally the two new descriptions of the Christians used here. And, who knows, God may even answer those prayers and the persons life be blessed and changed in ways we cannot even imagine.. Pauls experience was not visionary but was precipitated by the appearance of Jesus, as he insists in 1Cor 15:8. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company {photolithoprinted}, 1966), p. 91. Without Ananias prayer, Saul spends the rest of his life as a blind man wondering what his life might have been. 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. 10 i There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. He answered, Here I am, Lord. 11 The Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Ananias was that kind of a disciple. WebThere was no indication in Jesus words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit. in 1971. Were they some of those converted to Christ through his preaching? There is no story in Acts more important than Saul/Pauls call, his encounter with the risen Christ. It was an act of faith and WebTeach the children the account of Sauls conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ as found in Acts 9:120. 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). For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all (Romans 11:25-32). Am I not an apostle? Did Saul's many sufferings during his ministry for Jesus' name come as a surprise to him? 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15). How can this message of suffering for Jesus' name in Q This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. (N)Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Ananias would have lost a human beings greatest privilege, of being an agent of the Lord (like an angel of the Lord). east-west thoroughfare through Damascus built by the Greeks after the city