CHAPTER 9. THE CONVERSION OF SAUL AND HIS PRELIMINARY MINISTRY. Having gone forward and seen the result of the persecution in Jerusalem in terms of the successful activities of the men who were driven out, we are now brought back to Jerusalem and made aware what a difficult time the Jerusalem churc... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.' The language is very for... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL'S EXPERIENCE ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD (9:1-19).... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as he journeyed, it came about that he drew near to Damascus, and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven, and he fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Making his journey as rapidly as possible it would only be a few days... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise, and enter into the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” ' Saul had been humbled to the ground and now he humbled himself in spirit and asked who it was who was speaking. His reference to ‘Lor... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the sound (voice), but beholding no man.' The men who travelled with him apparently heard ‘of the sound' (the same word means sound or voice) but did not understand what it was saying (compare for a similar situation John 12:28). And they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing; and they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.' Then when Saul picked himself up and opened his eyes he realised that he was blind. And the result was that he had to be led into Damascus by the hand. He was... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink.' The condition of blindness lasted ‘three days'. In accordance with usual custom this could mean anything from one and a half days upwards (‘three days' often signifying part of a day, a day, and part of a day). During that time h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias”. And he said, “Behold, I am here, Lord.” Meanwhile a believer in Damascus who was named Ananias, had a vision in which a voice spoke to him by name, to which he replied that he was there an... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he is praying. And he has seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.” He is tol... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” ' We learn here that Ananias was not one of the fugitives from Jerusalem but was presumably a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel, for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake.” ' The Lord patiently makes it clear that He is aware of all the circumstances,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Ananias departed, and entered into the house, and laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me, even Jesus, who appeared to you in the way which you came, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ' Ananias immediately accepts correction and res... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight, and he arose and was baptised, and he took food and was strengthened. And he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus.' Immediately he had spoken these words Saul's eye were opened and his sight... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And at once in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.' Saul immediately went to the synagogues one by one and proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God. The plural for synagogues suggests that minimally this took a period of weeks. He began a carefully planned tour of the synagogue... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL'S MINISTRY IN DAMASCUS (9:20-25). With his usual enthusiasm Saul could not wait to get to grips with those who had once been his supporters, and it was not long before he was in the synagogues proclaiming the Good News which had so profoundly affected him. Thus began a ministry in the synagogue... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And all who heard him were amazed, and said, “Is not this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name, and who had come here for this purpose, that he might bring them bound before the chief priests?” ' His appearance in this mode astonished all who saw him. They could not beli... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.' Meanwhile the more he preached, and the more he studied, the more he increased in effectiveness, and the more he was able to confound the Jews in Damascus by proving that Jesus... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates also day and night in order that they might kill him, but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.' On... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL'S MINISTRY IN JERUSALEM (9:26-30). ‘And when he was come to Jerusalem, he sought to join himself to the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.' But when he arrived in Jerusalem he discovered that it was not going to be that easy. Everyone knew his pa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.' Then Barnabas, who all knew as a godly disciple, who had sold his field in order to sup... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he was with them going in and going out at Jerusalem.' So he walked in full fellowship with the church in Jerusalem, and went about with many of its members, being one with them in all that they did for the short while that he was there.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Grecian Jews, but they were seeking to kill him.' And with the boldness imparted by the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31) he went out and proclaimed the Good News in the name of the Lord. Furthermore he did not forget the past a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.' Once the members of the Jerusalem church recognised what was happening they immediately took him to Caesarea where he would be relatively safe. They were not to be caught unprepared again and they did n... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So the church throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified, and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied.' The return of Saul to Tarsus forms a conclusion to this part of the narrative which now ends with a summary of the adva... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ACTIVITY OF PETER RESULTS IN GENTILES BEING WELCOMED AND WELCOMING THE LORD, BUT THE REJECTION OF THE MESSIAH IS CONFIRMED BY JERUSALEM WHO COMMENCE A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION OF HIS CHIEF REPRESENTATIVES (9:32-12:24). The first part of this section is all positive as God's work moves forwards wi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it came about that, as Peter went throughout all parts, he came down also to the saints who dwelt at Lydda.' ‘As Peter went through all.' This is a continuation phrase linking with the previous verse, stressing his oversight of ‘the church -- throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria'. Eve... [ Continue Reading ]
PETER HEALS A PARALYSED MAN AND MINISTERS IN LYDDA (9:32-35). In Acts 2-3 the coming of the life of God and of the Risen Jesus to His people is followed by the ministry to ‘the lame'. Here that sequence is reversed. First a paralysed man is healed, which will be followed by a raising from the dead,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had kept his bed eight years, for he was paralysed.' The mention of a specific miracle in the light of the ‘many signs and wonders' performed must always be seen as having a specific purpose. So the point here is that, as at the beginning (Acts 3:... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Messiah heals you, arise and spread your mattress.” And immediately he arose.' Peter approaches the paralysed man, and calling him by name, calls on him to arise. The healing is carried out in the name of Jesus the Messiah (compare Acts 3:6), and Aeneas immedi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And all that dwelt at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.' And the result was that the people of Lydda and in the plain of Sharon round about responded almost as one, and turned to the Lord as they saw the paralysed man walking among them. They had been spiritually paralysed... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, (which by interpretation is called Dorcas). This woman was full of good works and works of charity which she performed.' In Joppa (modern Jaffa) there was a godly woman named Tabitha, a Christian woman whose life was the product of her faith... [ Continue Reading ]
PETER RAISES THE DEAD AND MINISTERS IN JOPPA (9:36-43). But the new ministry offered not only healing but life. In the bringing of the Good News the life of God has been made available for the people of God (Acts 2:1), and here this is now depicted in the raising of the dead. The Spirit of life was... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it came about in those days, that she fell sick, and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber.' But Tabitha fell sick, and died. They did all they could for her. They washed her, and laid her in the upper room, in the guest chamber. We note here that although ‘sign... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, begging him, “Do not delay from coming to us.” So when the followers of Christ in Joppa learned that Peter was at Lydda, they sent two men to him urgently pleading with him to come to them at Joppa. They... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Peter arose and went with them. And when he had come, they brought him into the upper chamber. And all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.' At their plea Peter went with them. And when he came to Tabitha's house and en... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.' Reminiscent of Jesus dealings with Jairus' daughter Peter put everyone from the room. As far as we know he had never tried to... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he gave her his hand, and raised her up, and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.' Then Peter gave her his hand, and raised her from her lying in wait, and calling in the people of God, and especially the widows, he presented her alive. Once more the Christians are called ‘sa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.' This mighty work could hardly fail in its effect, and it became known throughout Joppa, resulting in the fact that many believed. The Giver of life was at work and was now offering life to all. But mightier still was what w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it came about that he abode many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.' The account is introduced by this indication of the whereabouts of Peter. It is significant in itself. No tanner would be allowed to ply his trade within the walls of Jerusalem or within 50 cubits of them. And that applied... [ Continue Reading ]
PETER AND CORNELIUS (9:43-10:48). It is difficult for us to appreciate the huge step that is now about to be described. To us it may all seem like a great fuss about nothing. But it was bringing about a total change in the way that Christian Jews would see Gentiles. It was doing nothing less than o... [ Continue Reading ]