why was ananias afraid of helping saul

This can hardly be possible. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave and friendly. 3:7, 8; 1 Tim. ANANIAS The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was the first recorded sin in the newly organized church. Sermons about Ananias And Saul - SermonCentral.com also 2:14-17; 3:12-18; 4:1-18; 5:17-21; 6:13--7:1; Galatians 1:13-17; cf. Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. WebTeach the children the account of Sauls conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ as found in Acts 9:120. 133 I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 173. For the remainder of this essay, I will pursue the second option. Not everyone can be Paul, but we all can and should be Ananias. Sauls conversion is a watershed event, catapulting the gospel to the Gentiles and to more distant places. 32As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Like Stephen, the enemies of the gospel attempted to kill Saul when they could not silence him by means of debate. Only a radical conversion can produce this attitude in the life of a man like Saul: For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:8). 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! 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 3. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. (6) Little emphasis is placed on Sauls reception of the Holy Spirit, and nothing is said about what happened as Saul received the Spirit. It almost seems harder to convince Ananias that Saul is (or will be) a Christian than it is to convert Saul. Now that the Lord had identified Himself as Jesus, Saul recognized that he was the sinner. Were they some of those converted to Christ through his preaching? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness (John 12:46). 21:29 (30); John 5:7; 12:21; 20:15; and should be so in John 9:36. They were to be a light to the Gentiles, but they failed. The famous story of St. Pauls conversion from being an outrageous persecutor of the gospel of Christ to be an illustrious professor and preacher of it. They could hear the voice but they did not see anyone who was speaking. Saul and Ananias | A Story of Learning to See Again Yes, Lord, he answered. /w\/)sr?o|cBw3>E> The first words spoken to Saul were, Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting Me? (Acts 9:4). They too rebelled against God and forsook His word and persecuted His prophets. . They may have been attempting to compile a list of known (and even suspected) Christians, along with addresses, to facilitate Sauls task. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 19 From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. While Paul may not have brought about the execution of all those whom he arrested, including women as well as men (verse 2), verse 1 strongly suggests that this was his desire and ambition. Saul, like Israel, had been blinded as to the meaning of the law because of his rejection of Christ (cf. In this approach, preachers will offer their congregations a chance to relate to Sauls epiphany as a way of meeting Christ in the midst of our lives and being transformed by that encounter. One is the truth from God Himself, Ananias Sermon Seeds: The Way Forward - United Church of Christ What do Ananias actions, when asked in the passage to heal Saul, suggest about his feelings toward him? 9oY+ WebSaul had come to Damascus with letters from the authorities in Jerusalem to find followers of Jesus and arrest them. He spoke of salvation as the change from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-3). Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The Apostle Paul: Saul and Ananias. His Word Today The men who traveled with Saul were frightened and confused. 15:21). Finally, we shall attempt to focus on the application of this passage to our own lives. Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. It lay within the jurisdiction of the Roman province of Syria, and it formed part of the Decapolis, a league of self-governing cities. Saul recognized that he was a sinner, and that his righteousness was but dung before God. In Peters words, Ananias and Sapphira agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord(v9), which appears to be a terrible sin in the eyes of God, so terrible that it even warranted having the couple killed on the spot, without even being given the chance to confess and repent. WebAnanias went. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? How do you calculate working capital for a construction company? Or did they somewhat dread his arrival, knowing how zealous he was in his opposition to the church. In Hellenistic times it was completely replanned on the Hippodamian grid-system. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? Three times in the Book of Acts it is reported, the first time in the third person (he) by Luke (Acts 9:1-31), the second time in the first person (I) by the apostle, as he spoke to his Jewish unbelieving brethren in defense of his ministry (Acts 22:1-21), and the third time, again in the first person, as his personal testimony to King Agrippa, Festus, and Bernice (Acts 26:1-23). 29He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,* but they tried to kill him. . I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 171. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What is wrong with Ananias response to the Lord? Jesus did not address the entire group but said, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? The others knew that something unusual was going on, but they did not grasp it (Acts 22:9). There is surely a connection between Saul and persecution, and Saul and peace. The Apostle Paul: Saul and Ananias 1 What is the significance of the story of Ananias and Sapphira? So it would appear. Or could it be that these disciples of Saul were Sauls disciples before his conversion, who accompanied him as he sought to capture Christians. 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. 11The Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. Ananias and Saul: Faith over Fear - livingwithfaith.org It is hardly likely that at this stage Saul recognized Jesus as Lord, though he does so greet him in 22:10 `What shall I do, Lord? A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, pp. 5 How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? He paid for his education by working for the priests. The argument of the Book of Acts is essentially this: The expansion of the gospel through the church as it is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Saul: The Story Starts With a Disciple The Conversion of Saul All of this account describes the two complementary divine visions which Ananias and Saul received. 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. 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In order to have both, they pretended to give the full price of the sale of their property to the apostles. 8 Although I am less than the least of all Gods people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. This light was more, much more, than just a bright light. What a terrible revelation this isthat all are sinners, even the best, the most religious, the most righteous! ,%d/3o3o6jda=|4S-LJ3ajLcNfZyV;CkCl>390q {KQ0lQ)0>~cy:CJkP|4M-\v The conversion of Saul is important in another way. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5). 150 It is interesting to ponder the identity of these disciples of Saul. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15). Not knowing what had happened, she, too, lied about the offering and was also struck dead (Acts 5:111). 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. Perhaps so, but I am not as confident of this as I once was. (8) The salvation of Saul made him a vital part of Christs body, the church. Introduction: suppose you heard someone was coming to arrest you, or even worse. Ananias found Saul and said to him, Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit. As soon as Ananias spoke, Saul could see again. At first he found himself in the position of being regarded as an apostate by the Jews and suspect by the Christian community of Jerusalem. Even then he knew he wanted to live the life of a religious. Who told Saul to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street? WebYou know someone is coming, perhaps to arrest you for being a Christian. Like Stephen, Saul seemed to gravitate toward preaching to the Hellenistic Jews (9:29). * [9:36] Tabitha (Dorcas), respectively the Aramaic and Greek words for gazelle, exemplifies the right attitude toward material possessions expressed by Jesus in the Lucan Gospel (Lk 6:30; 11:41; 12:33; 18:22; 19:8). These two shocking deaths served as an example to the body of Christ that God hates hypocrisy. That is because our Lord always confronts, convicts, and converts men and women individually, in the light of their own actions and beliefs. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. It does not store any personal data. When one looks at all the references to this event, it was, in fact, a personal appearance of the risen, glorified Jesus to Saul (cf. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Sauls baptism followed, accompanied by his profession of faith, his calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands onq him to restore his sight.. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. What happened to Ananias and Sapphira as a result of lying to God? Ananias These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Hd7/`l@TM0h#`C2 +u-AsQ3j++&?Fu7_[1_?a^J> 19and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.*. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. It is the invitation for sinful Israelites to be saved, by repenting and calling on the name of the Lord for salvation: Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Barnabas stood up for Saul and explained everything to the Jerusalem Christians. Nothing is said in our text about any miracles being performed by Saul, as yet. 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). 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. He went on to write nearly half of the New Testament. Later it was the seat of administration of an Assyrian province. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. Ananias Get up and go to the street called Straight, to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move But beyond this, his conversion totally changed the remainder of his life. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 26 Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. Now they grope through the streets like men who are blind. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. It was as the Son of God that Christ was revealed to him on the Damascus road (Gal. . The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it . He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. It was just such a miracle which gave Saul his spiritual sight, as he received back his physical sight. The words and actions of Ananias are an evidence of his faith and obedience to the divine commission he was given, as outlined by Luke in the verses above. How old was Jesus when he was crucified? It was bright enough to bring about a period of blindness. He sent me so that you can 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. You also know this person is a recognized hater of your faith, and wants little if anything to do with you. Under the influence of this experience he gradually developed his understanding of justification by faith (see the letters to the Galatians and Romans) and of the identification of the Christian community with Jesus Christ (see 1Cor 12:27). Do not gloat over me, my enemy! There are two very important implications to the personal dimension of Sauls conversion. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). In the end, God Himself will provide the illumination so that the sun and the stars will not be needed for this function: The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted (Isaiah 30:26). My names sake". We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Some were amazed, taking note of the dramatic turn-about in Sauls faith and practice (9:21).

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