Saul & the Persecution of the Church
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 53:51
0 ratings
· 386 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
The Conversion of Saul – Acts 9:1-19
Luke now shifts the focus of his narrative from the work of Peter and the early church to the conversion of its chief antagonist leading the persecution against them, Saul of Tarsus.
1 But 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 belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Saul was not merely an opponent of the religion and had theoretical objections to Christianity, he was out to destroy it as a religion and kill or imprison those who practiced it.
He had been confining his attacks in and around Jerusalem, but was now expanding his attacks outside of the city and nation.
That he sought authorization from the Jewish leaders to arrest and imprison
Jewish converts in another city confirms two things:
The Jewish leadership was complicit in the persecution of Christians.
Saul was their official leader in charge of this effort.
3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
God chose the gospel's chief enemy to bring the gospel to the Gentiles.
Paul's encounter with Christ stops his persecution and renders him helpless.
He spends several days fasting and praying, as a devout Jew would do in these circumstances.
God gives him three days to ponder Jesus' question, "Why are you persecuting Me?"
Saul was so sure of his mission (destroy Christianity because it is false and a threat to Judaism) that he was willing to kill and imprison both men and women, all in good conscience. Saul must have also wondered what God would have him do.
Luke now introduces another character and the task he is given to perform.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of 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 evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. 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. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
In this section Luke gives some background information on Ananias, and his struggle to believe God concerning Saul and what He wanted Ananias to do.
In chapter 22 we find out that Ananias preached the gospel to Paul and baptized him.
Yet another biblical example of a person immediately responding to the gospel with baptism as the initial expression of their faith in Jesus.
If you put this account together with the one in chapter 22, there is an order in Saul's conversion that emerges:
He is called
He is taught
He is baptized
He begins to minister
By removing Saul as an aggressor, the church once again enjoys a period of peace and growth.
Saul Begins His Ministry
20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
Saul, because of his notoriety and grasp of the Scriptures, immediately becomes a defender of the faith and is successful as a preacher.
Just as Jesus and Peter did (not Philip because he preached in areas where the Jewish leaders had no authority: Samaria and Damascus),
Saul runs into opposition from the leading Jews who are plotting to kill him for preaching Christ.
They resort to this because they are unwilling and unable to debate, humiliate or distract him.
Luke describes how Saul became stronger as their attacks grew more vicious.
Eventually it becomes necessary for him to escape and his friends lower him over the city wall in a basket so he can leave Damascus and safely make his way to Jerusalem.
Saul Joins the Disciples in Jerusalem
26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Some scholars believe that Saul returned to Jerusalem after a one to three year period.
Communication being what it was in those days, the news of him and his conversion may have been carried back in bits and pieces.
Suddenly, however, he reappears and immediately wants to worship and associate with the saints but they were afraid, not believing that he was converted.
They may have thought that this was a trick to spy on them and continue the persecution.
Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37), who has access to the Apostles, brings him before them to substantiate his story.
Once they give him their blessing, Paul is accepted and continues his teaching ministry among the Jews as he had done in Damascus.
Of course the same thing that had happened there, a plot to kill him, takes place in Jerusalem this time organized by the Hellenistic Jews (same group that attacked Stephen).
Luke writes that the brethren brought him out of the city and sent him back to the friendlier confines of Tarsus, his home town.
Luke finishes this section by describing the peace and growth the church experienced now that their chief opponent, Saul, had been converted and was ministering far away in the north.
Saul had stopped persecuting the church and by his absence was no longer a lightning rod for his previous masters among the Jewish leadership in attacking the believers in Jerusalem.
Without Saul to create friction the church could grow in peace.
Peter's Ministry Continues – Acts 9:31-43
Luke now switches back to focus on Peter and his ministry.
He will take up Saul's progress again in the future but there are still important events in Peter's ministry he wishes to record.
The first of these is the healing of a paralyzed man who is made well as Peter invokes the name of Jesus.
This occurred in the town of Lydda and the people there believed in Jesus at the preaching and healing ministry of Peter.
He was then called to Joppa, a town nearby where a disciple named Tabitha (Greek - Dorcas) had died.
The brethren appealed to Peter to come despite the fact that she was already dead.
Peter arrives and immediately, to the joy of the disciples, raises her from the dead.
This news causes many in that town to believe in Jesus as well.
These two scenes give us insight into the apostolic ministry carried out by Peter:
He travelled throughout Judea preaching and performing miracles.
His miraculous powers were of a Full Measure.
He healed an unbeliever with a word.
He brought a believer back from the dead with only a word.
He was not an administrator/CEO type of leader, he was a shepherd and proclaimer type of leader.
In the next session Luke will describe one of the most significant events in Peter's ministry as an Apostle.
Lessons
All Roads Lead to Jesus
In teaching the eunuch, Philip began in the book of Isaiah and showed how his prophecies pointed to Jesus.
Everything in the Bible is about, supports, leads to and explains the person and ministry of Christ.
If, after reading the Bible, you arrive at the conclusion that Jesus is not the divine Savior, you have read the Bible incorrectly.
We All Become Christians in the Same Way
You will note that all the way through the book of Acts people became Christians by faith in Christ expressed in repentance and baptism
3000 at Pentecost were baptized - Acts 2:41
Samaritans were baptized - Acts 8:16
Ethiopian eunuch was baptized - Acts 8:26-40
Saul the Jewish Pharisee was baptized - Acts 9:18
The argument over the necessity of baptism is not one that the early church had.
The New Testament is very clear on this topic and provides at least ten examples in the book of Acts alone that show people who are converting to Christianity being baptized.