Acts 9:1
Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
(a) Saul; see entry for Acts 7:58.
(b) Murder. Saul was complicit in the murder of Stephen (Acts 8:1) and actively engaged in the arrest, imprisonment, and execution of Christians (see entry for Acts 8:3).
The man who hated the church became the man who wrote the chapter on love that is read at many weddings. Such is the transforming power of God’s grace.
(c) Disciples. The first Christians called themselves disciples or followers, which was a holdover from the time when people followed Jesus. However, none of the New Testament epistle writers used this word. See entry for Acts 6:1.
(d) The high priest was probably still Caiaphas. Although old Annas is identified as the high priest in Acts 4:6, Annas was a former high priest who retained his title and considerable influence within the Sanhedrin. The actual high priest at the time of Christ’s death and in the years following was Caiaphas.
Acts 9:2
and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
(a) Damascus; see next verse.
(b) Men and women. See entry for Acts 8:3.
Acts 9:3
As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
(a) Damascus, one of the oldest cities in the world and the capital of modern-day Samaria, is about 150 miles northeast of Jerusalem.
The Damascus Road conversion of Saul is one of the most dramatic scenes in the Bible, and the story is told no less than three times (Acts 9:3–6, 22:6–11, 26:13–18).
(b) Light. This light was brighter than the sun and left Saul blind. See entry for Acts 26:13.
Acts 9:4
and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
A voice. The Lord spoke to Saul in his native language, that is Hebrew (Acts 26:14).
Acts 9:10
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
(a) Disciple; see entry for Acts 6:1.
(b) Ananias was a Christian living in Damascus and one of the bravest men in the Bible. While others were running and hiding from Saul, he went and prayed for him.
(c) Vision. Visions are supernatural revelations that are so compelling they appear as real images, even though they are received in our spirits. A vision is sometimes experienced during a trance (Acts 10:10, 11:5, 22:17). People who had visions in the Bible include: Abraham (Gen. 15:1), Jacob (Gen. 46:2), Ezekiel (Eze. 1:1), Daniel (Dan. 8:1), Zacharias (Luke 1:22), Ananias (Acts 9:10), Cornelius (Acts 10:3), Peter (Acts 10:10–19, 11:5), John (Rev. 9:17), and Paul (Acts 9:12, 16:9–10, 18:9, 22:17).
Acts 9:13
But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem;
Saints. The original adjective (hagios) is often translated holy. You are holy and sanctified because Jesus makes you so (John 17:19, Heb. 10:14). One with the Lord, you are as holy as the Holy One himself (1 Cor. 6:11). “If the root is holy, so are the branches” (Rom. 11:16). You are the holy temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).
The word “saint” in popular culture is often used to describe a certain kind of person (e.g., a kind person, or a miracle-worker). But in the New Testament, the word “saint” describes a new kind of species, namely the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17, Gal. 3:28). A saint is someone who has died, been buried and raised to new life with Christ (Rom. 6:3–5, Eph. 2:5–6). A saint is no longer part of Adam’s family, but has become a member of God’s family and a co-heir with Christ (Rom. 8:17, Eph. 2:19, 3:6).
This is the first of about sixty occasions where Christians are called saints in the New Testament. Throughout scripture, Christians are consistently referred to as sanctified saints (e.g., Acts 20:32, 26:18, Rom. 1:7, 12:1, 15:25, 1 Cor. 1:2, 6:11, 16:1, 2 Cor. 1:1, Eph. 1:1, Php. 1:1, Col. 1:2, Phm. 1:5, Heb. 2:11, 10:10, 14, 13:24, Jude 1:1).
Acts 9:15
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
Kings. God told Ananias that Saul would carry his name to kings or rulers. This prophecy came true. Saul (a.k.a. Paul) preached to kings such as Herod Agrippa (Acts 25:22), Roman governors and proconsuls (Acts 13:12, 24:24), and the emperor himself (Acts 27:24).
Acts 9:21
All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”
(a) Called on his name; see entry for Acts 2:21.
(b) The chief priests; see entry for Matt. 2:4.
Acts 9:26
When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
(a) When he came to Jerusalem. The journey from Damascus to Jerusalem took about three years. After Paul left Damascus in a basket, he went south into the Roman province of Arabia Petraea before eventually returning to Damascus (Gal. 1:17). Three years later, he came to Jerusalem (Gal. 1:18). This was the first of at least five visits Paul made to Jerusalem after his conversion. On his second visit, he and Barnabas brought funds for famine relief from the church in Antioch (Acts 11:27–30). On his third visit, he attended the Jerusalem Council that was convened to settle the issue of whether believers needed to be circumcised (Acts 15:1–4). His fourth visit to Jerusalem came at the end of his third missionary trip (Acts 18:22), and his fifth visit resulted in his arrest and imprisonment (Acts 21:17ff).
(b) Disciples. The first Christians called themselves disciples or followers, which was a holdover from the time when people followed Jesus. However, none of the New Testament epistle writers used this word. See entry for Acts 6:1.
(c) Afraid of him. The disciples had good reasons to fear Saul. See entry for Acts 8:3.
(d) Not believing that he was a disciple. They thought Saul’s alleged conversion was a ruse designed to expose them.
Saul was God’s chosen instrument (see Acts 9:15), yet the apostles shut him out. They probably had a meeting to discuss the rumors coming out of Damascus. “We’ve heard he’s changed and is preaching about Jesus.” But they didn’t believe what they were hearing. “It’s a trap.” They made a judgment based on their own fear and understanding and in doing so they put themselves on the wrong side of God’s purposes. They walked by sight rather than by faith. Even mature believers can be tempted to walk after the flesh.
The man who would go on to write most of the New Testament was initially rejected as an unbeliever by the men who had been with Jesus.
Acts 9:27
But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.
(a) Barnabas. Joseph Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus (Acts 4:36), was the first Christian in Jerusalem to recognize the hand of God on Saul’s life. He became one of Saul’s closest friends and most important coworkers. Barnabas accompanied Paul on visits to Jerusalem and his first visit to Galatia (Acts 11:29–30, 13:2–4, 15:1–2).
The Bible doesn’t explain why Barnabas alone received Saul. It’s possible that Barnabas and Saul already knew each other. The former was from Cyprus (Acts 4:36) while the latter was from Tarsus across the water.
Barnabas was of the priestly Levite tribe, while Saul was a Pharisee. They were both devout Jews who had moved to Jerusalem. Perhaps they met at the temple and became friends. Then Barnabas became a Christian and the friendship was strained. But after Saul met the Lord, the friendship was restored and Barnabas introduced Saul to the apostles. This is all speculation, but what we cannot dispute is that the “son of encouragement” was quick to believe the best in Saul and we should all be glad he did.
(b) Damascus; see entry for Acts 9:3.
Acts 9:35
And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Turned to the Lord. In the new covenant, repentance is often described as a turning to God (see entry for Acts 26:20).
Acts 9:43
And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
Simon the tanner was one of nine men named Simon in the New Testament; see entry for Matt. 4:18.
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