134 Blaiklock comes to this conclusion concerning the time of Saul’s conversion: “Probably the earliest acceptable date for the conversion on the Damascus road is AD 33. . Proving (sunbibazon). Bible Story, It is clear from the account in Acts 22 that Paul responded in obedience to Jesus’ words. 135 There are those who describe Saul as a “tormented man” after the stoning of Stephen. We know that Paul’s sister’s son was in Jerusalem after Paul’s conversion (Acts 23:16), which lends weight to the idea that Paul’s entire family had moved to Jerusalem when he was young. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 1:11--2:10; Ephesians 3:1-13; cf. God’s promises and purposes would not be stopped by this madman, Saul. Let us avoid “cookie cutter conversions.”. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. 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. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). 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). The apostle Paul wrote a large percentage of the New Testament. Luke 3:22), it expressed his unique relationship and fellowship with the Father.” Ibid. Thus, he did not use the method of many others, which was man-centered, not Christ-centered: For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness (Micah 7:8-9). And when this time comes, God will use their obedience to serve Him: “For if their rejection be the salvation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15). Paul considered Christianity to be a false religion; a religion that was in direct conflict with the Jewish tradition he so devoutly followed. Paul continues in the passage, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12 ESV). For you are our glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. And look, you blind, that you may see. The best evidence is Paul just fell to the ground. How humorous it seems to hear Ananias informing the Lord that Saul was an enemy, one who had caused many Christians great suffering and adversity, as though He was unaware of this! On various occasions in his epistles, Paul made either direct or indirect references to his former life of opposition and his radical conversion.132 Paul’s theology, his lifestyle, his ministry, and his methodology, all are rooted in his conversion. The Conversion of Saul - Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 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. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him” (Acts 22:19-20 ESV). I do not question that he did receive the Spirit, but merely observe that this receiving of the Spirit (accompanied by the laying on of hands) was not something Luke wanted to emphasize. Recognizing God’s Providence: Fellowship Restored (Gen. 45:1-28). “A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:32). Paul responded by asking Jesus who He was. Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). What is the brightest thing you can think of? This can hardly be possible. Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. Too many professing Christians think that once they have said a ‘sinner’s prayer’ or signed a ‘commitment care’ their place in Glory is set and they can go on with their life as before. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. I can believe someone might have prayed that Saul be waylaid, or “terminated,” in some divine act or providential accident (“act of God”). Furthermore, in Acts 26:10 Paul testifies that he received letters from the chief priests, not just the chief priest alone. In peace, as in persecution, the church was comforted and continued to increase. Paul had been a man totally committed to wiping Christianity off the face of the earth. The light was the “light of His glory.” Saul, as it were, “saw the light,” but in addition, he was to become a light, a light to the Gentiles, as well as to his own people. Nevertheless, conversion has certain elements which are vital and which are to be present in any salvation experience. Theologically, we know this as the doctrine of man’s total depravity.151 Paul surely believed that it was essential for men to begin with the understanding of their own sin, for in his Epistle to the Romans, he took the first two and one-half chapters to prove that “… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “That our Lord’s contemporaries believed the Messiah to be in some special sense the son of God is rendered probable by the wording of the high priest’s question to him at his trial: `Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ (Mark 14:61 par. Let us suppose further that the church had gathered on this particular evening for a time of prayer, prompted by the news that Saul was soon to arrive, with all the necessary legal machinery (that is, the authorization of the chief priests and the Sanhedrin130) to arrest and extradite131 the saints who were in the city. Salvation may occur in a large group, such as those saved at the preaching of Peter at Pentecost, but each individual was saved because of a personal encounter with Christ. Who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. in 1971. 152 I do not mean to criticize the four laws of Campus Crusade, which have been used of God to bring many to faith in Christ. Only when one views life through the lens of the Bible can one arrive at a worldview based on truth. It is not clear whether this official was a representative of the king resident in Damascus to look after the interests of the Arabs there, or whether Damascus at this time was under the control of Nabataea.” I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprint, 1987), p. 168. Saul’s baptism followed, accompanied by his profession of faith, his “calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). All of this account describes the two complementary divine visions which Ananias and Saul received. It is also bad news for the self-righteous. “Hear, you deaf! The first question which must be asked with regard to the interpretation of this text is this: “What is the meaning of this text in the context of the whole book?” Luke has included this account of Saul’s conversion in order to contribute to the argument which he is seeking to develop. Saul, like Stephen, had a ministry which focused on the Hellenistic Jews. But as I see the “call of God” referred to in the New Testament, it seems that the “call of salvation” assumes other “callings,” to which Paul and other New Testament writers made frequent reference: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1). . It was only with the exit of Saul from the Holy Land, back to his native land (Tarsus), that peace once again returned. The second evidence of Saul’s conversion was in his bold proclamation of his newly found faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Saul, the typical (albeit more zealous) Jew, opposed God in the person of Christ and His body, the church, even while he thought he was serving Him. It almost seems harder to convince Ananias that Saul is (or will be) a Christian than it is to convert Saul. Speakers: Dr. … They wanted to keep God’s blessings to themselves. Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Advertise, Paul was highly educated in, and dedicated to, the Jewish religion, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own”. It was bright enough to bring about a period of blindness. The conversion of Saul is important in another way. Note Paul’s summary of the gospel at the end of Galatians 2: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20). Here are some more Bible story articles for you: What Do Christians Believe About Dinosaurs? 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. Perhaps nowhere else is the radical change (of conversion) in Paul’s life153 more readily evident than in his attitude toward the saints. The good news of the gospel is that Christ Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). 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