why was ananias afraid of helping saul

Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Sauls conversion was also his call to ministry, and this conversion experience is strikingly similar to that of one of his predecessors, Ezekiel: 1:4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the northan immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. Here Saul took the various items in the life of Jesus of Nazareth and found in them the proof that he was in reality the Messiah (ho Christos). What do Ananias actions, when asked in the passage to heal Saul, suggest about his feelings toward him? ANANIAS 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christtheir Lord and ours 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 9). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [ a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the Lord? (Isaiah 42:18-19). 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isaiah 59:15b60:13). Saul got help, though, from a man named Barnabas. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness (John 12:46). He should not become uncircumcised. 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). 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The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave and friendly. Damascus was an important town, about 150 miles (242 km) from Jerusalem, with a considerable Jewish population. Who was Ananias that help Saul in the Bible to regain his sight? 15But the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,m Salvation is the miracle whereby God removes the blindness of sin and of Satan, whereby God replaces death with life. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. We know that the salvation of men rests ultimately with God and not with usand not even with the one whom we wish to see saved. Hb```f``:Ab,=`.9Z3{x5v\);]c#qea #'&D|z:wyKN,0(t\tbRFhT2thS2(9.`mNbq)-pk^;>:+pq2Ck AUbK=N\2M/`KqGLZS1 $[S|Rd\.9i'9T\.EXdxlYcqb No, I worked harder than all of themyet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of Gods grace given me through the working of his power. `}Hq)l2hZ0r89asO70Da`qg For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all (Romans 11:25-32). How does Ananias ability to rise above his own feelings of hatred toward Saul encourage Saul to move >zZ0y^C{tg The conclusion of many of the commentators is that Sauls conversion was a much longer process than I see reflected in this account, or in any other. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. He sent me so that you can (Acts 9:11)? He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, Third, these discrepancies may well have been evident to the writers, who did not see fit to remove or explain every problem. Is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 harsh? Then he turned to her body and said, Tabitha, rise up. She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.q Web17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me 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! The words of Jesus, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? related by Luke with no variation in all three accounts, exerted a profound and lasting influence on the thought of Paul. what occupation he was (possibly a businessman). He goes for broke. Nothing is said in our text about any miracles being performed by Saul, as yet. Thus, it is grace which sustains the saint, in addition to saving him: Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited (Hebrews 13:9). ), Acts 7:59; 9:2, 21; 1 Cor. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious (Ezekiel 1:4, 26-28; 2:1-7).143. . here - view only). WebAnanias was afraid of Saul. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. But the gospel is good news for sinners. God then used this man to further His purposes in launching the career of the most influential of the apostles. 1:15; Eph. There is clearly no attempt to establish some kind of pattern or formula for evangelism here, at least as far as methodology is concerned. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Start FREE. Linking is encouraged, but content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed including, but not limited to such means as framing or other digital copying and/or distribution method, in whole or in part without the publisher's written consent. All Ananias did was to obey Christs command to go pray with Saul so that Saul could do all those things. 19and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.*. Web3. No, God showed him "how many things he must suffer for (Philippians 1:4-9). The first is to ask the congregation to identify with Saul himself. required neighboring states to grant it the privileges of a sovereign state, including the right of extradition. . When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. . 18Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Gods promises and purposes would not be stopped by this madman, Saul. 11 The Lord told him, Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsusp named Saul, for he is praying. They wanted to keep Gods blessings to themselves. 24n but their plot became known to Saul. Or did they somewhat dread his arrival, knowing how zealous he was in his opposition to the church. 26:63; Luke 22:67, 70). Present active participle of sunbubazo, old verb to make go together, to coalesce, to knit together. Ananias baptised Saul in the name of Jesus - the one who had sent him to the vanquished enemy of the church. Pauls method was consistent with his message. They could hear the voice but they did not see anyone who was speaking. Saul seems to have been the instigator of the persecution of the church, which began at the death of Stephen in Jerusalem and worked outward from there. Ananias (/nnas/ AN--NY-s; Ancient Greek: from Hebrew , Hananiah, favoured of the LORD) was a disciple of Jesus at Damascus mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, which describes how he was sent by Jesus to restore the sight of Saul of Tarsus (who later was called Paul the Apostle) and . The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Matthew 4:16). You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness (Micah 7:8-9). It is impossible to overestimate the worth to the student of Christianity of this event from every angle because we have in Pauls Epistles his own emphasis on the actual appearance of Jesus to him as the fact that changed his whole life (1 Cor. (Acts 9:11)? . Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. Acts 9:17 - Ananias Baptizes Saul - Bible Hub If this passage is profoundly important, it also poses its problems. 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). What Paul learned about himself, personally, on the road to Damascus he came to understand and to preach concerning all men. Saul 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 18 According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. 39So Peter got up and went with them. What is the significance of the story of Ananias and Sapphira? His parents allowed visiting priests to minister secretly in their home during the dangers of the French Revolution. Before he reached Damascus a light flashed in front of Saul that was so bright he fell down on the ground. How many times should a shock absorber bounce? In the process, Saul was to greatly extend the outreach of the gospel to the Gentiles. 34Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. 10Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus (A)named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias., 11So the Lord said to him, Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul (B)of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. Perhaps Ananias called a meeting of the church to discuss how they would deal with Sauls arrival. This expression, calling on the name of the Lord seems to be one used consistently in the Old Testament. Just as Saul seemingly had hatred toward Christ-followers, how do you think a Christ-follower like Ananias felt toward Saul? and the other is a deceptive, self-serving half-truth from people interested Sauls world of self-trust was now at an end and prayer was helping him see that. . 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. Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for, And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting, he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before, I will show him how many things he must suffer for My. He got up and was baptized, One cannot help but wonder if it did not send chills up and down Pauls spine when he cast the spell of blindness on the Jewish false prophet, Bar-Jesus: And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. Hypocrisy is the most dangerous spiritual virus to infect the church. WebAs Donald Davis notes, In case God has overlooked Sauls atrocities, [Ananias] takes occasion to issue a brief reminder. WebThere was no indication in Jesus words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit. And what a comfort to know that God always finishes what He starts: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). Despite the threats Saul had made and his notorious track record of persecuting, arresting and even affirming the execution of Christians, Ananias, whose Not knowing what had happened, she, too, lied about the offering and was also struck dead (Acts 5:111). 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. Though I have fallen, I will rise. The good news of the gospel is that Christ Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see Teaching from the Scriptures, p. It may well be a call to live transformed lives in the same circumstances in which we were found. One is the truth from God Himself, 149 It is more significant than might be supposed at first glance that the only occurrence of the title `Son of God in Acts should be in this report of Sauls early preaching. 131 . NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NKJV, Chronological Study Bible: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. This old city is the most enduring in the history of the world (Knowling). By your magic spell all the nations were led astray (Revelation 18:23). God changed him from being a man who did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and a persecutor of the Christians into a bold missionary who preached the Gospel wherever he went. WebThe Conversion of Saul. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1). Instead, he became the first believer to minister to Saul. WebThats when Ananias heard a word from the Lord. Then Jesus told them, You are going to have the light just a little while longer. But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze upon him, and said, You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? Amen (1 Timothy 6:16). The only question is who is the LORD? The first words spoken to Saul were, Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting Me? (Acts 9:4). 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. (8) Saul was saved independently of the apostles. gJi\!2LITShA%)&bqd=/)@Eg*tttpt @V6wCAp{GyAGG9h d=u3zDca{y:&0}=!P`XX z;g3 {~paveta +w In Sauls account of his conversion to His Jewish brethren, he added that when Ananias arrived, he instructed him to Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name (Acts 22:16). It is difficult to estimate the amount of resistance Ananias would have had to this divine instruction to receive Saul as a brother in the Lord. Saul, like Stephen, spoke with such power and authority that his opponents could not refute him. How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! When her lie had been exposed, she also fell down and died at Peters feet.