The Damascus Road

(The Acts of the Apostles---Part 8)

The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice

July 31, 2005

Acts 9:1-22

SAUL OF TARSUS

GOD’S PLAN IS AGAIN SHOWN TO BE PERFECT, AND NOT WITHOUT A LITTLE SENSE OF HUMOR. FOLLOWING THE PERSECUTION OF THE BELIEVERS IN JERUSALEM, AND THEIR DISBURSEMENT, GOD CHOOSES THE PERFECT MAN TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES: THE MAN WHO WAS LEADING THE PERSECUTORS THEMSELVES: SAUL.

SAUL, NAMED AFTER KING SAUL; (HEBREW: “ASKED FOR”); OF JEWISH BIRTH, BUT BORN IN TARSUS, ASIA MINOR, BORDER STATE OF ROME. BORN IN A ROMAN STATE, AUTOMATICALLY GAVE SAUL ROMAN CITIZENSHIP. PARENTS WERE JEWISH, WHO HAD FLED PERSECUTION IN ISRAEL TO TARSUS.

THE ROMAN VERSION OF HIS NAME IS “PAULUS,” WHICH MEANS “LITTLE”.

SO JUST WHAT MADE PAUL OF TARSUS THE PERFECT MAN FOR THE WORK GOD WANTED DONE AT THIS POINT IN HISTORY?

*STUDENT OF JEWISH RELIGION AND LAW

*STUDIED IN JERUSALEM UNDER GAMILIEL (ONE OF THE SANHEDRIN)

*STUDENT OF ROMAN LAW;

*MULTIPLE HERITAGE (GREEK, JEW, AND ROMAN)

*AS ROMAN CITIZEN, HAD FULL RIGHTS AND HONORS ACCORDED TO NON-JEWISH CITIZENS.

NO OTHER MAN IN HISTORY AT THIS TIME COMBINED THE QUALITIES GOD SOUGHT. ( HEBREW TRAINED; TALK AND THINK LIKE THE GREEKS; HAD ACCESS TO ANY CITY IN ROME.)

CONVERSION

(V9:1-9)

WE ARE FIRST INTRODUCED TO SAUL AS ONE OF THE EXECUTIONERS OF STEPHEN. STEPHEN’S DEATH WAS ILLEGAL; MOB ACTION; LYNCHING. SO SAUL IS A MURDERER.

REFLECTED HERE AS “BREATHING THREATS AND MURDER” AGAINST THE DISCIPLES. NOTE THAT HE ATTEMPTS TO MAKE THINGS LEGAL BY TAKING LETTERS OF AUTHORIZATION FROM THE HIGH PRIEST.

THE WORLD DOES THAT TODAY.

(NOTE: THE TERM “CHRISTIAN” ONLY USED THREE TIMES IN THE BIBLE—KNOWN AS DISCIPLES, SAINTS, “ALL WHO CALL ON YOUR NAME”, BRETHREN.

“THE WAY,” IS HOW THEY FIRST IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES, MIRRORING JESUS, WHO IS “THE WAY.”)

(4) “SAUL, SAUL.” REPITITION MEANS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO JESUS. ALMOST A TERM OF ENDEARMENT. USES HIS JEWISH NAME

(5) “KICK AGAINST THE GOADS.” JESUS KNOWS HIS HEART. SAUL SEEMED LIKE A MONSTER, ALMOST A HITLER, TO THE CHRISTIANS. JESUS IS EXPRESSING SAUL’S INNER CONFLICTS, WHICH A MAN OF HIS CONFLICTING CULTURES MUST BE FEELING DEEP DOWN.

THIS IS WHAT JESUS DOES WHEN HE WOOS US: HE SPEAKS TO OUR INNERMOST CONFLICTS.

(6) SAUL, THE MONSTER, THE MURDERER, IS REDUCED TO FEAR AND TREMBLING BEFORE THE RISEN MAJESTY OF JESUS.

(9) BLINDED FOR THREE DAYS. ANALOGY OF DEATH, BURIAL PRIOR TO THE RESURRECTION.

(10-18) JESUS REVEALS GOD’S PLAN FOR PAUL TO ANANIAS: “TO BEAR MY NAME BEFORE GENTILES, KINGS AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.” “TO SUFFER MANY THINGS FOR MY NAME’S SAKE.”

(NOTE: SUFFERING IS A CALLING. IF JESUS CALLS SOMEONE TO SUFFER FOR HIM, EXPECT BIG THINGS FROM THAT PERSON’S MINISTRY.)

(17) ANANIAS LAID HANDS ON PAUL, HE RECEIVED SIGHT AND WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT; AROSE AND WAS BAPTIZED.; THEN SPENT SEVERAL DAYS BEING STRENGTHENED AND DISCIPLED.

SAUL PREACHES CHRIST

(20-22) HE IMMEDIATELY REPENTS (IE. “180 DEGREE TURNAROUND”) . AND PREACHES CHRIST IN THE SAME SYNOGOGUES HE WAS TAKING PERSECUTION LETTERS TO. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS WAS THE

THE IMMEDIATE RESULT OF OBEYING GOD RESULTS IN INCREASED STRENGTH.

(22) “PROVING THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST”