A Study of the Book of Acts
Sermon # 17
“The Reluctant Apostle”
Acts 9:1-23
Saul has been mentioned three times in our study as a bitter opponent of Christ and his church. (7:58), (8:1), and now in (9:1). Today’s text reintroduces Saul by saying, he was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” Saul was an orthodox Jew as well as a Pharisee, who saw “the sect of the Nazarene” as a serious threat to the nation of Israel and a great apostasy from the true religion of Jehovah. Saul undoubtedly thought of himself as a defender of Israel, perhaps even seeking to prepare the nation for the promised Messiah. Not content to merely rout out the Christians in Jerusalem, he sought out the authority from the Jerusalem officials to go to Damascus in an effort to keep those Christians who are fleeing from Jerusalem from carrying their religion there. Saul was undoubtedly sincere in his efforts. He is great example of the fact that you can be sincere and be sincerely wrong.
Dr. Luke has already mentioned that many of the priest’s had believed in Jesus Christ. Now we will see the archenemy of the Church, Saul of Tarsus himself coming to faith in Christ. As John Calvin, put it, a wolf was turned first into a sheep and then into a shepherd. This story must be of some importance because we are given three separate accounts of Saul’s conversion; here in Acts 9, again in Acts 22 and once more in Acts 26.
“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest (2) and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
A dramatic conversion story is good material for interesting personal testimony, and unusual and dramatic conversions still happen, although they are still the minority.
Most people come to Christ without all the drama associated with Saul’s conversion. Yet there are certain characteristics of any genuine salvation experience that can be gleaned from Saul’s conversion story.
First, Genuine Salvation Involves a Personal Encounter with Christ. vv. 3-8
“As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. (4) Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
There is sudden blindness and an audible voice, but there is also the psychological shock of having your entire belief system undone in an instant. Saul is now confronted by the very God, he sought to defend. In verse four the voice from heaven said in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me.” These words cause Paul great confusion. Why? Because he knew that it was the voice of God speaking and Paul had been persecuting Christians not God. In fact, Saul thought of his actions against the Christians as service and worship to God. Why was God saying the he was persecuting him? In confusion Paul responded in verse five by saying, “Who are you, Lord.” I am sure he was thinking but I thought I was pleasing you so why are you rebuking me? Then the voice said in the second part of verse five, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting!” He goes on to say in the last part of verse five, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” A goad was a stick that was used to poke the oxen to get him moving. Sometimes an ox would kick up his heels at the stick, but such was a futile effort. The goads in Saul’s life included Stephen’s death and testimony as he prayed, “Lord do not hold this sin against them,” as well as the testimonies of the men and women who had bravely refused to deny the Lord, suffering imprisonment and even death instead. These goads kept on prodding the persecutor, and in moments of honesty must have caused Saul to wonder if his attacks on the church were really just. He had to have known that something was wrong, but up unto this point had not been willing to repent. He was undoubtedly oppressed by guilt but he silenced his conscience by giving himself over to even more terrible persecution of the saints.
Saul’s actions reveal the truth that zeal without knowledge is dangerous. In Romans 10:2 Paul writes of his Hebrew brother’s: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God,” and I am sure that Paul remembered how zealous he himself was. He continues, “but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, having not submitted to the righteousness of God.” In other words, the Jews did not believe in Jesus Christ and call upon his name for salvation because they were establishing their own works righteousness, trying to work their way to heaven.
There has been much debate among commentators as to what really happened to Saul on the road to Damascus. I like what A.T. Roberson writes about this when he said, “It has been urged that Paul had an epileptic fit, that he had a sunstroke, that he fell off his horse to the ground and had a nightmare, that he was blinded by a flash of lightning, that he imagined he saw Jesus as a result of his highly wrought nervous state, or that he deliberately renounced Judaism because of a growing conviction that the disciples were right. But the conversion of Paul cannot be accounted for except by Paul’s own interpretation of the change made in him. He saw Jesus and surrendered to Him.” [ As quoted by (Henry Jacobsen. Acts: Then and Now. Wheaton, ILL; Victor Books, 1978.) p. 78.]
The story of our conversion may not be as dramatic as Saul’s yet had the same effect, to break us of our compulsive independence and dependence on self and bring us to Christ for our salvation.
One thing that the conversion of Saul demonstrates is the relentless purpose of Christ. We are saved not because we sought Christ but because he sought us. The events of the Damascus road experience clearly demonstrate that Christ orchestrated the confrontation from beginning to end.
"Francis Thomson’s early life was one dead end after another. He studied for the priesthood but did not complete the course. He studied medicine but failed. He joined the military but was released after one day. He finally became an opium addict in London. But he could not get away from God’s persistence love for him. In the midst of his despondency Thomason was befriended by an associate who saw his poetic gifts and eventually Thomson was able to share his experience in verse. His famous poem is, …The Hound of Heaven, …Many of us have experienced the truth of Thomson’s powerful words.
I fled Him, down the nights and down the days:
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes, I sped;
And shot, precipitated
Down Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after."
[quoted in R. Kent Hughes. Acts: The Church Afire. (Wheaton, ILL., Crossway Books, 1996.) p. 127.]
Second, Genuine Salvation Includes Radical Personal Change
He who had his life all mapped out and headed in one direction is now going in another different direction. Saul became Paul, and his life was dramatically changed. Paul helps us to understand that this is a principle that is true for everyone that is genuinely saved. In 1 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things become new.” Paul is giving us more than a theological principle he is speaking from personal experience. Over and over in his epistles, Paul spoke of salvation in terms of radical change. He spoke of it as a change from darkness to light (Colossians 1:12-13), as a change from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-3) and as putting off the old and putting on the new (Colossians 3). But however you phrase it genuine salvation must include deep and abiding personal change. Salvation is a transformation, not a transition. It is a miraculous, dramatic reversal of first ones beliefs and then one’s behavior. Paul had a new allegiance, a new affection and a new assignment, his life was forever changed. Has your life seen that kind of change?
Saul’s next question given in verse six is, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Jesus responds in the later part of the verse by saying “Arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” This is the very point at which many Christians fail and remain unproductive, because they do not ask God, “What do you want me to do?” Saul asked for instructions immediately upon his conversion. Some believers seem to never get around to asking this question.
The experience ends in verse seven by revealing that those that traveled with him “stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.” Paul blinded by the experience, according to verse eight, he had to be lead by the hand into the city of Damascus.
The first implication of the experience of Saul in his conversion is that every saved person must have a personal conversion experience. We may or may not be able to tell the exact day and hour that we came to faith, but we must know that it has happened. Salvation is not a group experience, it may happen in a group situation, such as the Peter’s preaching at Pentecost, but each individual was saved because of a personal encounter with Christ. Have you had such an encounter?
(vv. 9-16)
“And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (10) Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” (11) So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. (12) And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” (13) Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in 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 vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. (16) For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Third, Genuine Salvation Demands Being Filled with the Holy Spirit. vv. 17-18a
Verse 17 tells us that Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing on hands on Saul he said, “Brother Saul.” How it must have thrilled Saul’s soul to hear those words of forgiveness. Without a doubt Ananias knew personally so of the men and women that we imprisoned or killed because of Saul. But Ananias who’s name means “God is gracious” extended forgiveness to him. Because they were part of the same body and brothers in Christ.
With his hands still on Saul he went on to say, “ the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (18) Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once;
Although we never hear of Ananias again he is one of the great heroes of the Bible.
Fourth, Genuine Salvation Leads to Identification with the Church. vv. 18b-19
“and he arose and was baptized. (19) So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
One of the evidences of the reality of Saul’s conversion was his immediate identification with the church at Damascus.
Perhaps nowhere else is the radical change in Paul’s life more apparent than in his attitude toward the saints. Previously Saul had sought them out to persecute them, even kill them, but he now sought them out to worship and fellowship with them.
Saul who was the opponent of Christianity became the proponent of Christianity. He who had hated Christ now heralded Christ.
Finally, Genuine Salvation Required that He Get Involved In Serving the Lord. vv. 20-23
“Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. (21) Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” (22) But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. (23) Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him.”
Saul wasted no time getting to work. He went from one Damascus synagogue to another preaching Jesus.
We know from Galatians 1: 16-17 that Saul did not stay long in Damascus. He went to the desert of Arabia, there to be alone with the Lord. Had Luke included Saul’s visit to Arabia (Gal. 1:17) he would have place it between Acts 9:21 and 22. We do not know how long he remained in Arabia, only that after three years, Saul was back in Jerusalem (Gal 1:18). After his time in the desert he returned to Damascus but he did not remain long, for the city soon became too dangerous for him to remain. His escape from Damascus was not exactly glorious, as we will see in our next lesson.
Conclusion
The story of Saul’s conversion should remind us never to write any one off as being beyond the love of Christ. We may do that with friends or family members who have heard the word of God for years without response, or are caught up in terrible sin, or who have gone into some cult. But the Bible is clear – God can save anyone.
Instead of desiring a dramatic conversion like Saul perhaps we should desire to be like Barnabus or Ananias. These are the men who befriended Saul soon after he became a believer.
We as Christian’s need to look for opportunities to befriend others. Visitors in the church, new members all need special attention. Unless we make them feel welcome, make them feel a part of a larger family by taking them in to our hearts and our homes and demonstrate by our words and our actions that we care about them, they will conclude that there is no part for them in our church.
