why was ananias afraid of helping saul

Trembling and astonished, he inquired, FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? In Pauls speech in Acts 22, he describes Ananias as a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews that dwelt in Damascus (Acts 22:12). If he were viewed as a reactionary, a trouble-maker, perhaps there were some unbelievers who thought Saul was too much trouble. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Hear, you deaf! This would mean that the Gospel isnt as good as we thought it was and that God violates the law of double jeopardy where He punishes the same sin twice. Who is blind but my servant {Israel}, and deaf like the messenger I send? If Luke had any ax to grind on this issue, here would have been a great place to stress this matter, but he did not do so. . There will be no more night. It is no wonder that a fair amount of the text is devoted to a description of Sauls attempt to associate with the local church, first at Damascus, and then in Jerusalem. No, Ananias did not do any of these things so far as the author of Luke-Acts is concerned. So Ananias found Saul at Judas' house, praying for help. But hidden in its shadows is another inspiring story, and one to which most people in the pew may more easily relate. Just as Saul seemingly had hatred toward Christ-followers, how do you think a Christ-follower like Ananias felt toward Saul? 92 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 94 /H [ 1243 743 ] /L 503600 /E 43371 /N 16 /T 501642 >> endobj xref 92 42 0000000016 00000 n 0000001188 00000 n 0000001986 00000 n 0000002200 00000 n 0000002434 00000 n 0000002614 00000 n 0000002636 00000 n 0000004226 00000 n 0000004248 00000 n 0000005775 00000 n 0000005798 00000 n 0000008986 00000 n 0000009009 00000 n 0000012094 00000 n 0000012305 00000 n 0000013156 00000 n 0000014011 00000 n 0000014230 00000 n 0000014604 00000 n 0000014827 00000 n 0000023280 00000 n 0000023869 00000 n 0000024230 00000 n 0000024446 00000 n 0000024731 00000 n 0000024987 00000 n 0000025380 00000 n 0000026152 00000 n 0000026257 00000 n 0000029454 00000 n 0000029477 00000 n 0000032108 00000 n 0000032131 00000 n 0000034910 00000 n 0000034933 00000 n 0000037945 00000 n 0000040047 00000 n 0000040070 00000 n 0000043063 00000 n 0000043141 00000 n 0000001243 00000 n 0000001964 00000 n trailer << /Size 134 /Info 91 0 R /Root 93 0 R /Prev 501632 /ID[<3cb89dccfaad5f26269ffad0f6f6443b><3cb89dccfaad5f26269ffad0f6f6443b>] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 93 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 89 0 R >> endobj 132 0 obj << /S 672 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 133 0 R >> stream 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. WebAnanias was afraid of Saul. The conversion of Saul is important in another way. (13) As Stephens death, instigated (or at least assisted) by Saul, resulted in an intense and widespread persecution of the churches in Jerusalem and elsewhere, so Sauls conversion seems to have been directly related to the return of peace (cf. This light would thus have been very bright indeed. Paul would later use this expression (in the plural) to address his unbelieving Jewish opponents, as in Acts 22:1. WebSaul/Paul was a pretty mean guy who persecuted Christians. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray (Revelation 18:23). Could Judas have been a Christian? Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. a disciple from Damascus who received a phophetic dream telling him In the end, God Himself will provide the illumination so that the sun and the stars will not be needed for this function: The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted (Isaiah 30:26). They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments (Lamentations 4:14). (3) Sauls salvation was personal. What is remarkable about the Lord's directions to Ananias? And laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. 1:11--2:10; Ephesians 3:1-13; cf. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 137 The Way is a designation for the new movement used several times in Acts 9:19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22; cf. He was to come to the earth as the great light, the light to the Gentiles, and so He did. Saul, like Stephen, was a Hellenistic Jew. 20 Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. It was the most powerful piece of artillery in the Jewish camp that was suddenly turned round upon them. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 123. One thing was certain; no matter how much time had passed, the apostles were not yet convinced of Sauls conversion. * [9:29] Hellenists: see note on Acts 6:17. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it . He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 34Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. The saints (9:32, 41; 26:10; cf. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Thank God that is what happened. Some of the Hellenistic Jews responded to the preaching of Saul as they had to Stephens preaching; they wanted to kill him (9:29). The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 136 E. M. Blaiklock, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Wm. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow-citizens with the saints, and are of Gods household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22). Not all Christians are equipped to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers (Ephesians 4:11). Nothing is more evident in the account of Sauls conversion than his radical reversal. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. It is not clear He was afraid because Saul killed Jesus’ followers🤨 There were three Ananiases in the Bible. The children will state that they can pray if they feel afraid and it will help them to be brave i3&K>Kpg Nevertheless, conversion has certain elements which are vital and which are to be present in any salvation experience. It is no wonder then that this one who was Sauls all in all would be the focus, the substance, of the gospel which he preached: But we preach Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23). Copyright 2023 Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. All rights reserved. 2:7; 2 Tim. Ananias and Saul - June 3, 2022. What happened when Ananias anointed Saul? ,/1Xa} V= endstream endobj 133 0 obj 634 endobj 94 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 88 0 R /Resources 95 0 R /Contents [ 98 0 R 100 0 R 102 0 R 104 0 R 122 0 R 124 0 R 126 0 R 129 0 R ] /MediaBox [ 0 0 792 612 ] /CropBox [ 0 0 792 612 ] /Rotate 0 >> endobj 95 0 obj << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB ] /Font << /F1 109 0 R /F3 106 0 R /F4 107 0 R /F6 118 0 R /F7 116 0 R >> /XObject << /Im1 127 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 131 0 R /GS2 130 0 R >> /ColorSpace << /Cs5 96 0 R >> >> endobj 96 0 obj [ /CalRGB << /WhitePoint [ 0.9505 1 1.089 ] /Gamma [ 2.22221 2.22221 2.22221 ] /Matrix [ 0.4124 0.2126 0.0193 0.3576 0.71519 0.1192 0.1805 0.0722 0.9505 ] >> ] endobj 97 0 obj 1512 endobj 98 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 97 0 R >> stream 10. Why was Ananias afraid of helping Saul? Ananias had to overcome his fear so that Saul would be overcome by grace. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! ,%d/3o3o6jda=|4S-LJ3ajLcNfZyV;CkCl>390q {KQ0lQ)0>~cy:CJkP|4M-\v The emphasis in the account is on Paul as a divinely chosen instrument (Acts 9:15). When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. We know nothing of Ananias beyond this story in the shadows. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". You also know this person is a recognized hater of your faith, and wants little if anything to do with you. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6). It is here in Acts, for the first time, that Saul is called Paul. Just as Saul was called to a live of suffering, so Peter tells his readers that they too, like all saints, are called to suffer for His name: To this {suffering} you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lords wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. Verse 18 tells us that, "straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight, and he arose and was baptized." Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. Paul was no ordinary followerhe became the most visible and active pillar of the new Christian church. Word was out that Saul would soon be arriving. Ancestry, Pharisaic training, Hellenistic education, were fused by it into the character which the Holy Spirit formed and fashioned over the fourteen years of training. 131 . Webb Ananias was successful because he trusted Jesus and he viewed Saul as his brother. They could only kill him, and this they were determined to do (9:23). 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. 1:1; 1 Cor. 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. Ananias Get up and go to the street called Straight, to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. 19So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Theologically, we know this as the doctrine of mans 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). At first Ananias was afraid because he knew how Saul persecuted the Christians, but the Lord said that Saul had a special ministry he must fulfill. He started NOW to trust God. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Here, Saul was only told that it was Jesus whom he saw, who was speaking to him, and whom he was persecuting. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to his death (Philippians 3:7-10). When the Christians learned that the Hellenists to whom Saul had preached were plotting to kill them, they helped him escape through Caesarea and on to Tarsus. To Paul, his relationship, by faith, to Jesus Christ was also the beginning of his new relationship to the body of Christ, the church: Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christs afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. How many times should a shock absorber bounce? Israel too will just as surely return to God; and when it happens, it will be all of God, all to His glory and praise: 15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. 5 How did God use Ananias in the New Testament? That He had already appeared to Saul "on the road" 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. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. Conybeare and Howson {The Life and Times of Saint Paul, p. 77 (sic punct.)} He should not be circumcised. 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. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. Blindness, not willing to see, not willing to understand is all too common but Ananias cured Saul blindness by a touch. The two messages cannot be reconciled. The "Straight Street" or Via Recta in Latin, was a straight When we look at Pauls great love and compassion for the saints, we have to remind ourselves of the hate he once had toward them. He didnt know that the risen Christ had confronted Saul on the road to Damascus just as Christ is now confronting him This sets up a flashback to verses 1-9. Saul, like Stephen, had a ministry which focused on the Hellenistic Jews. Ananias found Saul and said to him, Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit. As soon as Ananias spoke, Saul could see again. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Ananias the high priest brought charges against Paul and It was, of course, Ananias who instructed Saul to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16). 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 The message which Saul received was not only a call to salvation, but a divine call to ministry. 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. Imagine for a moment that this is the week of Sauls arrival at Damascus. WebSauls Baptism. There is not so much as a hint that anyone prayed for Sauls salvation or took the initiative to bring it about. That Luke would narrate this conversion three times is testimony to the importance he attaches to it. Ananias was afraid because he knew Sauls reputation as a merciless persecutor of the church. Sauls conversion is a watershed event, catapulting the gospel to the Gentiles and to more distant places. Proving (sunbibazon). 6 For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6). Without Ananias prayer, Saul spends the rest of his life as a blind man wondering what his life might have been. 20 The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins, declares the Lord. The Church at Peace. required neighboring states to grant it the privileges of a sovereign state, including the right of extradition. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.. Saul, in my opinion, is portrayed by Luke as the first-fruits of these promises. To both Ananias (Acts 9:10) and Saul (Acts 9:12). 15:21). In fact, more is written of what Saul said and did because he was saved than is written of what he said and did resulting in his salvation. The call of salvation is a call to holiness, and to obedience, and to fellowship, with God and with our fellow-believers. 6:17; Phil. For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.. Shape us into children who rejoice in knowing and proclaiming you to the world. There he was transfigured before them. Is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 harsh? This happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus. He amazed everyone because they knew he was speaking the same words as the people he had been persecuting. 23:16-17, 19, 24; 23:26). Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. 00:00. The Lord Jesus appeared to Ananias in a vision. Present active participle of sunbubazo, old verb to make go together, to coalesce, to knit together. Did he still not realize who the Lord was? He sent me so that you can see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 Immediately, something that looked like fish scales fell from Sauls eyes. Perhaps so, but I am not as confident of this as I once was. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ananias son of Nebedeus (or Nedebeus) was a high priest who, according to the Acts of the Apostles, presided during the trials of the apostle Paul at Jerusalem (Acts 23:2) and Caesarea (Acts 24:1). Julius Caesar confirmed those rights and privileges anew to the Jewish nation (although Judaea was no longer a sovereign state), and more particularly to the high-priesthood. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), pp. When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple (vs. 26). l. [9:14] 9:12; 26:10; 1Cor 1:2; 2Tm 2:22. (7) The salvation of Saul was Christ-centered. 1 What happened to Ananias and Sapphira as a result of lying to God? How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. And when the Galatians began to depart from the true gospel, Paul rebuked them for turning from Him: I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel (Galatians 6). Sauls Baptism. Indeed, God would reveal His sovereignty by using Saul to further the gospel, first by his opposition (which scattered the church and spread the gospel), and then by his conversion (which resulted in his powerful proclamation of Jesus as Messiah). Later, when Paul looked back on his past devotion and deeds, all done in the name of Judaism, he came to view his apparent righteous deeds for what they really weredung: 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! 27Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. . WebAs Donald Davis notes, In case God has overlooked Sauls atrocities, [Ananias] takes occasion to issue a brief reminder. In the end, then, Ananias decision to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street (verse 11) to lay hands on Saul was a decision to risk his life to do the will of God. 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. He spoke of salvation as the change from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-3). Saul was received as a true believer, as a brother.146 The laying on of Ananiass hands, however, was a distinct act of identification with Saul. He goes for broke. This would leave AD 33-46 for the visit to Arabia (Gal. Why did Ananias and Sapphira sell their property? According to Acts 9:10, Ananias was living in Damascus. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5). 2 What was the decision of Ananias and Sapphira? WebThe Lord called to him in a vision, o Ananias!. For less than $5/mo. helpful to the Lord. sight. 140 They are called his sunodeuontes, `those who were in the caravan with Him (cf. 2, called him Ananias ben Nebedeus. They are private Christians, living like islands rather than as a part of His body. When the plot became known to Saul, he made a successful, albeit undignified, escape from the city of Damascus. About three hours later, Sapphira arrived. Saul had been granted permission by the high priest to arrest any man or woman in Damascus who were Christians. Saul sought them out to persecute, even kill them, as an unbeliever; but he sought them out to worship and fellowship with them as a Christian. Here the Jews were strong in numbers (10,000 butchered by Nero later) and here some disciples had found refuge from Sauls persecution in Judea and still worshipped in the synagogues. 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. Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Damascus and was helpful to the Lord. 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 The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 7The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one.g