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Week of September 21-27
Acts 9:1-22 “Damascus: Ananias” Sermon Date: September 27/28
Damascus, early 20th century, gate into Straight Street
Saul was born in Tarsus, a city in the Roman province of Cilicia. His parents probably named him after Israel’s first king and gave him a strong religious upbringing. Luke uses Saul, the Hebrew form of Paul’s name, until Acts 13:9 where he writes, “Saul, who was also called Paul.” When in Jerusalem, the apostle is called by his Hebrew name; while on evangelistic missions in Gentile areas, he is called Paul, the Roman form of his name. Paul wrote 13 of the 27 New Testament books. Although he greatly influenced the theology and evangelistic practices of the Christian church, during his lifetime he was unknown beyond his immediate area. Even Josephus, the major historian of the day, does not refer to him in his writings.
(Engaging God’s Word: Acts, Engage Bible Studies 2012, p.85)
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Getting started: In the two thousand years since his death and resurrection, millions have turned to Jesus. Lives have been transformed. Directions changed. But no conversion is more dramatic than that of Saul of Tarsus. His is the most famous in church history. This is the young man who approved of Stephen’s brutal death and then set out to single- handedly destroy the church. He went from house to house to drag men and women off to prison because of their faith in Jesus. Then Saul met Jesus.
Yes, Saul’s conversion was dramatic. He became the apostle to the Gentiles, and we today continue to reap the benefits of his life. However, though it will probably not be on a Damascus Road, we too must experience a personal encounter with Jesus Christ in order to be converted. We too must turn to him in faith and repentance and receive a call to serve Christ and his church.
(John Stott, Acts: Seeing the Spirit at Work, InterVarsity 1998, p.44)
For those who are willing: Take a moment to share a summary of your own “conversion experience”. - and/or - Talk about how your life has been different since you came to know the Lord.
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Find Damascus on the map.
Read Acts 9:1‐9
Notes:
After Stephen’s death, a Pharisee named Saul went on a rampage of persecution against Christians. When the followers of Jesus left Jerusalem, Saul went after them. He heard there was a large group in Damascus, so he obtained permission to travel there with an armed company to capture believers and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial, imprisonment, and probably death. On the road to Damascus, Jesus ambushed Saul. (Max Lucado, Acts, Thomas Nelson 2006, p.62)
“the Way” (v.2) - Jesus had identified Himself as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” (Jn 14:6). His followers tried to “walk in this Way”, or walk in His ways. And they became known as “those of the Way”, or as a group, simply “The Way”.
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“grace” - This is a deep and complex word, especially as applied to God’s nature and behavior. As we consider its appearance in this week’s passage, we are thinking of Grace defined this way: “Love and mercy that are totally undeserved and unexpected, given generously and freely.”
1. (vv.1-2) - Think through what Saul is planning to do: getting permission from the high council of the central “church” hierarchy (Jerusalem) to approach local congregations in a different region, who will identify those in their parishes who are sympathetic to Jesus. He will then arrest them and forcibly bring them back to the council, which has authority to punish up to the death penalty.
What do you think about this? How does Saul’s action compare to that of other religious extremists, past or present?
2. (v.3-5) - Saul and his comrades travel for several days, some 150 miles, toward Damascus, when Saul has the experience that redefines his life..
The voice of Jesus tells Saul that he is persecuting Him. What does He mean by this? Have we read about any evidence of interaction between Saul and Jesus?
3. (v.6) - How do you assess this first assignment Saul receives from the Lord?
Have you received such simple directions from God? How did you respond, and what happened?
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WEEK 1 WEEK 1 WEEK 1 WEEKWeek 3 WEEK 1 WEEK 1 WEEK 1 1 What happened for Saul?
4. (vv.7-8) - What do you think Saul’s companions thought about all this?
5. (vv.3-9) - Why do you think God used these methods with Saul?
Read Acts 9:10‐25
6. (vv.10-15) - Ananias was one of those who “belonged to the Way”, one of the followers of Jesus whom Saul was seeking to arrest.
Why do you think God chose Ananias for this assignment?
7. (vv.10-19a) - What can you deduce or infer about Ananias from these verses?
8. (vv.19b-22) - What happens to Saul after he is baptized, and what does he do?
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WEEK 1 WEEK 1 WEEK 1 WEEKWeek 3 WEEK 1 WEEK 1 WEEK 1 1 9. What is the source of this dramatic change in Saul?
10. Do you have any ideas about what Saul did with his official letters from the Sanhedrin? (It is not mentioned in Scripture.)
11. How do you understand the concept of Grace, and where does it appear in our readings this week?
12. Applying it to your own life - With whom do you identify in the story: Saul, Ananias, Saul’s companions, or the other Damascus disciples? Explain.
Extra! Read Acts 22:4-16 and Acts 26:9-18. These are other accounts of Paul’s conversion experience, as Luke related the Apostle’s own words near the end of his evangelistic career and indeed, just a couple of years (most likely) from the end of his life.
What differences do you notice in the three versions?
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