Chapter Nine –
The
Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
ACTS 9:26-31:
Let’s
review this first journey of Saul of Tarsus, thus far:
He received
warrants to arrest Christians in Damascus from the high priest in Jerusalem
(Acts
9:1-2).
From
Jerusalem, he travel towards Damascus and during this journey the Lord
appeared to him, gave him instruction, and caused him to be blind (Acts
9:3-9;
Galatians 1:15-16).
Saul was
taken into Damascus to the house of Judas. The Lord appeared to Ananias and
commanded him to go to Saul. They were brought together and Saul’s
conversion was completed, and his sight returned to him. He was introduced
to the brethren in Damascus (Acts
9:11-19).
Saul then
went into Arabia (the area east of Damascus), for a time to receive the
revelation of Jesus Christ directly from the Lord (Galatians
1:11-17).
He then
returned to Damascus and began to preach Jesus as the Christ in the
synagogues of Damascus; amazing and confounding the Jews who knew the reason
the high priest had sent him there (Acts
9:20-22).
Finally, at
the end of three years-time (Galatians
1:18), and because of a plot by the Jews to kill Saul; he is
going to have to flee Damascus in secret (Acts
9:23-25).
In this
lesson, we will conclude this first journey of Saul of Tarsus, and see the
results of the power of the doctrine of Christ when
“His body” trusts and abides in
it!
Text #1:
Acts 9:26-30
“And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join
the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he
was a disciple.
27
But
Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to
them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him,
and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28
So he was
with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.
29
And he
spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the
Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.
30
When the
brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to
Tarsus.”
Tried to
Join the Disciples:
Once Saul
would finally come to Jerusalem for the first time since he left there with
warrants for saints in Damascus; he would attempt to practice something we
all should take notice of, which is that he tried to join with the saints
there.
The church
universal is made up of obedient saints in every location, and it is God who
adds them to “The Body of Christ”;
and in this action there is absolutely no error, as God knows the hearts of
all men (Acts
2:47;
5:14).
Local
bodies of Christ (specific locations such as the saints in Philippi –
Philippians 1:1; the saints in Rome –
Romans
1:7; etc…), are charged to accomplish worship and collective work
in fellowship (joint participation). Since these local
“Bodies of Christ” have also
been charged to guard against those who would be divisive, disorderly, or
immoral among them (Romans
16:17-18;
1 Corinthians 5:1-8,
11;
2
Thessalonians 3:6,
11,
Titus
3:10); in order to accomplish this task and still receive
brethren in love, we see a pattern given here that needs our attention in
order to avoid error on our part; not knowing the hearts of men.
The
disciples of Jerusalem, being unaware of Saul’s conversion, did not believe
that he was one of them, and were going to reject him from their fellowship.
Barnabas; however, took him to the Apostles and offered his testimony of
approval. This becomes a pattern of approval that will be practiced often in
the New Testament (Romans
16:3-16;
1 Corinthians 16:10-12;
2
Corinthians 8:23;
Ephesians 6:21;
Colossians 4:7-15; etc…). Later in the history of the early
church, we would also find a pattern of disapproval for those who would come
from within “The Body” and
become enemies of Christ Jesus (1
Thessalonians 3:6-15;
1 Timothy 1:18-20;
2
Timothy 2:16-18;
4:9-16;
3 John
9-12).
The
second important pattern to
notice from this incident is that Saul knew that he was expected to join
with saints in order to fulfill worship and the work that the Lord gave
“The Body of Christ” to
accomplish (it is to be done collectively).
In the very beginning, those who obeyed the Gospel’s call continued
in the Apostle’s doctrine,
fellowship (joint participation to a common goal), breaking bread,
and prayer (Acts
2:42); and the first day of the week is when the disciples of
Christ “Came together”
(collective –
Acts 20:7).
The
authorized work of “The Body of
Christ” (Ephesians
4:12), is something that is also to be done collectively (Ephesians
4:16).
Coming In
and Going Out:
Unity was
achieved with the brethren in Jerusalem, because of the pattern of approval
demonstrated by Barnabas. This now allowed the unity necessary to promote
the preeminence of Christ Jesus; demonstrated by Saul as he spoke boldly in
His name (Vs.
29).
Of course,
just as in Damascus, we see that when the enemies of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ cannot dispute the truth, they resort to attacking the messenger
(here the Hellenists – Greek speaking Jews; the same group responsible for
Stephen’s death,
Chapter 7).
This will
force the brethren to take Saul to Caesarea for his safety; then from there
they would send him to Tarsus (this was his home –
Acts
22:18). This will conclude the first journey of Saul of Tarsus.
It began in Jerusalem, then on to Damascus, Arabia, back to Damascus, to
Jerusalem, to Caesarea, and finally to his home of Tarsus.
Text #2:
Acts 9:31
“Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and
Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and
in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”
Edified:
This is literally the building up of the brethren that make up these
specific “Bodies of Christ” by
the knowledge of His will in all wisdom, note:
Colossians 1:9-12
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do
not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10
that you
may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in
every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11
strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all
patience and longsuffering with joy;
12
giving
thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in the light.”
Walking in
the Fear of the Lord:
The term
“Walking”, or
“Walk” is used to describe the
lives of Christians as the live and work in fellowship with God through
Jesus Christ; it becomes our vocation (1
John 1:7). Here Luke describes this walk as moving through life
“in the fear of the Lord”
(something the Apostles of the Lord would continue to instruct –
Romans
11:20;
Ephesians 5:21;
Philippians 2:12;
1 Peter 1:17; etc…).
We need to
appreciate that this fear of the Lord is not a state of mind that prevents
us from functioning due to an elevated level of anxiety, or terror. This is
something that God has trained man from the very beginning to comprehend and
use as a method to constantly evaluate our relationship with Him. The fear
of the Lord as God has trained consists of:
A profound
awe of His majesty and power.
A great
respect for His genuine interest in our relationship as children
(Hebrews
12:5-11).
An intense
awareness of God’s hatred for sin (Hebrews
10:26, 31).
A complete
awareness towards the certainty of facing Him and giving an answer
(Ecclesiastes
12:13-14).
An
understandings that the fear of the Lord produces wisdom to His will and
trust in His promises.
See these
passages:
Job 28:28;
Psalms
19:9;
110:10;
Proverbs 1:7;
8:13;
10:27;
14:26-27;
19:23;
22:4;
Isaiah
33:6.
Comfort of
the Holy Spirit:
The Lord
promised to His chosen before His arrest and subsequent death, that He would
send the Spirit back to them, and the Spirit would act for them as a
comforter (helper –
John 14:26).
For these
brethren and for you and me, this takes place through the process of
edification (the building up by the word –
Colossians 1:9-12); which has been revealed through the Apostles
of Christ by the Spirit.
It is by
faith that we receive the Spirit of God and His comfort (Galatians
3:2,
5); and faith comes by hearing the
word of God (Romans
10:17).
The
three attributes mentioned here make up the concept of abiding in
Christ’s doctrine (1
John 2:6;
3:10,
24;
2
John 9), and shows the success of
“The Body of Christ” when it
trusts every aspect of the Lord’s instruction! Not only were they
strengthened, but they grew and were multiplied!!! This is trust in the
Gospel of Christ!
Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,
for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
This is
what every joint supplies for the growth of the body in love, note:
Ephesians 4:13-16
“till we all come to the unity of the faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of
the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14
that we
should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning
craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15
but,
speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is
the head—Christ—
16
from
whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint
supplies,
according to the effective working by which every part does its share,
causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Next: “Peter’s Miracle and the Spread of the Gospel”