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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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THE CONVERSION OF THE APOSTLE PAUL (Ac 9:1-9) 4/27/14 Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. SAUL’S CIRCUMSTANCE A. Saul (being his Hebrew name and “Paul” his
Roman name) was born in Tarsus (Ac 9:11; 21:39; 22:3), the capitol of
Cilicia, in Asia Minor. The city was known for its
wealth, commerce, and university. It is maintained
that the Tarsus University excelled over the other two distinguished
universities of Athens and Alexandria. B. Paul would have
learned at least “Classical Greek” as well as “”Koine (Common) Greek,” not to
mention Hebrew. The
dominant philosophy, which paralleled Paul’s early thinking, was Stoicism.
Among other things, the Stoics were interested in Virtue and Ethics, the
relationship between Determinism and Free Will, and Formal Logic. Knowledge
of these things would have aided Paul one way or another in being the apostle
to the Gentiles (Ac 9:15; Ro 1:5). C. Every boy had a trade and Saul learned the
common trade of making tents out of goat’s hair from Cilicia called “cilicium” (Ac 18:3). D. Saul’s father was a Roman citizen since
Paul received his Roman citizen by birth (Ac 22:3, 28). How his father acquired citizen is unknown. E. Like his father, Saul was a Pharisee (Ac
23:6). Pharisees were the separatists who were extremely accurate in the
minute matters pertaining to the Law of Moses. This explains why young Saul
was sent to Jerusalem (Ac 26:4), perhaps at the age of 13. F. Though Paul was likely born near the same
time as Jesus (5BC to 5AD), and though He had lived in Jerusalem for a time,
it is supposed that he returned to Tarsus and never saw Jesus during Jesus’
earthly ministry. G. At Jerusalem, Saul received his education
from one of the most noted rabbis in history, Gamaliel (Ac 5:33-40; 22:3).
Being the grandson of the Great Hillel, Gamaliel was one of greatest teachers
of the Law, a promoter of the Golden rule, and a ruling member of the
Sanhedrin (Ac 5:27). His great reputation was noted in the Mishnah, “Since Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, there has been no more
reverence for the law, and purity and piety died out at the same time” (Sotah 15:18). Gamaliel’s teaching would have contributed
to Paul’s understanding of the Law, both before and after his conversion. H. As for Saul’s Jewish piety, he himself
states, “If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far
more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of
Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a
persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found
blameless” (Php 3:4-6). I. Saul’s zealous persecution of the church
was highlighted at the stoning of Stephen (Ac 7:58; 8:1), as well as his
relentless pursuit against all Christians (Ac 22:4; Ac 26:9-11 cf. Nu
25:7-11). It was this zeal that brought him to the
road to Damascus. It was there that Saul’s life would be
divinely and dramatically changed. II. SAUL’S CAMPAIGN TO DAMASCUS (Ac 9:1-2) A. We have seen the persecutor Saul who was
present at Stephen’s stoning (Ac 7:58), who was in full agreement with the
verdict (Ac 8:1), and relentlessly pursuing the destruction of Christianity
(Ac 8:3; Ac 22:4; Ac 26:10-11). B. When we observe him in Chapter 9, Saul was
still “breathing (out)” threats (empneō fr. en & pneō - lit. breathe in) which meant that he was obsessed with
continually making threats against “disciples” of the Lord (mathātās - learner or follower, Lk
6:40), whether muttering them to himself or publically accusing them. C. Because of his religious zeal, he went to
the high priest to obtain authority (“letters”) to go to the synagogues at
Damascus (Ac 22:5; 26:12). His purpose was to find anyone belonging to “the
Way” (i.e. Christians cf. Jn 14:6 cf. Ac 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It did
not matter if they were men or women, Saul would bring them bound to
Jerusalem. III. SAUL’S CONFRONTATION WITH JESUS (Ac 9:3-4) A. While on the way to Damascus, Saul was suddenly confronted by Jesus. The text tells us that a
light, whose origin was from heaven (“out of heaven”,
“flashed around” him (periastraptō
- “shine or flash around”).
A compound word from this word is astraptō
and describes the brightness of a lightning flash (Lk 17:24) and
compares to the dazzling brilliance of angelic beings (Mt 28:3; Lk 24:4). B. The brilliant light appears to have been
the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, which was revealed earlier to His
disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt 17:2; Mk 9:2-3), will accompany
the Second Coming of Christ (Lk 17:24), and will illuminate heaven (Re
21:23-24; 22:5). C. But Saul not only saw this light, he saw a
divine being. For in vs. 5 Saul asked, “Who are you Lord?” The Lord
identified Himself and said, “I am Jesus.” In addition, to this account, a
number of texts reveal that Saul indeed saw the Lord on the road to Damascus
(Ac 9:17; Ac 9:27; Ac 22:14). D. The brilliance of the glory of the Lord
caused Saul to fall to the ground. It was at that point that he heard the
voice of Jesus say, Saul, Saul, why
are you persecuting me? E. In the accounts of Ac 9:3 and Ac 22:6, it is only mentioned that the light shone around Saul. But in Ac 26:13 it states that it shone around all of
those who accompanied Saul. Obviously, the light shone around all of them,
but Luke’s narratives were emphatically telling Saul’s specific encounter.
Hence, the names of those traveling with Saul were never
mentioned. Similarly, both Saul fell down (Ac 9:3) and his companions
fell down (Ac 26:14). In addition, both Saul (Ac 9:4) and his companions (Ac
9:7) heard a voice, but only Saul understood it (Ac 22:9). IV. SAUL’S CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY (Ac 9:5) A. So Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus
and he was converted. Though it does not say so explicitly, never was there a
stronger implication in all of history. As to Paul’s conversion, the
narrative of Acts, the eventual response of the apostles, Paul’s own letters
(1Co 15:1-4; Ro 1:16-17 cf. Ga 1:8-9), and Paul’s actions show that he trusted
Christ as his Savior on the road to Damascus. B. We observe the element of repentance.
Twice the Lord stated that Saul was “persecuting” (diōkō)
Him. In persecuting Christians, Saul was persecuting Christ because the
Christians were united with Jesus and were following in the way and truth of Jesus.
It was at that point that Saul repented. Repentance (metanoia)
means a “change of mind.” Saul changed his mind concerning a resurrected
Jesus, he changed his mind concerning his unbelief in Jesus as Messiah, Lord,
and Savior, he changed his mind concerning his own sinfulness and sinful
actions, and he changed his mind regarding the truth of Christianity. C. The phrase, it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks [or
goads], is not included in the
better and earlier manuscripts, but it is recorded in Ac 26:14. It is hard to
kick against a “goad,” because it is a pointed pole used to move livestock
(cf. Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad,
Jdg 3:31). In other words, it was hard for Saul to kick against the sharp
reality of the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Christ and Christianity). V. SAUL’S COMMISSION TO APOSTLESHIP (Ac
9:6-9) A. Jesus commanded Saul to get up and go into
Damascus and there he would be told what he must do.
Here we have Paul’s bona-fide apostolic calling (Ro 1:1; 1Co 1:1; 1Co 15:9),
having seen the resurrected Christ (1Co
9:1; 1Co 15:8), having been
commissioned by the resurrected Christ (cf. Ac 1:8), and soon to be empowered
with divine miracles by the resurrected Christ. B. The phrase, “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what
wilt thou have me to do?,” likewise is not in the
better and earlier manuscripts. C. We also see another
evidence of Saul’s conversion in that he became obedient to Christ and went
into Damascus (Ac 9:8). D. Even though Saul’s eyes were open, he
could not see. The brilliance of the glory of the Lord made him temporarily
blind. Even though the other men saw the light, Paul may have strained to see
from Whom the glory emanated. It was Jesus. Thus, he had to be led by the hand all the way to Damascus. VI. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS A. Salvation experiences are not usually as
dramatic as Saul’s, but all of them are just as much
divinely initiated (Jon 2:9; Ep 2:5, 8; Ro 8:30, also cf. understanding of
his experience on the road to Damascus, 2Co 4:6). B. Salvation knows no depths or limits upon
who can be converted. There is no sinner that cannot be saved and no sin that
cannot be forgiven (1Ti 1:15; 1Pe 3:18). C. A salvation experience often utilizes
one’s past life (primarily pre-salvation) as a testimony to God’s salvation and also a motivation for service (cf. Saul, 1Co 15:9; 1Ti
1:12-13 cf. Php 3:10; Col 1:24). D. Salvation unites the believer with Christ.
When the believer serves the Lord, Jesus is glorified. When the believer
suffers and is persecuted, Jesus and His body suffer and are persecuted (1Co
12:12, 25-27; Ep 5:30 cf. Mt 25:40). |
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