Conversion Accounts – Saul of Tarsus

1. Saul’s Persecutions Continued

1) Saul persecutes the disciples.

2) He goes to the high priest to request letters.

3) These letters were for him to bind disciples from Damascus and bring them to Jerusalem

4) His persecution of the church has expanded beyond Jerusalem.

5) Acts 22:4-5 “And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.”

6) Acts 26:9-12 “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,”

2. Jesus confronts Saul.

1) Saul is on the road to Damascus.

2) It is about noon (Acts 22:6, Acts 26:13).

3) He saw a great light from heaven shining around him, brighter than the sun (Acts 22:6, 26:13)

4) This light was also seen by those journeying with him (Acts 26:13).

5) He and those who were journeying with him fell to the earth (Acts 26:14).

6) Saul then hears a voice in the Hebrew tongue (Acts 26:14).

7) The voice says, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the pricks” (Acts 26:14).

8) Saul asks, “Who are you, Lord.”

9) The voice answers, “I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:5).

3. Jesus selects Saul.

1) Saul answers and says, “Lord, what shall I do? What will you have me to do?”

2) There is a two-fold answer to Saul’s question.

3) First, Acts 26:16-18 tells us the Lord’s full purpose for Saul, “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

4) For the immediate future, Jesus says to Saul,

a. “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 9:6).

b. “Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.” (Acts 22:10).

5) Saul was not told what to do immediately to gain forgiveness; that would be left to another.

4. Lessons

1) To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus.

a. We can take comfort that Jesus knows about the persecutions we face from others.

b. Jesus takes the persecution of His church personally.

2) Sincerity is necessary, but not sufficient.

a. Paul said that he lived with a good conscience (Acts 23:1).

b. Yet, he was sincerely wrong.

3) God may use the most unlikely of people to accomplish His will.

a. Who would have thought that God would take his greatest opponent and turn him into His greatest advocate?

b. Saul was the enemy of the Christ who became Christ’s greatest witness (Acts 26:9-12)

4) God didn’t use a miracle to save Saul.

a. God always saves people through words.

b. Acts 2:40 “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”

c. Cornelius was told “Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:14).

d. James 1:21 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

1. The time of Saul’s Contrition – three days.

1) Acts 9:9 “And he was three days without sight…”

2) The number three certainly has some significance in the scripture.

a. Egypt was without the sun for three days of darkness (Exodus 10:22).

b. Israel was punished with three days of pestilence by God because of David’s sin (2 Samuel 24:13).

c. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and nights (Jonah 1:17).

d. Esther called for fasting for three days and three nights (Esther 4:16).

e. Jesus resurrection was on the third day (Mark 8:31).

3) The time seems to be associated in scripture with a period of suffering and punishment.

4) Certainly Saul suffered for these three days as he contemplated the evil he had done against God.

2. The trial of Saul’s Contrition – blindness.

1) In Acts 22:11 Paul said, “And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.”

2) Acts 9:9 “And he was three days without sight…”

3) Blindness was a punishment that God had historically used for the sinful.

a. In Genesis 19:11 the men of Sodom are struck with blindness.

b. It was one of the curses reserved for the disobedient (Deuteronomy 28:28).

c. Elisha smote the enemies of Israel with blindness in 2 Kings 6:18.

d. Elymas was also punished with blindness by Saul himself in Acts 13:11.

4) Blindness also made one unfit for the priesthood (Leviticus 21:18).

5) No doubt Saul would have understood the seriousness of his errors being stricken blind by God.

3. The thoroughness of Saul’s Contrition – fasting.

1) Acts 9:9 ” And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.”

2) Saul fasted in the most serious way neither eating or drinking anything.

3) Fasting was a customary way to express sincere and deep contrition.

a. David fasted when his child was ill (2 Samuel 12:16).

b. Samuel had the people fast in relationship to their sinfulness (1 Samuel 7:6).

c. Nehemiah fasted and prayed when he heard of Jerusalem’s condition (Nehemiah 1:4).

4) Fasting was associated with prayer as well.

a. In Acts 9:11 the Lord told Ananias that Saul was praying also.

b. Acts 13:3 says that this was done prior to sending Paul and Barnabus on their first journey.

c. It was also done when ordaining elders (Acts 14:23).

5) Fasting was an act that was associated with the most serious of circumstances.

4. Lessons

1) God punishes for sin.

a. There is punishment in the church for sin (2 Corinthians 2:6).

b. God uses government to punish sin (1 Peter 2:14).

c. There is also eternal punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

2) It is right and appropriate to be sorry for our sins.

a. 2 Corinthians 7:10 ” For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

b. Psalm 51:3 ” For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.”

1. The Lord appears to Ananias.

1) Ananias was a disciple at Damascus (Acts 9:10).

2) The Lord appeared to him in a vision.

3) Ananias listened.

4) The Lord said to Ananias:

a. Go to “Straight Street.”

b. Go to the house of Judas.

c. Enquire there for Saul of Tarsus.

d. He is praying.

e. He has seen a vision of you putting your hands on him to receive his sight.

2. Ananias expresses his concern.

1) Ananias knew of Saul of Tarsus.

2) He expressed how much evil Saul had done to the saints in Jerusalem.

3) He related how Saul had authority to bind all that call on Jesus’ name.

3. Jesus explains to Ananias further.

1) Go.

2) Saul is a chosen vessel.

3) He will bear my name before kings and the gentiles.

4) He will suffer many things for my name’s sake.

4. Lessons

1) Jesus uses preaching to take his message to the lost.

a. 1 Corinthians 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

b. Titus 1:3 “But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;”

2) Faith requires trust in God and Christ.

a. Ananias had legitimate concerns.

b. Nevertheless, he went according to the Lord’s will.

c. We’re reminded of Peter’s words, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5).

3) Serving Christ involves an amount of suffering.

a. 2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

b. 1 Peter 4:16 “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”

1. Ananias found Saul and told him what to do.

1) He entered the house.

2) He put his hands on Saul.

3) He said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 9:17).

4) We have Ananias’ extended words in Acts 22:13-16 “Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

5) We see the order of the events here.

a. Ananias comes to the house.

b. He lays his hands on Saul.

c. Saul receives his sight.

d. Ananias tells Saul that he must become a witness.

e. Ananias commands Saul to immediately be baptized to wash away his sins.

6) Acts 9:18 summarizes these events, “And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.”

2. Saul witnesses in Damascus and etc.

1) Acts 9:19-22 “And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.”

2) Paul describes what he did after his conversion in Acts 26:19-20 ” Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”

3. The witness of Saul was so great that the Jews of Damascus plotted to kill him (Acts 9:23-24).

4. Lessons

1) Baptism was commanded for Saul to “wash away thy sins” (Acts 22:16).

a. Here is a man who saw and heard Jesus.

b. He was not told by Jesus what to do.

c. Ananias was told to tell Saul what to do.

d. Saul was not saved before his sins were washed away.

e. He was saved when he was baptized.

2) Saul was obedient to the Lord.

a. He obeyed the command to be baptized.

b. He went out and preached that Jesus was the Christ.

3) Saul showed works of repentance in his life.

a. Acts 26:20 “But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”

b. He practiced what he preached.

4) What a scandal for the high priest to have his greatest servant to become his greatest foe.

a. What a coup for the church.

b. The Lord solved the immediate problem of persecution.

c. The church continued to grow.

d. God can take the greatest of problems and turn them into the greatest of solutions.

e. Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

f. Is this how we look at evangelism?