Posted by Chester Morton / Thursday 3 March 2016 / No comments
The conversion of Saul
THE CONVERSION OF SAUL
(Acts 9:1-22)
After the death of Stephen, Saul, who also supported the killing of Stephen, continued to persecute the Christians. The disciples had fled, as a result, to other cities for safety.
Saul got a letter of introduction
from the High Priest to go and look for Christians who had fled to Damascus, in
Syria, so that he might arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.
As Paul approached Damascus, a
bright light from heaven shown around him and those he was traveling with.
Saul fell to the floor. He heard a voice asking, “Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me?” Saul replied, “Who are you, Lord?” Then the voice said, “I am
Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise and enter the city and you will be
told what to do”.
When Saul stood up from the floor, he lost his eyesight. His traveling partners had to lead him by his hand into Damascus. For three
days, he remained blind and did not eat nor drink.
Around the same time, the Lord
had appeared in a vision to Ananias and told him to go to the house of Judas in
the street called ‘Straight’ and pray for Saul to receive his sight. Initially,
Ananias did not want to go because he had heard about the way Saul was
persecuting people. However, God assured him that he had chosen Saul as an
instrument to carry his name to the Gentiles.
Ananias went to Saul and laid his
hand on him and prayed for him to receive his sight. Immediately, something
like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he received his eyesight. Then Saul arose
and was baptized. After that, he ate some food and regained his strength.
Immediately Saul preached Christ
in the Synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. Those who heard Saul preached,
asked whether he was not the same person who had sought after the converts to
arrest them and had followed them to Damascus? Saul did not mind them. He just
continued preaching Christ. Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus for some
days. After some days, the people sought to kill him but he was smuggled out of the city.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SAUL’S
EXPERIENCE
1. The experience transformed
Saul from a persecutor of the church to a chief promoter of the gospel of
Christ
2. Saul became God’s chief
instrument in the transformation of Christianity into a large gentile religion.
3. After the conversion, the
Christian community experienced a renewed peace throughout Judea, Galilee and
Samaria.
4. When Ananias addressed Saul as
“Brother Saul” he was recognizing Saul as one of them, who had also been
transformed by the same Jesus.
5. The experience confirms to
Saul that the deity of Jesus was real and that he is the Messiah from God.
6. The experience transformed him
from his former devotion to the Law to a complete devotion to Jesus Christ.
WAYS IN WHICH SAUL’S CONVERSION AFFECTED THE GROWTH OF THE
CHURCH
1. The church enjoyed a new level of peace.
2. It led to the
expansion of the church.
3. Many people were converted to Christianity.
4. It led to the universality of the Church.
SAMPLE QUESTION(S)
1. a. ”Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me”? Describe the circumstances that led to this question. Outline
the events that took place after the quotation.
b. In what two ways did the experience
affect Saul’s life?
2. a. Narrate the story of the conversion of Saul.
b. In which two
ways did his conversion affect the growth of the Church?
3. a. Describe the events of the conversion of Saul.
b. In which three
ways are leaders called in modern times?
