CSSA 1-5-07 - HOW CHRIST CONVERTED SAUL

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107. HOW CHRIST CONVERTED SAUL

"He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel"

Aim

To show how Saul's life was changed when the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus.

As we learned in our last lesson, the stoning of Stephen was the beginning of a lot of trouble for the brethren and sisters of the Jerusalem ecclesia. Chief among those who persecuted the ecclesia was a young Jew named Saul. Those who threw the stones at Stephen had laid down their cloaks at his feet.

Acts 8:1-4; 9:1-22; 26:4-20

SAUL THE PHARISEE (8:1-4)

Saul was a Jew born in Tarsus, a city of the Roman province called Cilicia. He was a tent-maker by trade, but his father sent him to Jerusalem to study at the feet of Gamaliel, the greatest teacher of the day. Saul was a brilliant young man, who studied the Hebrew Scriptures thoroughly and learned all the traditions of the Jews. He was careful to obey the Law of Moses and served God will all his heart. However, though he was sincere, Saul was not really doing what God wanted. It was possible that he had seen Jesus and may have been in Jerusalem when he was crucified. Saul was a Pharisee, and we know that the Pharisees were among the greatest enemies of Christ. Soon he became the chief enemy of the followers of Christ. He was convinced that the disciples were teaching Jews to take no notice of the Law of Moses and he was determined to destroy every one of them.

LETTER FROM THE HIGH PRIEST (9:1-2)

Saul was very cruel in the way he treated the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. He thought it was right to stone Stephen to death, and wanted to make sure that all the other believers were punished too. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women and had them thrown into prison. Some fled for their lives, but even that did not save them from Saul's hatred and anger. He did not stop at Jerusalem, but planned to hunt them down, even in foreign cities. He went to the High Priest in Jerusalem to ask him for a letter giving him authority (or power) to search among the Jews in Damascus for any who believed in Jesus. Damascus was about 240 kilometres from Jerusalem, but Saul was determined to go all that way and bring them back to Jerusalem to put them in prison there. Saul did this because he thought God would be pleased. God was soon to show him that he was wrong.

THE JOURNEY TO DAMASCUS (vv. 3-9)

Taking the High Priest's letter with him Saul set out for Damascus. He was so eager to carry out his plan that he kept on travelling right through the hottest part of the day, when most travellers would stop to rest. When he was nearly at Damascus, at midday, there suddenly shone round about him, a light from heaven, brighter than the sun. So brilliant was the light, that Saul fell to the ground, blinded and afraid. Then a voice from heaven spoke to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Saul answered, "Who art thou, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." It was the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to Saul from heaven. He was telling Saul that by persecuting the ecclesia he was like a stubborn ox which was kicking against the pricks of the goad instead of going in the way he should. The goad was a long pole, sharpened at one end and used in those days by the drover to urge along any stubborn animal.

Trembling and astonished, Saul asked, "Lord, what wilt thou have me do?" The Lord told him that he must now go into the city and there he would be told what to do (v. 6). His companions were amazed. They saw that Saul was blind! They had heard the sound of a voice but had seen no one. Stumbling and on foot, Saul was now led into the house of Judas, where he was "three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink". How different his entry into Damascus was from what he had planned.

ANANIAS SENT TO SAUL (vv. 10-18)

While this was happening another man received a message. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke to Ananias, a disciple in Damascus and told him to go to a street called Straight, to the house of Judas. There he was to ask for Saul of Tarsus, who was praying and waiting. Ananias at first was afraid to go, because he had heard of Saul's cruelty to the ecclesia, but the Lord said, "Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake" (vv. 15-16).

Ananias obeyed, and found Saul at the house of Judas. He put his hands on Saul and said: "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately Saul's eyes were opened and he could see again.

SAUL IS BAPTISED (vv. 18-22)

What strange things had happened to Saul in those last few days. His three days of blindness had given him time to think. He now knew that the name which he hated - Jesus of Nazareth - was the name of the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel. Saul had listened to Jesus and had spoken with him. He had now changed his mind completely and repented in his heart of those terrible things he had done. Now he was ready to be baptised and Ananias baptised him (Acts 22:16). A new and very humble Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus for several days. While he was there he went into the Synagogue - not to search for those who secretly believed in Jesus but to teach any Jews who would listen that Jesus is the Son of God. How amazed the Jews were. "Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem?" The brethren too were amazed and were afraid of him at first, but they soon realised that Saul was a disciple too. Now he could truly serve God with all his heart and became a special apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.

LESSON FOR US

Saul really thought he was pleasing God by punishing the followers of Jesus, but his zeal was in the wrong direction. He had to be converted and to work for God in the right way. He repented and was baptised. Then God was very pleased with all that Saul did in His name. We too must first learn to love the Truth and then we will know what God wants us to do - to be baptised and to serve Him with all our heart as Saul was at last able to do.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

After some time in Damascus, Saul went off by himself into the desert (Gal. 1:17) and when he came back to Damascus, he found that the Jews were plotting to kill him. They waited by the gates of the city day and night to catch him. Saul knew about their plans and one night the disciples helped him to escape by letting him down over the city wall in a basket. He then went to Jerusalem but naturally the disciples were all very afraid of Saul of Tarsus and did not believe that he was now a disciple too. One of the brethren called Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. Barnabas believed Saul's story and told the apostles all that had happened to him on the road to Damascus and afterward. In this way Barnabas became Saul's close friend and helped the brethren at Jerusalem to accept him as an equal (vv. 23-28).

Later in our lessons we will see how God selected these two brethren to travel to distant lands to preach the Gospel.