A Killer Comes To Christ
Part 2*
(Acts 9:10-22)
By Dave Redick
Hwy 20 Church of Christ, Sweet Home, OR
Saul went right out and started preaching Jesus as the Son of God with the same zeal and determination he had when he was persecuting the followers of Jesus before. That would prove to be a dangerous thing for him to do, but the Christians ultimately came to trust him.
Introduction
"Before and after" pictures make very convincing proof of change. (Here's Tommy Lasorda before drinking Ultra Slimfast© for six months - here's Tommy Lasorda after losing fifty pounds on the Ultra Slimfast© weight loss program…) If a picture is worth a thousand words, two pictures of this nature are surely worth much more.
The Bible uses before and after pictures, too - contrasting snapshots of the way people were before God was given His rightful place in their lives and after. Though it isn't printed on Kodak© paper, one of the most striking of these contrasts is that of Saul of Tarsus.
This man first appears on the pages of Scripture as a violent persecutor. He is the ringleader in the murder of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, and then goes on a search-and-destroy mission to wreak havoc without mercy on every follower of Christ he can hunt down - male or female. Then, remarkably, almost unbelievably, he is turned. He meets Jesus Christ on the Damascus road, is taught the gospel three days later, becomes a Christian, and the resultant contrasting picture is one of the most striking in the Bible. Before: Persecutor Saul. After: Apostle Paul.
Last Sunday morning we began looking at his story as it told in the first part of Acts 9. We could accurately call that message the before picture. In this sermon I want to consider the after picture. We will also see the balance of the events that led to the change in his life. Please join me in your Bibles at Acts 9.
We covered the first nine verses of this chapter last time. Let me review them and bring you up to speed.
(Read v. 1-2)
These verses describe how Saul's persecution spread beyond the city gates of Jerusalem. With written warrants of arrest issued by the high priest, he set out for Damascus, a city 135 miles N.E. of Jerusalem.
We learned last time of the severity of Saul's hatred for the church. Acts 8:3 says that Saul
"…began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women, he would put them into prison."
And again, in one of Saul's recollections of his actions in Acts 22:19, we read,
"... in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed..."
Again, in Acts 26:10-11, we find these words:
"... not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
That was all part of the before picture. These passages make up Saul's personal "this-is-what-I-was-like-before-I-came-to-Christ" portfolio. Then He met Christ, as we are told in verses 3-9.
(Read v. 3-9)
We're going to look closely now at verses 10-22.
Though Jesus did speak directly to Saul on the Damascus road to get his attention, it is important to note that He did not tell him what to do to be saved. Rather, He told him to go into the city and wait where he would hear that instruction from another disciple.
So we see first in this passage,
I. His Session With Ananias.
(Read v. 10)
Acts 22:12 tells us the only other facts we know about this man Ananias. In that place it says he was "devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there." He had also become a Christian. Why God chose him to be the one who would teach Saul the gospel, we are not told. He is not seen in the Bible account before this and disappears from the view of scripture after it.
Certainly that is consistent with the accounts elsewhere of the way God often works. He often uses relatively obscure but devout people to carry out His plans. If you want to be used by Him, don't worry about being obscure. He knows who you are and where you are even if no one else does. Do worry about that devout part, though. God uses people who are committed to Him. Concern yourself with being devout if you want to be used by God.
Apparently Ananias wasn't one of those who had fled Saul's persecution in Jerusalem. We are told in verse 13 that news of the persecution in Jerusalem was only hearsay to him.
(Read v. 11-13)
As a side note, look closely at verse 12. Ananias was going to come and lay hands on Saul. What is the stated reason for that action? "...so that he might regain his sight." Ananias, as we shall see, had the gift of healing. While we find no record of how he received this gift, it is my conclusion from studying the New Testament that he must have had hands of an Apostle laid on him at some point. As can be seen in every case in Acts prior to this passage in Acts 9, that is how the miraculous gifts that existed in the church during the first century were passed on. It is even so stated in Acts 8:18. Start in Acts 1 and track this issue. You'll see that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (except for the special case of the Apostles on Pentecost) were received through the laying on of Apostle's hands and that there is no mention of the recipient of these gifts passing them on to someone else. This passage will further verify what I am saying.
Now back to our text... Notice how Saul occupied himself in Damascus while he waited. He was praying, and, as we were told back in verse 9, he was fasting. Those are good things to do if you find yourself on the wrong side of God's will. When a person is brokenhearted over his sins, losing his appetite can be the natural result. Depending upon the magnitude of the sin, there is often a deep and intense remorse that shows up in the actions. "Business as usual" is suspended until the issue can be resolved. The Bible speaks of two kinds of sorrow: the sorrow of the world which leads to death, and the sorrow according to the will of God which produces repentance without regret.1 The sorrow of the world is the sorrow that one has gotten caught and now has to stop his ungodly actions. The sorrow according to the will of God is sadness that one's actions have hurt God and others. How can a person know which he has? Well, the sorrow according to the will of God always produces changes in attitude and actions, along with a new dedication to do what is right even if it hurts. That is an important issue because it will ultimately determine whether or not a person goes to heaven.
The only thing in this story that must have come close to the panic that Saul felt on the road to Damascus would have been the fear Ananias felt the moment he was commanded by God to go lay hands on a killer! If Ananias occupied any place of prominence in the Damascus church it wouldn't take much in the way of brains to figure out that he might be near the top of Saul's hit list. He not only knew of Saul's persecutions, he also knew the ominous reason for his presence in the city this very day. You see, somehow the news of Saul's approach had been leaked to the Christians. News like that tends to travel ahead of a Gestapo officer anyway. Ananias is understandably rattled at God's request to go lay hands on this man.
(Read v. 13-14)
"Lord, I've heard about this killer. And I've heard he intends to do the same thing to us that he did to the brethren in Jerusalem!"
The implications of Ananias' words are something like, "Lord, are you sure you know what you're doing?"
Have you ever found yourself saying similar words to God when things go differently than you envisioned, perhaps in even the opposite direction than what seems to make good sense? Of course, God always knows just exactly what He is doing. The problem is with us and our inability to see beyond the present and our own limited perspective.
Remember that Scripture declares that God doesn't usually do things the way we would do them. He doesn't think the way we do either. Isaiah 55:8 says,
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
God always knows what He is doing. It's just that we don't always understand it until we can see the outcome. On some things we may not see the outcome until eternity.
If you are the kind of person who has to have everything spelled out for you ahead of time before you'll move on God's will, you're not going to go far in the Christian life. The name of the game is trust. Though that is certainly a tall order, it is what God requires. Characteristically, God gives Ananias just enough information to reassure him of His intent, then He says "go."
(Read v. 15-16)
"Ananias, just go. I have things under control!"
Keep in mind that Saul is still blind from the brilliant light on the road, he has been praying and fasting for parts of three days, and he has seen a vision of Ananias coming and laying hands on him so that he might regain his sight.
(Read v. 17-19)
We need to stop there and make some determinations. Let's deal first with the issue of the Holy Spirit this brings up. According to verse 17, Ananias was sent to Saul for two purposes: 1) So that he could regain his sight and 2) So he could be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ananias laid hands on Saul so that he could regain his sight. It doesn't say that here, but it does back in verse 12 that I've already pointed out to you. Ananias was simply using his gift of healing. As to the part about being filled with the Holy Spirit, it seems that happened when he was baptized, just as it does in every believer according to Acts 2:38.
There are three different measures of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament. There is the baptism of the Holy Spirit received by the Apostles on Pentecost as described in Acts 2. That act was accompanied by spectacular and noticeable miracles. I don't see that happening here. No rushing wind sounds, no speaking in tongues. Then there was the miraculous gifts measure. That involved the laying on of Apostles's hands to pass on miraculous gifts. The clearest picture of it is probably Acts 8. I don't see that happening here for two reasons: 1)Ananias wasn't an Apostle, and 2) Saul didn't do any miracles at this point. Finally, there was the indwelling measure of the Holy Spirit promised to every believer in Acts 2:38&39 -
"And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself.'"
Some have suggested that since verse 18 says Saul "arose and was baptized," that baptism of the Holy Spirit is what was in Luke's mind. I don't think so because in the description of this same event in Acts 22:16, it says that Saul was told, "Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins..." Baptism of the Holy Spirit is nowhere connected up with the forgiveness of sins, while baptism in water is. If Saul received the baptism of the Holy Spirit like the Apostles on Pentecost in Acts 2 it had to have happened at a later time than this.
Let's look now, more specifically, at
II. His Baptism.
When was Saul saved? Was it before his baptism or after? The answer to that question is very important to our understanding of salvation and enters a very controversial area, so follow me here.
Let's break the question down into parts. First, was Saul saved before Ananias came on the scene? Some say he was as I pointed out in the last message because he called Jesus "Lord" in verse 5. That cannot be true, though, because Saul didn't even know to whom he was speaking when he called Jesus "Lord." He said in verse 5, "Who art Thou, Lord?" You cannot be converted to Jesus if you don't know who Jesus is! The word "Lord" there could just a well be translated "Sir."
Second, was Saul saved by the time Ananias came to him three days later? There are those who believe he was based on the fact that Saul called Ananias "brother" in verse 17.
(Re-read v. 17)
The reasoning goes this way: "Certainly Ananias wouldn't have called Saul 'brother' if he weren't a Christian, would he?"
Sure he would! The term "brother" and its plural form, "brethren" was a common salutation among the Jews of the first century, Christian or non-Christian. Both Ananias and Saul were Jews. (If you'd like to check me on that, I would direct you to Acts 2:37; Acts 22:1; and Acts 23:6 as examples.)
Ananias wasn't referring to Saul as a Christian brother. He was referring to him as a Jewish brother, using the common salutation of the day.
There is even more conclusive evidence than this however, that Saul wasn't saved at this point. Remember, this isn't the only place where Saul's conversion is described. It appears in three other places. One of those is Acts 22. Please turn there for a moment.
(Turn to Acts 22)
This passage gives us the story from Saul's (Paul's) perspective as he made his defense before the Jews at Jerusalem.
(Read v. 12-16)
Considering this passage, was Saul saved when Ananias called him "brother?" No, because verse 16 implies he was still in his sins. He still needed his sins washed away. A person isn't saved before his sins are forgiven. Forgiveness of sins is what salvation is all about!
Notice also the manner in which the sins were washed away.
(Re-read v. 16)
So if the washing away of Saul's sins came at his baptism how could it be said he was saved before he was baptized?
But there is one more point we need to deal with that is a question to some. Verse 16 says, "Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name." Some say that he was saved at the point he called on his name and not when he was baptized. Again, if this were the only passage that we had to deal with, such a conclusion might have some merit. But it isn't. Join me in 1 Peter 3:21 for a moment.
(Read 1 Peter 3:21)
Peter is talking about salvation here in a little "aside" from his main subject of avoiding sin. Notice what he says baptism does and what he says baptism is. According to Peter, what baptism does is that it saves us. No, it's not something mysterious or magical about the water. It saves us because of what baptism is. He says it is "an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ... ." Baptism is the point at which the penitent sinner appeals to God or, in the terms Luke used in Acts 22, it is the point a sinner calls upon the name of the Lord.
So, when Ananias told Saul back in Acts 22:16 to "Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name," he was equating the being baptized with the calling on His Name. Therefore, baptism is the manner in which we call upon the Name of the Lord. Baptism is our "appeal to God for a good conscience..." Are we not baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?
Let me quickly tell you why I think that is...
You see, an alien sinner cannot come into the presence of God and seek his own forgiveness. His sin is an abomination to God. There are verses in several places in Scripture that indicate that God doesn't hear (so as to heed) the prayers of an unforgiven sinner.2
If God will not hear the prayer of one who is in his sins, he needs first to have those sins forgiven. That happens at baptism. Therefore, prayer is not the sinner's call to be saved, baptism is. So Saul was baptized. Let's go back to our text in Acts 9.
(Read 9:18)
Now, if my reasoning is correct here (and I believe it is), what can be said of the very popular "sinner's prayer" that is prescribed today? Can you see any problems with it? Someone decides to turn to God and become a Christian. He is told to bow his head and repeat the "sinner's prayer" (an example of which is not to be found in the New Testament.) But God doesn't hear (so as to heed) the prayer of an alien sinner! That is what the Bible says. He does however, honor those who fulfill the commandment to be baptized and have their sins forgiven. That, too, is what the Bible says. Once the sins are forgiven, the prayers can be heard. (For those of you who are hearing this for the first time, if you find this differing from what you have heard and been taught, I challenge you to do a study of the book of Acts. Find every conversion mentioned there. Write down what they did or were told to do. You'll find that in each case they were baptized immediately. Often the forgiveness of sins is either mentioned or implied.) [To see a chart that illustrates this, click here] ***[For additional help on the subject of baptism, click here]
What is my point through all this? A person who has come to the place of faith in Christ and has acknowledged it and decided to turn away from his sins shouldn't be told to pray to be saved. There is no such example in the entire New Testament where a lost person was told to pray for salvation. They were told to be baptized. That is how the alien sinner calls on the name of the Lord. That is what Saul was told to do. In fact, that is what every other person whose conversion is described in Acts was told to do! And that is what we should tell people to do today as well.
Let's move on now to
III. His First Actions As A Christian.
(Read v. 19)
There is a lot not said in verse 19. Luke mentions here nothing of the difficulty the disciples had in accepting this former persecutor into their fellowship. Maybe it was easier for the Christians in Damascus to accept Saul than it would be for those in Jerusalem. Let's peek ahead to Saul's return to Jerusalem to see how it went.
(Read v. 26)
Can you blame them? We'll have to leave an involved discussion of that for another time. Let me say here though, that it is neither easy nor automatic for Christians to forgive and accept someone who has hurt them deeply. It takes time. There is often a struggle. Yes, when the sinner repents, forgiveness is necessary, even commanded. But even after forgiveness is granted, there has to be time to rebuild trust. The person forgiven must get right to work proving his sincerity and determination to change. The way Saul did that is described in verse 20:
(Read v. 20)
Wow! Saul went right out and started preaching Jesus as the Son of God with the same zeal and determination he had when he was persecuting the followers of Jesus before. That would prove to be a dangerous thing for him to do, but the Christians ultimately came to trust him.
(Read v. 21-22)
This is our first glimpse of the "after" picture of Saul. It is as if we are standing there in the darkroom watching the image develop on the paper.
Saul did what every new Christians should do and continue doing after his conversion: He begins to tell others about Jesus and he "kept increasing in strength..." In other words, he grew. He got stronger in the word. His conversion wasn't the end of his involvement with God. It was the beginning.
That person who has a conversion experience and then disappears from the church, never to be heard of again, thinking that he now has his preparation for eternity all taken care of and he need no longer think about it is a deluded person. Conversion is the beginning of a life of growth and change, not something done once and forgotten or dropped.
Of course, Saul went on to become Paul the Apostle. He spread Christianity far and wide across the Gentile world. The same zeal he had once unleashed on the church was now unleashed again on the strongholds of Satan. God, working through the man who once was a killer of Christians, would now use that same man to call millions to Himself.
CONCLUSION
Soon after surrendering his life to Christ, fourth century bishop and theologian, Augustine, was walking down the street in Milan, Italy. As he rounded a corner, he met a prostitute whom he had known and been involved with before his conversion to Christ. She called out to him as she had done many times before, but he would not answer. He kept right on walking. "Augustine," she called again, "It is I!" Without slowing down, but with assurance of Christ in his heart, he answered, "Yes, but it is no longer I." Another contrasting snapshot.
Saul of Tarsus, later Paul the Apostle, would write these words as he reflected on his own conversion and the difference between what he was before and after:
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
In a sense, as we who are Christians consider the "before" and "after" snapshots of our own lives, we should, in time, be able to say something similar. Looking at that old "before" picture, our words might be "I'm not that person anymore. It is not longer I..."
*Part 2 of a 3 part series. Click here to go to Part 1. [Back]
2. Isaiah 1:15-20; 59:1-2; John 9:31; Job 27:8; Psalm 34:15-17; 66:18; 145:19; Proverbs 15:29; 28:9. [Back]
Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.
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All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.