Acts 9:1-30

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*


August 24, 2010


   *X. ACTS 9:1-30 SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN SAUL'S CONVERSION*


 *A. 9:1-9 SAUL ARRESTED IN HIS RAGING*

*1. 9:1-2 SAUL RAGES AGAINST DISCIPLES EVEN TO DAMASCUS*

Ho de SAUlos, Eti enPNE*o*n [1709] apeiL*E*S [547] kai PHOnou [5408]

*But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter*

eis tous ma-th*e*TAS tou KuRIou, pro-selTH*O*N t*o* ar-chi-eREI,

*against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,*

*e*T*E*sa-to par' auTOU e-pi-stoLAS [1992] eis Da-maSKON pros tas su-na-g*o*
GAS;

*2 and asked him for letters to :Damascus unto the synagogues;*

HOp*o*s eAN ti-nas HEUr*e* t*e*s hoDOU [3598] ONtas, ANdras te

*so that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men*

kai guNAIkas, de-deMEnous [1210] aGAg*e* eis 'Ie-rou-saL*E*M.

*or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.*


 *2. 9:3-9 SAUL CONFRONTED BY JESUS AS THE RISEN LORD*

*a. 9:3-4 A LIGHT AND VOICE FROM HEAVEN*

En de t*o* poREUe-sai, eGEne-to auTON egGIzein t*e* Da-maSK*O*:

*And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh to :Damascus:*

eXEPHn*e*s [1810] te auTON pe-ri*E*stra-psen [4015] ph*o*s ek tou ou-raNOU:

*and suddenly a light out of :heaven shone about him:*

kai peS*O*N ePI t*e*n g*e*n, *E*kou-sen ph*o*N*E*N

*4 and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice*

LEgou-san auT*O*, SaOUL, SaOUL, TI me di*O*keis [1377]?

*saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?*


 *b. 9:5a And he said, Who are you, Lord?*

EIpen de, Tis ei, KUri-e?


 *c. 9:5b-6 JESUS' ANSWER*

ho de, E-G*O* ei-mi 'I*e*SOUS, hon su di*O*keis:

*And he said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute:*

alLA aNAst*e*-thi [450], kai EIsel-the eis t*e*n POlin,

*6 but rise, and enter into the city,*

kai la-l*e*TH*E*seTAI soi HOti se dei poiEIN.

*and it shall be told you what you must do.*


 *d. 9:7. EFFECT ON PAUL'S COMPANIONS*

hoi de ANdres hoi su-noDEUon-tes [4922] auT*O* hiST*E*kei-san e-neOI [1769],

*And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless,*

aKOUon-tes men t*e*s ph*o*N*E*S, m*e*DEna de the-*o*ROUNtes.

*hearing the voice, but beholding no one.*


 *e. 9:8 BLINDNESS ON SAUL: RESULT OF HEAVENLY VISION*

*e*GERth*e* de SAUlos aPO t*e*s g*e*s;

*And Saul arose from the earth;*

a-ne-*o*gMEn*o*n [455] de t*o*n oph-thalM*O*N auTOU, ouDEN Eble-pen;

*and when his :eyes were opened, he saw nothing;*

chei-ra-g*o*GOUNtes [5496] de auTON, eiS*E*ga-gon [1521] eis Da-maSKON.

*and they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.*


 *f. 9:9 FURTHER EFFECTS ON SAUL*

kai *e*n h*e*MEras treis m*e* BLEp*o*n, kai ouk Epha-gen ouDE Epi-en [4095].

*And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.*



 *B. 9:10-19a SAUL'S SALVATION AND HEALING THROUGH ANANIAS*

*a.. 9:10a THE LORD COMMISSIONS ANANIAS THROUGH VISION*

*E*n de tis ma-th*e*T*E*S en Da-maSK*O*, oNOma-ti Ha-naNIas;

*Now a certain disciple was at Damascus, Ananias by name;*

kai EIpen pros auTON en hoRAma-ti [3705] ho KUri-os, Ha-naNIa.

*and the Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias.*


 *b. 9:10b And he said, Lo, here am I, Lord.*

ho de EIpen, I-DOU, eG*O*, KUri-e.


 *c. 9:11-12 SAUL'S VISION: HEALING THROUGH LAYING ON OF HANDS*

ho de KUri-os pros auTON, A-naSTA,

*And the Lord said unto him, Arise,*

poREUth*e*-ti ePI t*e*n 'RUm*e*n [4505] t*e*n ka-louMEn*e*n EuTHEIan [2117],

*and go to the street :called Straight,*

kai Z*E*t*e*-son en oiKIa 'IOUda, SAUlon oNOma-ti,

*and inquire in the house of Judas for a Tarsian,*

TarSEa: iDOU gar, proSEUche-tai;

*Saul by name: for lo, he prays;*

kai EIden ANdra en hoRAma-ti [3705] Ha-naNIan oNOma-ti,

*12 and he has seen in a vision a man Ananias by name,*

ei-selTHONta, kai e-piTHENta auT*O* tas CHEIras,

*coming in, and laying :hands on him,*

HOp*o*s a-naBLEps*e*.

*that he might receive his sight.*


 *d. 9:13-14 ANANIAS OBJECTS*

a-peKRIth*e* de Ha-naNIas,

*But Ananias answered, *

KUri-e, *E*kou-sa aPO polL*O*N peRI tou anDROS TOUtou,

*Lord, I have heard from many of this :man,*

HOsa kaKA tois haGIois sou ePOI*e*-sen en 'Ie-rou-saL*E*M:

*how much evil he did to your :saints at Jerusalem:*

kai H*O*de Echei e-xouSIan paRA t*o*n ar-chi-eRE*o*n

*14 and here he has authority from the chief priests*

D*E*sai [1210] PANtas tous e-pi-ka-louMEnous to OnaMA sou.

*to bind all that call upon your :name.*


 *e. 9:15-16 THE LORD OVERRULES OBJECTIONS OF ANANIAS*

EIpen de pros auTON ho KUri-os, PoREUou:

*But the Lord said unto him, Go:*

HOti SKEUos [4632] e-kloG*E*S [1589] esTIN moi HOUtos, tou baSTAsai [941] to
O-noMA mou

*for HE is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my :name*

eN*O*pi-on t*o*n ethN*O*N [1484] te kai ba-siLE*o*n, hui*O*N te 'Is-ra*E*L:

*both before the Gentiles and kings, and the sons of Israel:*

eG*O* gar ho-poDEIx*o* [5263] auT*O* HOsa dei auTON huPER tou oNOmaTOS mou
paTHEIN [3958].

*16 for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my :name.*


 *f. 9:17 ANANIAS OBEYS THE LORD!*

aP*E*Lthen de Ha-naNIas, kai eiS*E*Lthen eis t*e*n oiKIan;

*And Ananias went away, and went into the house;*

kai e-piTHEIS [2007] ep' auTON tas CHEIras EIpen, SaOUL a-delPHE, ho KUri-os

*and laying :hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, Jesus,*

aPEstalKEN me, 'I*e*SOUS, ho ophTHEIS [3700] soi en t*e* hoD*O* h*e* *E*
Rchou,

*who appeared to you in the way which you came,*

HOp*o*s a-naBLEps*e*s [308],

*has sent me, that you may receive your sight,*

kai pl*e*sTH*E*S [4130] PNEUma-tos HaGIou.

*and be filled with the Holy Spirit.*


 *g. 9:18-19a IMMEDIATE RESULTS*

kai euTHE*o*s aPEpe-san [634] auTOU aPO t*o*n oph-thalM*O*N h*o*s lePIdes
[3013],

*And straightway as if scales fell from his :eyes,*

aNEblePSEN [308] te; kai a-naSTAS e-bapTISth*e* [907];

*and he received his sight; and he arose and was baptized;*

kai laB*O*N troPH*E*N e-nisCHUth*e* [1765].

*19a and he took food and was strengthened.*



 *C. 9:19b-30 PERSECUTION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS SAUL'S PREACHING*

*1. 9:19b-22 SAUL REASONS STRONG OF JESUS AS THE CHRIST*


 *a. 9:19b And he was certain days with the disciples at Damascus.*

E-GEne-to de meTA t*o*n en Da-maSK*O* ma-th*e*T*O*N h*e*MEras tiNAS.


 *b. 9:20 THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE OF SAUL*

kai euTHE*o*s en tais su-na-g*o*GAIS eK*E*rus-sen [2784] ton 'I*e*SOUN,

*And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed :Jesus,*

HOti HOU-TOS es-tin ho huiOS tou TheOU.

*that this is the Son of :God.*


 *c. 9:21 AMAZEMENT: RESPONSE OF HIS HEARERS*

eXIstan-to [1839] de PANtes hoi aKOUon-tes, kai Ele-gon,

*And all that heard him were amazed, and said,*

Ouch HOU-TOS es-tin ho porTH*E*sas [4199] en 'Ie-rou-saL*E*M

*Is not this who in Jerusalem made havoc of them*

tous e-pi-ka-louMEnous to Ono-ma TOUto?

*that called on this :name?*

kai H*O*de eis TOUto e-l*e*LUthei,

*and he had come here for this,*

HIna de-deMEnous [1210] auTOUS aGAg*e* ePI tous ar-chi-eREIS.

*that he might bring them bound before the chief priests.*


 *d. 9:22 THE AMAZING MINISTRY OF SAUL*

SAUlos de MALlon e-ne-du-naMOUto [1743],

*But Saul increased the more in strength,*

kai suNEchun-nen [4797] 'iouDAIous tous ka-toiKOUNtas en Da-maSK*O*,

*and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus,*

sun-biBAz*o*n [4822] HOti HOU-TOS es-tin ho ChrisTOS.

*proving that this is the Christ.*


 *2. 9:23-25 SAUL ESCAPES DEATH IN DAMASCUS BY BASKET*

*a. 9:23-24a THE JEWS PLOT SAUL'S DEATH*

H*O*S de e-pl*e*ROUNto [4137] h*e*MErai hi-kaNAI,

*And when many days were fulfilled,*

su-ne-bouLEUsan-to [4823] hoi 'IouDAIoi a-neLEIN [337] auTON:

*the Jews took counsel together to kill him:*

egN*O*Sth*e* de t*o* SAUl*o* h*e* e-pi-bouL*E* auT*O*N.

*24a but their :plot became known to :Saul.*


 *b. 9:24b-25 THE DISCIPLES DELIVER SAUL*

pa-re-t*e*ROUNto [3906] de kai tas PUlas [4439] h*e*MEras te kai nukTOS,

*And they also watched the gates both day and night,*

HOp*o*s auTON aNEl*o*-sin:

*so that they might kill him:*

laBONtes de hoi ma-th*e*TAI auTOU nukTOS, diA tou TEIchous [5038]

*25 but his :disciples took him by night, and let him down*

kaTH*E*kan [2524] auTON, chaLAsan-tes [5465] en sphuRIdi [4711].

*through the wall, lowering him in a basket.*


 *3. 9:26-30 PERSECUTION DRIVES SAUL FROM JERUSALEM TO TARSUS*

*a. 9:26 JERUSALEM DISCIPLES SUSPECT SAUL*

Pa-ra-geNOme-nos [3854] de eis 'Ie-rou-saL*E*M,

*And when he was come to Jerusalem,*

ePEIra-zen [3987] kolLASthai [2419] tois ma-th*e*TAIS: kai PANtes
e-phoBOUNto [5399] auTON,

*he attempted to join the disciples: and all were afraid of him,*

m*e* piSTEUon-tes HOti esTIN ma-th*e*T*E*S.

*not believing that he was a disciple.*


 *b. 9:27 BARNABAS HELPFULLY PRESENTS SAUL*

BarNAbas de e-pi-laBOme-nos [1949] auTON *E*ga-gen pros tous a-poSTOlous,

*But Barnabas took and brought him unto the apostles,*

kai di-*e*G*E*sa-to [1334] auTOIS p*o*s en t*e* hoD*O* EIden ton KUri-on,

*and rehearsed to them how he had seen the Lord in the way,*

kai HOti eLAl*e*sen auT*O*,

*and that he had spoken to him,*

kai p*o*s en Da-maSK*O* e-par-r*e*-siAsa-to [3955] en t*o* oNOma-ti 'I*e*
SOU.

*and how at Damascus he had done boldly in the name of Jesus.*


 *c. 9:28-29 PAUL ROUSES ENMITY AMONG THE HELLENISTS*

kai *e*n met' auT*O*N ei-spo-reuOme-nos [1531] kai ek-po-reuOme-nos
[1607]eis 'Ie-rou-saL
*E*M,

*And he was with them going in and going out at Jerusalem,*

par-r*e*-si-aZOme-nos en t*o* oNOma-ti tou KuRIou:

*29 doing boldly in the name of the Lord:*

eLAlei te kai su-neZ*E*tei [4802] pros tous Hel-l*e*niSTAS [1675];

*and he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists;*

hoi de e-peCHEIroun [2021] a-neLEIN auTON.

*but THEY undertook to kill him.*


 *d. 9:30 DISCIPLES AGAIN DELIVER SAUL*

a-pigNONtes de hoi a-delPHOI, kaT*E*ga-gon [2609] auTON eis KaiSAri-an,

*And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea,*

kai e-xaPEstei-lan [1821] auTON eis TarSON.

*and sent him forth to Tarsus.*



 *NOTE**: *9:4 - When one persecutes a disciple, a believer in Jesus, he
persecutes the Lord Himself. For the Lord as Head of His body, the church,
sees each believer as a member of His own spiritual body. Think of the
seriousness of all in the world like the Saul of Tarsus, who severely
persecute Christ's body members, even unto death. The blood of the martyrs
is treasured in heaven, and they are seen early in the book of Revelation.


 In the upcoming chapter 10 of Acts, we see a double vision. Cornelius the
Roman Centurion on the one hand, and Peter in preparation for response on
the other. Here in chapter 9 we find Saul receiving a vision of Ananias
coming to pray for him to regain his sight and be filled with the Spirit;
and on the other hand Ananias receiving a vision in preparation to go and
fulfill what Saul has seen. In “Visions Beyond the Veil”: by H. A. Baker,
this same double vision preparation occurred a number of times. How
*timely*are the Lord's ways of preparation! In the Old Testament, the
pre-incarnate
Jesus as the Angel of the *Lord*, appeared to Moses in the Bush. After he
finished demolishing Moses' excuses for being unqualified to deliver Israel
out of Egypt, then the Lord told Moses that his bother Aaron was on his way
to look him up, and would be Moses' mouthpiece to Pharaoh. Again, a double
preparation.


 In 9:27 we see the wonderful ministry the Lord gave Barnabas, the “son of
Consolation”! When all others feared Saul, Barnabas forged a relationship
between the Jerusalem apostles and Saul. Later on in the Book, we read how
Barnabas rightly read the need of the church of Antioch for the unique
ministry of Saul. So he went to Tarsus, brought Saul down to Antioch for his
unique teaching and prophetic ministry. Within a year the Holy Spirit
launched Barnabas and Saul on their first missionary journey, and on their
return in 3 months, it was *now* Paul and Barnabas, functioning as apostles.
Stephen and Philip started as deacons, but soon were promoted to the office
of evangelist!


 Many other lessons are in this story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.
Search them out, and the Spirit will lead and aid you. *He* is the Teacher
to be within us, that Jesus promised in the Gospel of John. J.A.W.













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