God Speaks
Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
10 Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord!” he replied.
11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”
13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! 14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”
15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.
Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. 20 And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”
21 All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”
22 Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. 23 After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. 24 They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot. 25 So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.
26 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! 27 Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
28 So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. 30 When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.
31 The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.
32 Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. 33 There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. 35 Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.
36 There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. 37 About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. 38 But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!”
39 So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. 40 But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! 41 He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive.
42 The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Acts chapter 9 covers the activities of the Holy Spirit in the lives of two of the most influential men in the early Church–Paul (first known as Saul) and Peter (first known as Simon). Both had their lives drastically changed by encounters with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. They were both also used in mighty ways to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Verses 1-30 cover Paul, and verses 32-43 cover Peter with verse 31 being a sort of bridge. Saul had been threatening the followers of Christ and was on his way to Damascus to arrest both men and women and take them back to Jerusalem for trial as heretics of Judaism. These Christians were claiming that Jesus was alive from the dead and that He was the Jews’ promised Messiah. This enraged Saul. Suddenly, Jesus appeared to Saul in a blinding light. He questioned Saul as to why he was persecuting Him. Then He told him to go on into Damascus and await further instructions. While blinded Saul did so, the Lord spoke to a believer named Ananias in a vision. The Lord instructed him to go to Saul, heal his blind eyes, and tell him how he was chosen to suffer while taking the message of Christ to the gentiles and to kings. Ananias obeyed the Lord and delivered His message to Saul. Immediately Saul was healed, filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to preach in the synagogues, saying, “Jesus is indeed the Son of God.” Everyone who met him was amazed at the change. He created such a stir that fellow disciples had to go to extraordinary means to help him escape persecution. Later, Saul went to Jerusalem where Barnabas introduced him to the leaders of The Way (what Christ followers were called at that time). He continued to preach boldly in the name of the Lord. Fellow believers again had to send him away for his own protection. For a time, there was peace. Believers grew stronger, lived in the fear of the Lord, were encouraged by the Holy Spirit, and grew in numbers. In the meantime, Peter traveled around to various towns, and God used him to heal a paralyzed man named Aeneas, who became walking evidence of the Lord’s grace and power. Many people believed in Jesus because of him. Next, God used Peter to bring Dorcas (also known as Tabitha) back to life, much like how Jesus brought Jairus’ daughter back to life. Peter stayed a long time in Joppa with Simon the tanner.
Prayer: Loving Father in heaven, please save even the most forceful persecutors (Saul) of those who follow Your ways. When necessary, appear to them in Damascus-road type experiences. Cause them to be aware of their spiritual blindness and seek You in fasting and prayer. Lord, fill those of us who know and belong to You with courage. Then we will be able to go to even those who are determined to torment us and instruct them in God’s plans for their future. We will lay hands on them, pray for them, and see them healed. May we have the joy of seeing lives changed by faith in Christ. May we, like Barnabas, stand up for those who are truly changed from raging against Christians to preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. May Your church, wherever it is, have peace and be walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. May believers like Aeneas and Dorcas be healed and/or raised from the dead to further serve You and Your people. May many believe because of these miracles. All for Your glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will pray daily for those I care for to have a life changing encounter with Jesus, either directly like Saul on the road to Damascus or indirectly through interactions with true followers of Christ.
- I will read, study, and meditate on the Word of God so that I can explain it to others in such a way that they turn in faith to Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
- I will surrender to God regarding any suffering that He has for me to make me a more usable servant for Him.
- I will ask the Lord if He would give me the privilege of being used to see someone healed, brought back to life physically, or be brought into eternal life through faith in what Jesus has done for them.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.