Chapter 9 begins with Saul continuing his persecution of the believers in Jerusalem but now adding threats of killing them. He even wanted to take his persecution beyond the walls of Jerusalem into Damascus. (In today's world, we know Jerusalem is in Israel and Damascus is in Syria. By car, it would take about 5 hrs to reach Damascus which is more than 200 miles, according to Google.)
To go to another city he needed some kind of authority so he went to the high priest asking for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus. These letters explained who he was, what he was doing and also asked for the cooperation of the synagogues. Here in chapter 9, we see Saul referring to the followers of Christ as "the Way" for the first time.
He was basically extraditing believers from Damascus and planned to bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.
Saul and his men were on the road to Damascus when a light from heaven shone down around Saul. He fell to the ground and he and his men heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" Saul answered by asking, "Who are you, Lord?" The voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."
Saul got up and opened his eyes but was blind. His men led him by the hand into Damascus. When there, Saul did not eat or drink for three days.
There was a believer in Damascus named Ananias who the Lord spoke to in a vision. The Lord called out, "Ananias!" Ananias replied, "Yes, Lord." The Lord told Ananias to go to Straight Street and ask for a man named Saul who was praying to the Lord at that moment. The Lord said He had shown Saul a vision of a man named Ananias coming and laying his hand on him taking away his blindness.
Ananias had heard of Saul and spoke of all the things Saul had done in Jerusalem and that he was now authorized by the priests to persecute believers here. Without it being said, I imagine Ananias was terrified. The Lord told Ananias to go for He had selected Saul to take the messages of Christ to the Gentiles, Kings, and all the people of Israel. The Lord said he would show Saul how much he would have to suffer on His behalf.
Ananias did as instructed. He found Saul, 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." (Notice, Ananias called him brother. I believe Ananias accepted the Lord's plan that Saul was to spread the truth of Jesus and already accepted Saul as a brother in Christ.)
Instantly, something like scales fell from Saul's eye and he could see. Saul got up and was baptized, then ate, regaining his strength. Paul stayed with some believers in Damascus and began preaching about the Lord Jesus in the synagogues that were supposed to help him persecute the believers. Instead of persecuting the believers he now preached that Jesus "was indeed the Son of God."
We read that "all who heard him were amazed that this man who caused so much devastation among the followers in Jerusalem was now a believer himself. Saul's story of his life changing encounter made him a witness for Christ rather than a persecutor of Him. (That is the same with us today and why it is so important we use our lives and testimony to share Christ. How can anyone argue with a life that has been changed by faith in Christ? Saul came to arrest believers and put them in jail but now he had become one of those he once persecuted. They had to ask themselves what happened and why such a gigantic change had taken place.)
The more Saul preached, the more powerful his preaching became. The Jews in Damascus could not argue the proof Saul gave that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Now the tables had turned and the Jews in Damascus plotted to kill Saul. His role had changed from persecutor to persecuted. Those who wanted to kill him watched for him day and night but someone told Saul about the plot to kill him. His persecutors were guarding the gates of Damascus planning to get him when he attempted to leave. Saul had more or less become a captive within the walls of Damascus. However, some believers lowered him out through a hole in the wall and he escaped.
Saul made it back to Jerusalem and tried to meet with the believers there but they were still afraid of him. They may have thought it was a trick to get to them and didn't really believe he had become a believer. As Ananias had been his friend and helper in Damascus, Barnabas had become that friend in Jerusalem. Barnabas took Saul to the apostles and told them of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus as well as the powerful preaching he had done there.
Saul stayed with the apostles and went with them preaching about Christ all around Jerusalem. He got into a debate with some Greek speaking Jews who tried to murder him. When the other believers heard of the attempt to kill Saul, they took him to Caesarea and sent him back to his home town of Tarsus.
With Paul now a believer, the persecution of Jesus' followers died off. The church now had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. The church grew stronger as the believers lived in fear of the Lord. (Prior to Saul's conversion, the believers lived in fear of Saul. Might we think that seeing what the Lord had done in Saul, people began to understand the sovereignty and power of Christ and now turned their fear and respect toward Him?) Through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church also grew in numbers.
In the meantime, Peter traveled and eventually went to a town named, Lydda. While in Lydda, he met a man named Aeneas. This man had been bedridden for eight years because he was paralyzed. Peter spoke to Aeneas saying, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!" Aeneas was immediately healed. The whole town of Lydda and Sharon saw the man who was paralyzed now healed and walking and they turned to the Lord.
We also read of a believer in the town of Joppa. Her name was Tabitha or in Greek, Dorcas, meaning gazelle. She was always doing things for others and helping the poor. Tabitha became ill and died. She was cleansed and prepared for burial and laid in an upstairs room. Some believers heard that Peter was at Lydda which was nearby. They sent two men to beg him to come.
Peter came and was immediately taken to the upstairs room which was filled with widows who were weeping. They showed him all the coats and other clothes Tabitha made for them. Peter asked them all to leave the room and he knelt and prayed. He turned to Tabitha's body and said, "Get up Tabitha!" and she opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. Peter gave her his hand and helped her to stand up. He then called the widows and believers and presented Tabitha to them.
The news of what the Lord had done through Peter spread through the entire town and many believed in the Lord. Peter stayed a long time in Joppa living with a hide tanner named Simon.
THAT TAKES US THROUGH OUR STUDY OF ACTS 7,8, AND 9, COMPLETING OUR WORK FOR NOVEMBER. GREAT JOB!
AS ALWAYS, WE WILL TAKE A BREAK DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS. WHEN WE RETURN JANUARY 1ST, WE WILL BEGIN READING ACTS 10,11, AND 12. THESE THREE CHAPTERS ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN WHAT WE JUST COVERED AND IT SHOULD BE A FAIRLY EASY STUDY.
WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!