Acts 9

1 – 2

In Jerusalem Saul was bragging about what he was going to do to the followers of the Lord by saying he would kill them. So he went to the high priest 2 and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Saul wanted the high priest to give him the authority to find people in Damascus who were followers of Christ’s Way. If he found any there, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.

Sometimes the very person that we thought would never follow Christ suddenly is saved! Paul grew up in a Jewish Home but surrounded by non-Jews in Tarsus. He was taught by Gamaliel, the greatest teacher of that day.

Paul was prepared by God to speak to all kinds of people at any level. Paul later says he was created for this job from the moment of birth. Galatians 1:15

3 – 4

So Saul went to Damascus. As he came near the city, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Saul fell to the ground. He heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you doing things against Me?”

God calls out our past man and future man. Later we see that Saul’s name is changed to Paul. Jesus said that when someone hurts us it is hurting Him. Matthew 25:40

5. Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice answered, “I am Jesus. I am the One you are trying to hurt. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.

Goads are used to stop a cow from kicking. Jesus is saying that Paul’s conscience has been speaking to him and that Paul is feeling guilty about what he is doing. When someone fights harder against Jesus we can know that they are feeling guilty and they know the truth.

6. Get up now and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do.”

Is God able to tell you to wait until He tells you what to do? You will have a peaceful life if you live this way.

7. The men traveling with Saul stood there, but they said nothing. They heard the voice, but they saw no one.

Acts 22:9 shows us that the men with Paul could not understand what was being said.

8. Saul got up from the ground. He opened his eyes, but he could not see. So the men with Saul took his hand and led him into Damascus.

He had planned to come to the city as an important man to put fear into the Christians, now he cannot even walk into the city without someone helping him.

9. For three days Saul could not see, and he did not eat or drink.

Paul had time to think about what Jesus said. The Holy Spirit was showing him that all the things he had heard about Jesus were true.

10 – 11

There was a follower of Jesus in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision, “Ananias!” Ananias answered, “Here I am, Lord.”

The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight Street. Find the house of Judas. Ask for a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. He is there now, praying.

If we are walking closely with the Lord it is a privilege to have our day suddenly interrupted when God gives us a job to do for Him. Straight Street is still there in Damascus.

12. Saul has seen a vision. In it a man named Ananias comes to him and lays his hands on him. Then he sees again.”

Paul could have thought that he would be blind for the rest of his life. We trust God for what we cannot see. God always confirms truth by two or more witnesses. Ananias and Paul both were shown the same vision of what they were supposed to do.

13. But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and the terrible things he did to your people in Jerusalem. 14 Now he has come here to Damascus. The leading priests have given him the power to arrest everyone who worships You.”

Many times we remind the Lord of things that He already knows and He patiently explains these things to us.

15. But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen Saul for an important work. He must tell about me to non-Jews, to kings, and to the people of Israel.

Paul later shared Christ with many government leaders: Festus, Agrippa, Nero and more.

16. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”

Suffering is a sign of God’s favor. Matthew 5:11, 2 Corinthians 11:23

17 – 19

So Ananias went to the house of Judas. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw on the road on your way here. He sent me so that you can see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Immediately, something that looked like fish scales fell from Saul’s eyes. He was able to see again! Then Saul got up and was baptized. After eating some food, his strength returned. Saul stayed with the followers of Jesus in Damascus for a few days.

Ananias was able to stop being afraid of Paul and watch his life being changed. When we ask God for power to get rid of fear we will see people’s lives changed.

20 – 21

Immediately he began to preach about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “Jesus is the Son of God!”

All the people who heard him were amazed. They said, “This is the man who was in Jerusalem. He was trying to destroy those who trust in this name! He came here to do the same thing. He came here to arrest the followers of Jesus and take them back to the leading priests.”

You do not have to wait until later to share what you know about Jesus! Your changed life will speak for you!

22 – 25

But Saul became more and more powerful. His proofs that Jesus is the Christ were so strong that the Jews in Damascus could not argue with him. After many days, the Jews made plans to kill Saul.

They were watching the city gates day and night. They wanted to kill him, but Saul learned about their plan. One night some followers of Saul helped him leave the city. They lowered him in a basket through an opening in the city wall.

We learn later that King Aretas was working with these Jews to capture Paul. The Jews of the city may have told this king that Paul was working with King Herod who was the enemy of Aretas. See 2 Corinthians 11:32–33.

26. Then Saul went to Jerusalem. He tried to join the group of followers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe that he was really a follower.

Paul went to Jerusalem three years after escaping from Damascus. Galatians 1:17–18) He had ran away from Damascus and went into the desert. Galatians 1:15–18

27 – 28

But Barnabas accepted Saul and took him to the apostles. Barnabas told them that Saul had seen the Lord on the road. He explained how the Lord had spoken to Saul.

Then he told them how boldly Saul had preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus. And so Saul stayed with the followers. He went everywhere in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of Jesus.

Paul tells us that this is when he met Peter and James. Galatians 1:19

29. He would often talk and argue with the Jews who spoke Greek. But they were trying to kill him.

Paul may have went back to his old synagogue and showed them that they could not mix Judaism with Greek ideas about God. When he shared Jesus they would have attacked him.

30 – 31

When the brothers learned about this plot, they took Saul to Caesarea. From there they sent him to Tarsus.

The church everywhere in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the group became stronger. The believers showed that they respected the Lord by the way they lived. Because of this, the group of believers grew larger and larger.

Paul could have met Philip who lived in Caesarea.

32 – 35

As Peter was traveling through all the area, he visited God’s people who lived in Lydda. There he met a paralyzed man named Aeneas. Aeneas had not been able to leave his bed for the past eight years.

Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Stand up and make your bed!” Aeneas stood up immediately. All the people living in Lydda and on the Plain of Sharon saw him. These people turned to the Lord.

Peter was in the area of Joppa where Jonah ran from the Lord because he did not want to speak God’s Word to non-Jews. Peter could have been thinking about this as God was getting him ready to bring the Gospel to some non–Jews.

36 – 42

In the city of Joppa there was a follower named Tabitha. (Her Greek name, Dorcas, means “a deer.”) She was always doing good and helping the poor.

While Peter was in Lydda, Tabitha became sick and died. Her body was washed and put in a room upstairs. 38 The followers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda. (Lydda is near Joppa.) So they sent two men to Peter. They begged him, “Hurry, please come to us!”

Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. All the widows stood around Peter, crying. They showed him the shirts and coats that Tabitha had made when she was still alive.

Peter sent everyone out of the room. He kneeled and prayed. Then he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, stand up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called the believers and the widows into the room. He showed them Tabitha; she was alive! People everywhere in Joppa learned about this, and many believed in the Lord.

The people in this area had heard the stories of Jesus and what His disciples were now doing but God wanted to make it all real to them and show them that nothing is impossible with God.

Peter remembered that Jesus had sent people out of the room in the same situation. Luke 8:51

43. Peter stayed in Joppa for many days with a man named Simon who was a leatherworker.

Jews try to stay away from places that are not clean according to their Laws. This man was working with dead animal skins so we see that God was already speaking to Peter about what is clean and unclean.