Hello Again,
Read Acts 9.1-31
Today’s passage is typically known as the conversion of Saul and describes the time period when one of the greatest persecutors of the church becomes one of its newest leaders.
As easy as it would be to focus on Saul in today’s passage and his interaction with Jesus on the road to Damascus, I want to look at those who came alongside Saul. Saul is on his way with authority to bind Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem. While he is traveling, Jesus stops him on his way and claims that Saul is persecuting him. Saul is blind, and led by the hand to Damascus but his reputation and mission had already gone before him.
And so it is with fear and trepidation that Ananias responds to a vision he receives to go and lay hands on Saul to restore his sight. What would have happened if Ananias didn’t respond to God’s call? Saul is healed, baptized, and starts proclaiming Jesus, becoming more and more powerful as a proclaimer of the good news so that the Jews now want to kill him.
Yet, Saul’s disciples help him escape back to Jerusalem only for the followers of Jesus in the city to be afraid and distrusting that Saul indeed was also a follower of Jesus. Barnabas, however, takes Saul and brings him to the apostles. Saul boldly speaks the name of Jesus in Jerusalem which of course brings more attempts to kill him, before the early church sends him back to Tarsus his hometown.
Ananias, Barnabas, Saul’s disciples all take great risks to protect, serve, and work alongside Saul. The man who had just been the early church’s number one enemy receives a welcome into the community by these brave people. God wasn’t just at work in Saul’s life showing him the way of Jesus. God was also at work in these “ordinary” believers who were receptive to what God was doing in their lives, even if it meant loving and showing grace to an enemy.
How hard is it for you to show grace to enemies? Are there people you have written off and are unwilling to work with, who God might have chosen to do incredible things through? How do the examples of Ananias and Barnabas challenge you to live boldly not just in words, but also in actions as you live in step with the Spirit?
Grace and Peace,
Matt
Inductive Questions: (These will be included each day and your work on them will be the foundation we build upon at our Wednesday evening in-person and Zoom Bible Study as we explore the church, mission, and Holy Spirit in Acts.)
Pick at least one of these to be a focus for all of Acts, but answer as many of them as you want.
- What does the church look like in Acts? Who is a part of it? What do they do? How is it formed? How does it relate to mission and the Spirit? In other words (fancy, technical terms) What is the ecclesiology of Acts?
- What does mission look like in Acts? Who does it? What do they do? How does it happen? How does it relate to the church and the Spirit? In other words (fancy, technical terms) What is the missiology of Acts?
- What does the Holy Spirit look like in Acts? What does the Spirit do? How is the Spirit active? How does it relate to church and mission? In other words (fancy, technical terms) What is the pneumatology of Acts?
Answer the question with the language of Acts as much as possible and cite the chapter and verse reference in your notes.