April 11 – The Incubator for Worldwide Evangelism
By Audrey Bauman
Acts 9: 1 - 19 (NLT)
“Saul’s Conversion"
9 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.”
Sometimes we think of Saul as an evil person – arresting and killing Christians, But in reality he was a devoted follower of the God we know and love. He had studied under Gamaliel, and was well-known in the Hebrew faith community. He had access to the high priest. Maybe we also tend to minimize the popularity of the Jewish faith. Most of the people in Israel would be devout Jews. For example, notice that Saul asked for official permission to go to the synagogues in Damascus – plural synagogues. So the beginning of the church as we think of it today was an upstart faith that was quickly growing and contradicted what just about everyone believed. We’re talking about the nation that considered itself God’s chosen people – and they were.
God stepped in personally to confront Saul. I’m so glad He did. Saul wasn’t against God; he just didn’t understand who Jesus was. But now he meets Jesus face-to-face on the road to Damascus. And his life was about to turn upside down. Luke considers Paul’s conversion a really important event. Luke actually records that event two more times in Acts 22: 6 – 16 and Acts 26: 9 – 18. Intervarsity Press Commentary talks about why Saul’s conversion was so key to the spread of Christianity.
“The most important event in human history apart from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the conversion to Christianity of Saul of Tarsus. If Saul had remained a Jewish rabbi, we would be missing thirteen of twenty-seven books of the New Testament and Christianity's early major expansion to the Gentiles. Humanly speaking, without Paul Christianity would probably be of only antiquarian or arcane interest, like the Dead Sea Scrolls community or the Samaritans.”
“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.”
Can you imagine how Ananias felt when God told him to go to Saul? I try to think of a comparison to that situation today. Perhaps it might be like going to see Putin of Russia, or Kim Jong Un of North Korea, or the Ayatollah of Iran – someone you know would wipe your Christian faith off the earth if he could. On top of all that would be the fear of going to those strange locations – they are not coming to you and your comfortable home. Ananias was told to go to Straight Street. Here is what the Intervarsity Press Commentary had to say about Straight Street.
“Ananias should proceed to the main east-west thoroughfare of Damascus, Straight Street. With great porches and gates at each end and colonnades for commerce running along each side, this fashionable address would be as well known in its day as Regent Street in London or Fifth Avenue in New York is today. He is to look for Saul of Tarsus in Judas's house. Tradition locates Saul's abode at the west end.”
Talk about feeling out of place. Yet Ananias also heard God’s explanation of why it was so important to do this. “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. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (v. 15 – 16) Ananias believed God and went, no matter how frightening that might be.
That is such a lesson for us. Sometimes we feel the Holy Spirit’s nudging to do something that scares us. It might be talking to a non-Christian friend, or it might be taking on a job in our church that seems more than we think we can handle. Yet following God’s prompting is important since that is how the Good News is spread. Don't succumb to fear. Do it!
