He wasn’t trying to lead Jesus anymore, as he did when he told Jesus not to go the way of the cross in Matthew 16:22. As Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city, I implore you, permit me to speak to the people, So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. b. Be filled: God did an effective job of breaking Saul, but it wasn’t His intention to leave him broken. Read Acts 20 commentary using Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. ii. Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Acts 19:17-22 Beware of Cult Practices. When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. e. Proving that this Jesus is the Christ: Saul, an expert in the Old Testament, could easily see how Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Hebrew Scriptures. Scripture: Acts 20:22–25. i. He described how he went to Arabia for a period of time, and then returned to Damascus. To be called the “son of” something meant you were totally identified with that thing or person, and their identity was your identity. God was concerned about both areas of need. vi. And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. If the disciples in Jerusalem lacked a little in love, Saul added a little more love to make up for it. In a way unique to most of us, Paul really did know the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:10). God had chosen him to rescue the *Israelites. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. Somewhere between 8 and 12 years passed in the life of Saul before he again entered into prominent ministry, being sent out as a missionary from the church at Antioch. c. Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name: People were genuinely amazed at Saul’s conversion; it was hard to believe just how powerfully Jesus could change a life. There is nothing triumphant about sneaking out of a city by night hiding in a large basket. v. Saul’s conversion reminds us that God looks for people to cooperate in the conversion of others, even when they are not really necessary, except as a demonstration of the importance of the family of God. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. She was raised for the sake of her ministry to others, which is the same reason we have passed from death into life (John 5:24). ii. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. So, God had saved his life by a *miracle (Exodus 2:1-10). Click chart to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Another Chart from Charles Swindoll Another Chart on Acts. This reminds us that Acts is only a partial history of God’s work during this period. The words of Peter – “Arise and make your bed” – were perhaps consciously an imitation of Jesus’ healing of the paralytic man in Mark 2:10-12. d. So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord: The miraculous healing of Aeneas made many people turn to the Lord – presumably, with Peter preaching the gospel to them. They are also, as a result, given authority to forgive sins on his behalf (John 20:23). This would be a time to shout praises to God! a. Now Luke shows that God’s work not only continued but it was strong, despite the great opposition that came against it. 17:9, God gives directions in Acts 7:44, Jesus instructs in Mt. On the following, He told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry, And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise, You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law, : The elders of Jerusalem were happy for what God was doing among the Gentiles. Yet we must always trust God’s greater wisdom and knowledge in all such things. You can check these in your browser security settings. iii. After his resurrection, Jesus appears to the Eleven and breathes on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). i. It no doubt hurt, but he understood that the disciples in Jerusalem remembered the Christians Saul killed and persecuted. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And Acts 2 was the first manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit. The story of Saul’s conversion begins with him leaving Jerusalem to persecute the followers of Jesus. © Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . Seeing how God reached Saul encourages us to believe that God can reach the people in our life that we think are very far from Him. In that healing, Jesus said, “Talitha, cumi.” Peter said here (in the original language) “Tabitha cumi.” Peter could hear Jesus’ words in his head as he ministered. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Forget it!”. She would have enjoyed heaven better! Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Saul’s conversion reminds us that God finds some who, by all appearance, are not looking for Him at all. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Yet Peter sensed a specific leading to do just as he had seen Jesus do as recorded in Mark 5:38-43 – he put them all out, in the anticipation that God would do for Tabitha what He did for the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue. When the Bible calls Christians saints, the idea isn’t of a super-perfect people; the idea is of a people who are different. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas: Both the names Dorcas and Tabitha mean “deer.” This woman was a beloved member of the Christian community in Joppa, because she was full of good works and charitable deeds. Years later, Paul himself would write: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. God wants to only use brokenness as a prelude to filling. He also wrote that he never had an audience with all the apostles, seeing only Peter and James, Jesus’ brother. But their plot became known to Saul. i. iii. God has performed a miracle. e. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied: Whenever God’s people are walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, you may expect that they will also see their numbers multiplied. No entry exists in Forerunner Commentary for Acts 20:22. He stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner: This sentence would be somewhat shocking to an observant Jew of that time. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. Acts 14:10 In a loud voice Paul called out, "Stand up on your feet!" The apostles no doubt rejoiced that they and Saul and the exact same message from Jesus. The Jews plotted to kill him: This essentially began the many things he must suffer for My name’s sake the Lord spoke of in Acts 9:16. ©2018 David Guzik – No distribution beyond personal use without permission. a. Scripture: Acts 20:24. So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner. It ends with him leaving Jerusalem as a persecuted follower of Jesus. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. i. ii. We often give up on some people and think they will never come to Jesus; but the example of Saul shows God can reach anyone. This work of God in Peter’s heart laid groundwork for what God would do in Peter in the following chapter. ii. But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. According to the laws of that time, a tanner had to live at least 75 feet (25 meters) outside a village because of his constant ritual uncleanness. He did indeed have to suffer many things for Jesus’ sake.” (Boice). They were still, They have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, What then? i. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles: Thank God for people like Ananias and Barnabas, who will welcome people into the family of God with simple friendship. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. i. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. i. Lydda is near modern day Lod, the site of Ben Gurion Airport outside of Tel Aviv. This time with the apostles in Jerusalem was important, because it finally and certainly welcomed Saul into the family of the followers of Jesus. It was especially known as an university city, being one of the three great educational cities of the Mediterranean world. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. c. He was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out: In Galatians 1:18, Paul wrote that in this first trip to Jerusalem, he stayed with Peter for fifteen days. b. Galilee: The Book of Acts tells us nothing about the planting of churches in Galilee. iii. i. i. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. Then as we put our faith in Him, we must humbly wait for the work within us that only He can do. John Piper Apr 9, 1989 13 Shares Message. What ‘rest’ would the church have from internal dissension and division, from heresy and schism! Acts 20:12 "And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted." The disciples in Damascus must have anxiously prepared for the coming persecution. … a. Ananias went his way and entered the house: This took great courage. Here is where he received the Holy Spirit and was healed from his blindness, which was spiritual blindness as much as physical blindness. Saul’s willingness to serve the Lord was a contributing factor in the fact he increased all the more in strength. Acts 20:13-21 Paul–An Example of Faithfulness. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, © Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . We are not told that Ananias told Saul about baptism. The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. 9:14, and the apostle gives various directions in 1 Cor. The fear of the Lord…the comfort of the Holy Spirit: Each of these are needed in the Christian walk. (Arabic) تفاسير – اللغة العربية, Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following, They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem, When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till, They all accompanied us… till we were out of the city, We came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day, Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied, And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Better to Lose Your Life Than Waste It. Acts 20:22 … a. Peter arose and went with them: When the disciples from Joppa came to Peter in Lydda, they came with the hope that Peter would help her, or at least help the Christian community at that place work through their grief. Acts 9 – The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus A. Saul on the road to Damascus. This is the first time Christians are called saints in Acts. 22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem without knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. In 2 Corinthians 11:32-33, Paul referred to this incident and mentions it happened under Aretas the king. i. Luke alluded to this when he wrote that Saul, speaking to the apostles, declared to them…what He had spoken to him. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Then he was Saul the Persecutor; then Saul the Blind. Tarsus was one of the great cities of the ancient world, with an excellent harbor and a strategic placement at trade routes. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. “It is often said that Saul was converted on the road to Damascus. Acts 19:1-7 The Holy Spirit is a Person. At that time, it would also be Barnabas who reached out to Saul, remembering him and loving him. Simply, they did not believe that he was a disciple. This miracle (and a few similar in Acts) is listed just because they were unusual and remarkable. (1 Timothy 1:13,16). Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded, News came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar, When they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul, The multitude of the people followed after, crying out, “Away with him!”. John 20:22 was the point, post-resurrection (ie post-glorification), when the disicples received the Holy Spirit. Acts 20:21 : Acts 20:23 >> The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. ii. Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! (1-2) Saul’s purpose in traveling to Damascus. 20 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. You can also change some of your preferences. The churches were growing in numbers and strength. These are remarkable, unusual miracles – yet things that have happened and still do (though one is wise to not gullibly accept every reported instance of such). Oct 27, 2017. There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. As we seek to serve others, God brings more strength to us. There is not an evil now cursing or threatening our church life which this ‘comfort of the Holy Ghost’ would not remedy and perhaps remove.” (Pierson). Acts 20:13 “And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot." He stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner: Because of this, we see Peter was becoming less concerned about Jewish traditions and ceremonial notions than before. If Paul’s conversion is a pattern, then we can share his experiences. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. Paul spent a total of three years in Damascus and Arabia (Galatians 1:18); truly these were many days. Sometimes they caught him, imprisoned him, beat him. In the comfort of the Holy Spirit: Pierson points out that the word translated comfort here is essentially the same word translated Helper or Comforter in John 14:16 (paraclesis). i. He became Saul the Convert and then Saul the Preacher. Strictly speaking, this is not the fact. We should remind ourselves that Dorcas was not resurrected; she was resuscitated to her old life, where she would die again. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. We, like Paul, are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul”: The act of laying his hands and the words “Brother Saul” powerfully communicated the love of God. d. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up: By all appearances, Tabitha was raised from the dead. He seems to have told Ananias first. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. God called him to bring who He is and what He has done (My name) to Gentiles, to kings, and to the children of Israel. The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria: Acts 9 began with a zealous man breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1). In the centuries since, Christians have had to deal with those who make pretended conversions to infiltrate the followers of Jesus. In the NT Jesus “directs” in Lk. What we do is only a response to His work in us. Peter was only His instrument. If we will be like Peter, who went through all parts of the country, then we will also find opportunities for the miraculous power of God. Commentary and Background Information. But God was more than able to turn this terrible threat into a great blessing. We would not blame Ananias for a measure of disbelief – such a great, big calling for such an unlikely man. It was especially important as a center of Stoic philosophy” (Williams). Often, that is the best time to serve the Lord, and especially to tell others about Jesus. “Is it not already but too evident that the church of our day has little or no conception of the pricelessness of blessing involved in this paraclesis of the Spirit? Then Peter arose and went with them. c. i. You can also change some of your preferences. So, taking into account the three years mentioned in Galatians 1:18, and that this incident happened at the end of those three years, we can surmise that Paul was converted sometime between A.D. 34 and 36. b. Yet in Jerusalem the Christian community was almost entirely from a Jewish background, and these Christians still valued many of the Jewish laws and customs. We may request cookies to be set on your device. He was Saul of Tarsus, the young, successful, energetic rabbi. iv. He knew they needed to know Jesus in truth, that He is the Son of God.

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