The Sunday School Lesson

ACTS 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Da-mas'cus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Je-ru'sa-lem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Da-mas'cus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Je'sus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Da-mas'cus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

10 And there was a certain disciple at Da-mas'cus, named An-ani'as; and to him said the Lord in a vision, An-a-ni'as. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Ju'das for one called Saul, of Tar'sus: for, behold, he prayeth.

16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

17 And An-a-ni'as went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Je'sus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Ho'ly Ghost.

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

19a And when he had received meat, he was strengthened.

HEART OF THE LESSON

Saul's introduction in the Scriptures can be found n Acts 7:58, n the brief notation on that Stephen's executioners placed their cloaks at Saul's feet In the first three verses of chapter 8, Luke recorded how the church in Jerusalem experienced great persecution and how Saul wreaked havoc against it.

1. Saul's mission and endorsement (Acts 9:1-2). Luke began chapter 9 with a continuation of his account of Saul's crusade to destroy the church. He had personally caused great suffering in the Christian community at Jerusalem. His campaign expanded beyond Jerusalem as he secured authority from the high priest to pursue the Christians as far as Damascus.

At this time Christians were called members of the Way, Paul went by his Hebrew name "Saul".

2. The interruption (Acts 9:3). Saul's intense hatred of Christianity motivated his journey to Damascus, a distance of about 149 miles from Jerusalem. Luke wrote that It as hear the end of this journey that Saul's trip was interrupted dramatically, A light from heaven shone around him

In I Corinthians 9:1, Saul wrote that he had actually seen the Lord, Although Luke did not describe such a meeting here, it is implied in his account that Saul saw Jesus.

3. The confrontation: face-to-face with Christ (Acts 9:4-5). Saul heard a voice from heaven asking why he was persecuting Him. As Saul questioned the speaker, the Lord identified Himself: "I am Jesus." The resurrection and all that Saul had opposed was actually true. Saul learned that his persecution of the church was synonymous with persecuting Christ for the church is the body of Christ.

4. Saul's submission (Acts 9:6-11). Saul's attitude had completely changed by this time. Luke described him as "trembling and astonished." Saul could reject the testimony of the church in Jerusalem, he could misunderstood the prophecies of the Old Testament about the Messiah, and he could ignore the evidence of the resurrection but he could not deny all that testimony put together with a personal confrontation with Christ.

In submission, he asked what the Lord wanted him to do. Blind, he allowed his companions to lead him into Damascus to await further instructions. His important documents, secured from the high priest, were now obsolete in light of the new instructions he awaited.

Just as Jesus was in the tomb for three days, Saul was without sight for three days. Perhaps this similarity was not lost on him

5. Saul's new mission (Acts 9:16.19a). Saul was suddenly dependent upon the very people whose lives he had sought to extinguish. Ananias arrived and prayed for Saul's eyesight to return. This miracle verified that the people of the Way truly represented Christ and spoke for Him. Ananias verifiled that Saul had been visited by Jesus

Saul was one of the most dynamic examples of the immediate change a person can experience when coming to Christ.

Once his eyesight was restored, he confirmed his commitment to Christ by submitting to baptism. He spent the next several days with the disciples at Damascus, enjoying fellowship with the very people he had come to destroy. Shortly thereafter he became an ambassador for the Saviour he had so Savagely opposed

QUESTIONS

1. In what ways was Jesus being persecuted by Saul?

2. What is meant by the expression "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:5)?

3. How did the men with saul react to these events?

4. Who was Ananias, and what was he told to do?

(Reprinted by permission of The Incorporated Trustees of the Gospel Worker Society and Union Gospel Press, P.O. Box 6059, Cleveland, Ohio, 44101)