Acts & The Life of Paul | Lecture 14 : BC302-Acts-20260921

Okay. So, uh I'll just start with the image of Damascus. So, you can see in the map that's also north from Jerusalem. So we we saw Samaria somewhere here and then you go a little more up we have Damascus. So we know that Saul made a journey from Jerusalem which obviously is uh you know that uh capital taking letters and all. Uh this I mean we don't know the exact travel plan of him but we know he's from Cissia. uh he most likely he probably would have gone to Jerusalem and then from there he would have headed to Damascus with the letters okay he may have even gone straight from Cissia but you have an idea right okay great now let's get back so we had a question whether uh Saul was fasting or did he uh experience physical weakness because of the encounter the exact answer. We are not very sure. Okay. But it uh it could be either because when we consider Daniel, you remember Daniel also when he encountered he had a vision uh he saw the vision and it was so real to him that his physical body became very weak. So is it that he could not Saul could not eat because of the encounter? Not sure. But our assumption is he was probably fasting because he was a godly man and he wanted to uh get answers from God. Okay. So now let's move ahead. So there is an instruction to go to the city of Damascus and over there he's there for 3 days. Now what happens is God is speaking to a man in Damascus about Saul. So in verse 10 we can see certain disciple at Damascus named Ananas. So see the uh way in which God is working. Earlier previous chapter we saw Philillip. Philip is a deacon at this point but Ananas Bible is saying disciple that means he still does not have any leadership position in the church of Damascus but there are believers in Damascus and there is one disciple by the name of Ananas so God gives him a vision and in the vision God speaks to him again it's a beautiful Because God tells him, "The Lord in a vision says Ananas." How would it be if we had a vision and you heard your own name, right, Nancy? It'll be so uh you'll be like, "Wow, God is talking to me." So God is now waking up one uh believer and God is speaking to him in that city. Ananas and look at the heart of Ananas. He's also like uh your Isaiah, like your Samuel, ready to serve the Lord. So he says, "Here I am, Lord." So all these men and women are ready. God, you just tell what do you want? Here I am, Lord. And then God speaks to him. In verse 11, God instructs him and says, "Arise and go to the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying." And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananas coming in and putting his hand on him so that he might receive his sight. See God is orchestrating an appointment previous also appointment between Philillip Ethiopian Yonak now one more appointment but the way God sets up appointment is very different what will we do we'll send WhatsApp message hello are you available then we'll confirm but for God through a vision he's talking to Ananas and through a vision he has spoken to Saul also Saul has already seen the vision that there is a man called Ananas who's coming and laying his hands on him. So Saul knows I'm supposed to meet this Ananas. Yeah. And uh let me also just in our notes you have some links. So I am just showing uh I clicked on those links and you should be able to see. So these are all images of uh Damascus which have been clicked. So this is where it is. This is all in recent times. These are not old photos but uh in recent times. So Damascus like a highle view looks like this and uh remember the street called as straight. So this is the literal street. It is there uh like somebody who saw that street has clicked a photo of it but there is a mention of that street and uh see the way in which God has worked. God is even telling uh anonyas the address. So sometimes we ask the question right is it possible that word of knowledge can be so specific why not here you have a clear example where God is telling such a detail right to uh ananas and saying that go to the street called as straight or you know in our today's language it'll be go to sixth cross or seventh cross take a Right turn. Okay. You'll see a house, two-story building. Go to the first floor. So, exact location of the man Ananas. And here it says, you know, Saul was praying. So those three days he was not eating, drinking. What was he doing? He was seeking God, praying. So God has now made an appointment of these two men using a vision. Then look at the response of Ananas. First he said, "Here I am Lord." Meaning I'm ready. But in verse 13, he's getting a little scared because Saul of Tarsus is so famous. He may have heard from the persecution of of Stephen. Oh, that guy. I don't think I want to go meet him and put my hands on him. Like what if he kills me? So now Ananas is scared. Verse 13. He says, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man. How much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." But God is not changing his plan. Verse 15, God says go. See how God works. No, we tell God, can you change the appointment, Lord? Can you change the schedule? God says nothing doing. Go. That's what I want you to do. You go. So, at this time, God is still sending him. But to make it little easy for him, God is telling Ananas the plan that he has for Saul's life. So he reveals to him in verse 15, "Go for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake." Look at the beauty of this. Our Saul has no idea because from the road to Damascus, God didn't tell him anything. He's clueless. What is happening? Jesus is speaking to me. I'm supposed to do something, but I don't know. But I saw in a vision. Ananas will come and lay hands on me. That's all. But to another man, God is revealing the purpose of Saul's life. And to Ananas, God is saying he's a chosen vessel. He will stand before so many people, Gentiles, kings, children of Israel, and I'm going to show him how many things he's going to suffer for my name's sake. So why is God revealing about a mighty man? Saul to who? Ordinary believer Ananas. God can do that. So God has revealed the destiny. And then verse 17, Ananas was obedient, went his way and entered the house. No like all our other people. Abraham don't know where I'm going, but I'll go. Thankfully this case Ananas has address. Abraham didn't have address also. Yeah. But they were all obedient. He went he found the house and there he did what Saul saw in the vision laying hands on Saul. So do you do you feel that by now he lost his fear Ananas? Yeah. Because he's obedient to God's word. God has already confirmed in um Ananasiah's heart that this man is for the kingdom work and Ananas would have also understood that now he's a believer. God has encountered him and he's a believer. So in verse 17 he's talking to Saul and he says brother Saul. So in the early church language if they say brother it means you're part of the church. So by now Ananas is convinced ah he's a believer. Good. So he says, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." So now what is happening? One more important uh truth we can learn here, God is working in the life of one believer through another believer. So healing, receiving of sight. Okay, it's not it's not your typical healing where uh Paul went blind because of some earthly cause. But he was blind but God wanted to heal him. How? By the ministry of another believer plus baptism in the Holy Spirit. So God sent me to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. Now tell me can a believer pray for another believer or should only pastor pray for a believer to receive baptism? >> Yeah, easily believers can pray for other believers and uh people can receive be filled with the Holy Spirit. So in this case God is using Ananas. So when Ananas laid hands whatever Saul saw in the vision came to pass. So right now verse 18 says immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales and he received the sight at once and he arose and was baptized. So here baptism in holy spirit also was ministered by ananas and you can see that water baptism also both. Now you think with me. We all know the life of uh Saul, okay? Mighty man of God, Apostle Paul. Why is God working through an ordinary believer? He could have sent some other mighty man. No, some Peter or John. You go from Jerusalem. Apostle Paul is waiting. You go minister. But God is using an ordinary believer. What is your uh you know view on that? >> It shows that every person who has been called by God has a purpose. >> Yes. Correct. So all of us have a purpose and God can work through anyone to minister to anyone. It's possible that when we are praying for somebody, we don't realize it's apostle Paul I'm praying for. No idea. But we just should be faithful. So through Ananas, one is that healing that blindness left him. Second is Holy Spirit baptism. Third is water baptism. All three were ministered by an ordinary believer to a mighty apostle of God. And that's how the journey of Apostle Paul started. So it's a great uh uh turnaround in the in the history of the church. This man coming into the picture. God had a great purpose for him. Uh so once he received his sight uh now in verse 19 we read that he received food and he was strengthened. So maybe I don't know maybe he was strong enough to eat or he broke his fast. Either way he ate he was strong and uh he continued in that city of Damascus spending time with other disciples. Okay. So this is how the encounter of Saul took place and uh uh he came into the kingdom of God. So we already stated that Saul is passionate man. You know sometimes uh the qualities that God gives us he uses it in various ways in his kingdom. Some people are very passionate. Some people are very patient. You know some people are very joyful. Whatever that quality is God will use it in his kingdom. So in the case of Saul, his passion uh he doesn't do God's work in a slow way. You know how sometimes we'll say tomorrow I'll write it tomorrow. You know I'll call tomorrow I'll clean tomorrow. We put things away. But whenever we read about Paul there's a sense of urgency. He's like a man who now he wants to do it immediately. some uh very amazing quality that uh Saul had before he was a believer even after he is a believer. So now that he is born again he's thinking now what should I do for God's kingdom right now I'll do it. So look at verse 20 immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues that he is the son of God. See he can't keep quiet. That is the kind of man whom God has touched right now. He wants to start his ministry right away. So not a moment to spare. He's out there in the synagogues. The man who came to persecute is now preaching. So much confusion. People would have been like what is happening? You know uh so he's doing and when people are looking at him preaching they're asking the question. Verse 21 says, "Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem? And has he come here for that purpose so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?" So they are confused. People are all asking question. They all know Saul. He's not ordinary person. Even as a persecutor, he was very famous. So now as he is doing these things um you know people are people are in a state of confusion but Saul is going strong. He does not want to stop. Okay. So what he does is uh he goes and uh in verse 22 it says confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus proving that this Jesus is the Christ. So it's like a new found passion also. So many of us may have had this experience when we were born again. We were so passionate right in those early days. you want to tell the whole world. We are telling our neighbors, our uh uh you know everyone. So I'll just tell you one story. It's very disconnected but uh uh so this Saturday we had that music thing, right? So on the way back home I decided to go by bus. I thought okay let me just try it out. It's not that crowded. Let me just take the bus. And uh I got a bus and it was empty and then few people got onto the bus and my auntie came and sat next to me. Not even two seconds she came and sat. She's asking me are you a Christian? I was like what should I say? I I was just like yes no only I was answering her. So I said yeah yeah I am. Then she started her story. She's so passionate. She's saying you know I used to do that and this and my family was not uh seeing any deliverance and then she loudly she's saying the conductor can hear the driver can hear everyone. I'm thinking auntie can you just you know little volume can you reduce I can hear you but she's she loves the Lord so much I think she has finished one prayer and she was going home and she's telling me you know Jesus has done so many miracles ma I'm thinking I should be like her no she is so passionate you know sometimes that's how some people are they on fire for the Lord. Till I got down, she didn't leave me. She told me all the miracles Jesus has done in her daughter's life, how her daughter got a job and this that and I'm filled with the Holy Spirit. Uh if you want word of prophecy, ask me. God is giving me visions, dreams. I'm like, what a woman of God. In a way, I was happy I took the bus. But from that day till today, I'm thinking how passionate she is. I should be like her. So, I mean, anyway, I was already a believer, but if I wasn't, I'm sure by the end of getting down, I would have wondered who is this Jesus? You know, she didn't she didn't uh preach or anything. She was just sharing her testimony but it was so amazing. So anyway coming back to the topic. Yeah. So uh our Saul is also like that full of you know passion. Immediately he's gone. He's arguing. He's proving from the scriptures and he's telling the people look Jesus is the Christ. Okay. So uh no uh no um time to spare like he's not making a 10-year plan that okay I will uh go here I will do this then I will go and preach. No no no immediately he wants to be on the job to serve the Lord. But what happens is he attracts a lot of uh opposition. First of all, the Jews are confused and they don't like what he's doing. And even among the believers, like how Ananas was uh saying, "Lord, he's a persecutor, you know, can we can I can I go? Can I trust?" Maybe the believers thought that he's pretending to catch us. So, uh he he's not finding the support that he needs to do God's work. He is passionate but no support opposition. So look at verse 23. By this time the Jews plotted to kill him. So it's getting very serious and Paul came to know about it. They were watching him to catch him one day. you know whenever this guy comes at this time we are going to kill him. So even the disciples understood that his life is in danger. So in verse 25 uh in the night what they do is they take a large basket and they let him down. You know those days you have walls of the city and all. So instead of entering the gate they thought let let us just lower him so that he can escape. And so the disciples helped him and he escaped. There was a threat for his life. So in our um uh notes again there is a link and if you click on that link you can see one second. Uh yeah. Okay. Yeah. A few images are there. I'm just going to them. So one of course is house of Ananas. So this is where he lived and there's an image for us and this part here somewhere here is where um you know traditionally Paul is believed to have escaped out of the city of Damascus. So his first stop was Damascus but his ministry was not received and he had to run for his life. Do we know anybody who ran for their life? Jonah but somebody who tried to serve the Lord and then they had to run for their life. Same like our Paul >> H. John, >> John, David. Okay. >> Elijah. >> Uh, sorry. >> Elijah. >> Elijah. Okay. Yeah. Correct. So, for their act of serving God, people came against them. Anyone like that? One particular act. >> Even Jesus also. >> Jesus also. How about Moses? Yes or no? He thought he will save the Jewish people and kill the Egyptian. The next thing he knows people are after his life. Escape, run to the wilderness. Same situation is happening to Saul. People are not ready to understand the call of God on his life. So he has no option but to bring him to a place of safety. So where does he go from here? He thinks okay maybe I'll go and meet the seniors. Where are the seniors? Jerusalem. Yeah, apostles will be there. Let me just go there and uh find safety. So he comes to Jerusalem in verse 26. He tries to join the disciples but look at this. There also they are afraid. They're saying you don't come. No Saul. uh because maybe this man is pretending and he will uh suddenly turn against us. So there is no trust factor. So he's not even able to join the church of Jerusalem. Okay. But there is one person who is so gracious. It's our brother Barnabas. We saw that he was a good man. And uh when the church is not ready to accept him, Barnabas still believes in Saul and he takes Saul to the apostles and he narrates to the apostles. Look, he has seen God. Don't worry, he's definitely one of us. He has become a believer now. and uh you know uh he he genuinely he's a believer because he has even preached the lord Jesus Christ in the city of Damascus. So Barnabas knows all these things and he is letting the apostles know. Um so for some time Saul was in Jerusalem and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord and uh you know he he tried to again prove that Jesus is the Messiah. But even in Jerusalem there is trouble. So sad. Damascus he tried there is trouble. Jerusalem he's trying there is trouble. And so uh you know he went down to Cicia and they sent him out to Tarsus. They said you know what Saul just pack your bags. Nobody's ready to listen to you. Go back to your hometown. And that is the story the initial ministry of Apostle Paul. Now we can go to other passages of the Bible to learn what exactly happened. Here we we can't see much. We just saw that he preached in Damascus for some time and he went to Jerusalem for some time. But if we go back and read Galatians chapter 1, it's all there in your notes. You can uh read it later on. Galatians chapter 1 reveals to us that he had spent 3 years in Arabia and uh then returned to Damascus and then went to Jerusalem to see Peter. So there is clarity provided here. 3 years he was in the Arabia region. Okay? Cuz nobody accepted him. And uh when he went to Jerusalem again these are things we can take and connect from other passages of the Bible. we see that 15 days he spent with uh he spent with the apostles but there also he spent time with James. Okay. So you can go back and read it. I'm not going to get into it. So overall if you put everything together um something like 10 to 14 years after his conversion apostle Paul could not do public ministry in uh regions outside of his own like Arabia Cissia only in those regions he was serving not in a big way in a very very small Okay. So we call these 10 to 14 years as silent years of Paul. Very similar to our Moses. Even Moses went into the wilderness. There was a call of God on his life. But people were not accepting. Circumstances were not uh conducive. So here is Paul similar to Moses stuck in a so-called wilderness experience. Now in this journey who knows maybe even Saul would have asked Lord you saved me but even if I'm preaching nobody's listening to me I'm trying it's not that I'm not trying I'm trying to serve you but there are closed doors what is happening you know he would have he would have gone through those those questions but thank God he served faithfully in whatever God gave him in those times. So the Bible does say that he was continuing to preach and teach and all of that. Uh and he probably received all the revel most of the revelation that he brings out later in his epistles and in his ministry during the silent years. So silent years or years of waiting are not wasted years. God used it to build up Paul's character to clarify the vision to equip him with the word in a very deep way. So by the time Barnabas goes and brings him we see that he's appointed as one of the teachers in Acts 11 there is a church of the Gentiles called church of Antioch. In that church Paul is a leading teacher. So if you have to be a teacher you should know the word of God. That means 10 to 14 years he was deeply going deeply into the word, understanding things and developing uh you know his his uh uh understanding of the truth and receiving revelation from God. So God did not let those silent years be wasted. So it was 40 years for Moses but roughly 14 years for Saul. Even in our lives, God may build us up in a season of waiting. And I think in church we are studying about David. No, and we heard that uh David's life was built up in obscurity. meaning when nobody knew him that's when God uh built him up as a worshipper and as a faithful man and slowly when the correct opportunity came when he killed Goliath then suddenly he comes on the public scene but till that time everything is quiet nobody knows but God wants us to remain faithful and build ourselves up in that season of quietness. Okay, so it's not a wasted season. God has an intention for that season of quietness. Okay, so this is all what we have learned so far about Apostle Paul. And from this point onwards till we go to Acts 11, we are not going to hear about uh Paul. So he's quietly doing his ministry. Okay. So let me pause. We said so many things about Apostle Paul. Any comments from your side? We'll discuss and then move forward. So you said until Acts 11 verse we can we will be not reading about Saul right ma'am. >> No. >> So here here will be the silent period or like >> um yes correct. So you can assume that it's the silent period is kind of going on and uh he's he's serving the lord but parallelly there are other things going on in the church which is what we will see uh Luke cover. So Luke will now start talking about um Peter 10 to 14 years. >> Yes. Yes. Yeah. >> 8 to 12. >> Yeah. So uh in this portion see it's all kind of overlapped. If you read different different commentaries you'll get different different timelines. So it's all a rough calculation. So in Acts 9 we can kind of assume that our uh Saul has gone and spent roughly 3 years in the whole Arabia Damascus Cissia region and then you add whatever remaining number of years right uh so yeah maybe 8 years maybe 9 years maybe 10 years also but roughly that much time and finally acts 11 when you have Barnabas Barnabas will go and bring Saul back into the ministry and he'll start doing the work. So it's not exact slight overlaps will be there. >> Sure. Yeah. >> Uh as we see see ma'am in the previous chapter that uh whenever there was persecution the disciples were scattered and the churches grew. But in present should we pray for the persecution to stop or let it take place? >> Uh so because churches grew in persecution should we pray for persecution? >> No. >> Huh? >> Oh okay. So should we pray for persecution to stop? Uh obviously we would pray for persecution to stop because uh the more favor we have in the land, the more of uh uh the gospel work, kingdom work we can do. So we will always want it to stop but even though it exists, we will continue. See, so there's nothing wrong with the prayer that says, "God, we pray for this to stop." So we can pray for it to stop. Uh, however, we know Jesus has already told us that when he underwent persecution, obviously there will be persecution in this world. So don't be shocked when persecution happens. That's the point. So to change soul's life, God used an right ma'am. So and God directed him very clearly. >> But why God didn't set directly to Saul? >> Yeah. So see these things we don't understand. Uh vanilla. Uh my take is God maybe later on slowly God started revealing the purpose but in the first three days don't know whether he would have been able to handle it. See there are many things which God can tell us but can we handle it? Maybe God thought no he can't handle it so we'll wait. Yeah. Any other questions? Yes, please. >> So, uh he was blind for three three days. No ma'am. >> Huh? >> So uh when he was on the way to Damascus carrying the lettuce ma'am. So he saw the light then he got blind or before? >> Yeah. >> After after he got blind ma'am. >> No first he saw the light and he went blind. >> Oh as soon as he saw the light then he got >> Yes. >> Then then here in verse 8 ma'am it's it's written that then saw arose from the ground when his eyes were opened means he was still not blind. Wait one second. Let me see. Then arose from the ground. When his eyes were open, he saw no one. Huh? He opened his eyes, but he was blind. That's why he couldn't see anybody. >> And he was led by hand only. Um, somebody took Saul's hand and he was led to the place where God asked him to go. >> Yes, correct. So, he was blind. Uh, I was just looking at the timelines again to to show me I don't know if I have posted this. If I have not posted, I will post it for us. Uh so you can see here acts 2 to acts 8 first 8 years AD30 to AD38 and we saw how the church became strong and people were uh growing within Jerusalem and by the time it's 8 Samaria happens now from acts 8-13 it is again you know you can say uh 9 years. So it's it's roughly 9 years. So now 20 years have uh kind of gone by roughly no not exact but yeah 18 17 18 years. So the calculation for Paul's timing also works out. It's not exact but uh roughly. Then around that time is when Paul has his encounter. Uh he is about 29 or 33 years of age when he has his encounter. Uh and from acts 13 we will see that he will start getting very involved in missionary uh ministry. So from acts 13 to acts 28 is another 20 years. So overall the book of acts spans roughly around 40 years. Now we are going on saying roughly because we don't know the exact timelines. >> Huh? How old is he? >> See, our assumption is that when he started his ministry, he would have been like 50, 55 around there. Like Acts 13. >> Who? Uh Paul. Yeah, he would have been there. No, he would have been there. He would have been slightly younger than Jesus. Wait, how younger? Because now already 10 years have passed. No. So uh maybe he's 10 years younger. >> Huh? Because only after the ascension of Jesus, you have the uh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. So Jesus was 33, 33 and a half. Uh and if Jesus was around by now like plus 10, Jesus would be 43. But Paul is having an encounter at 33. So about 10 years younger than Jesus. So don't get too caught up because if you read one uh book you will see this. You read another book it'll give you another timeline. So we are just kind of superimposing based on some commentaries. So the timelines will vary. Uh but it's all rough calculation. So if he was 33 and uh you say like um 14 years have passed by, how old will um Saul be by the time he starts his ministry in Antioch? 47. >> Yeah, 47. 47. Again, some commentators say he was more than that. He was roughly around 50 years old. So, okay, fine. you know we we don't want to go by exact ages but we have an idea okay all right does that give us clarity so these timelines which I'm showing I have taken from uh revivals visitations and moves of god there also pastor has mentioned the exact uh dates pastor has mentioned so you can go back and refer to it okay any other questions Looks like we'll have to stop with uh Saul's encounter today. >> I'm saying or else you have questions. >> I know. Yeah. >> So, did anything uh touch you in what we learned about uh Saul's encounter? Yeah, sure. So even if there are persecutors against the church, God can transform them. That's gives us so much hope. I think girls have questions. >> Yeah, sure. Go ahead. We have four more minutes. >> Blind. >> Uh when he was blind, how did it affect his spiritual life? >> Yeah. So uh we to Ananas God said no, he's praying. So may in that state he was praying only it didn't discourage him from seeking God that much we can tell. So he was growing closer only to God at that time. Okay. So uh maybe we will end the class. What a bet what better way to end than verse 31 of Acts 9. So here it says ch then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria had peace and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit they were multiplied. So nowhere the church is uh stopping right only thing you see multiply multiply they went everywhere and the work of God continued even today it's multiplying and we need to pray Lord you multiply more and more so on that note we will uh stop for today I'm thinking after next week's class we'll have one assignment so then you'll in a better place and then we'll continue. Okay. Would any of you like to lead in prayer? Please pray into the mic. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for uh this day Lord Jesus. Thank you for your word Lord Jesus which you've given us Lord. Yes Lord Jesus by this we learn that Lord you are the God who give us details Lord Jesus Christ. You are the God who opened the eyes Lord Jesus. Father God, you are the Lord who use people those who are persecuing you Lord Jesus. Thank you father for using us as a vessel of honor Lord Jesus. Lord we submitting ma'am into your mighty hand and we submitting all the classmates Lord those who are online in person Lord submitting all into your mighty hand Lord Jesus give us wisdom, knowledge, understanding Lord and we submit rest of the time into your mighty hand Jesus name I pray and ask. Amen. >> Amen. Thank you. Thank you everyone. God bless you. Good week.