"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. (A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens) I. Background A. Best of times: Acts 6:1 Disciples were increasing in number - B. Worst of Times: Acts 8:1 And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. C. Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. First part of chapter 8 tells of Samaria receiving the Word and the Spirit and now we will see the beginning of the Gospel going to The end of the Earth II. Our First Story Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch A. The Ethiopian 1. was a eunuch royal official something like the finance minister 2. The Ethiopian Eunuch may have been a Diaspora Jew, a proselyte or he may have been a God-fearer a Gentile who worshiped Israel s God but had not become a full convert we don t know for sure but he has been somehow involved in Judaism since he is reading Isaiah and he had gone to Jerusalem to worship. 3. For the eunuch, full conversion and participation in Temple worship [in Jerusalem] was not possible. The reason for this was because Deuteronomy 23:1 forbade it: No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD. 4. He was seeking God: He had a copy of Isaiah not easy to obtain in those days. It is likely that the eunuch was reading the Book of Isaiah because it offers hope for the foreigner and eunuch, those forbidden, in the Old Covenant, from worshipping in the assembly. Isaiah 56:3-5 reads: [3] Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, The LORD will surely separate me from his people ; and let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. [4] For thus says the LORD: To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, [5] I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. B. Philip 1. He had just been in Samaria successfully preaching the gospel and reaching the Samaritans but God sends an angel to tell him to get up and go and then when he is on the road he sees the Eunuch and is told to go over and join this chariot. Page 1 of 6
2. Philip is faithful and goes and hears that he is reading from Isaiah 53, one of the great Suffering Servant passages. It is in this passage that the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed as the Lamb of God who dies a humble death as a sheep who led to slaughter. Christ Himself applied Isaiah 53 to Himself [Mark 10:45; 14:24; Luke 22:37]. 3. Luke then simply states, in vs 35, Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. a) So, Philip simply preaches Christ. We can never hear enough the truth that faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17) b) This account powerfully parallels the encounter that two disciples had with the resurrected Christ on the road to Emmaus: Luke 24:25-27 [25] And he said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! [26] Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? [27] And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. C. The Conversion 1. God intervenes and makes all the details of the conversion of this chosen man happen: for God was in sovereign control. a) a disciple of Christ, Philip, was obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit and obeyed and went to a specific place where b) a religious man who has travelled at great expense to learn about God. c) he had the Scriptures open to the perfect place, at the time that Philip came up to him, d) he was wondering what the identity of the Servant in Isaiah 53 was ], 2. God drew the Ethiopian eunuch to Himself; in accordance with John 6:44: No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him. 3. Immediately following meeting Christ through the scriptures, the Eunuch believes and asks Philip to baptize him! D. The Aftermath 1. And then Philip is carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to another Gentile region to continue preaching the Gospel. 2. The eunuch goes on his way rejoicing. Scripture does not inform us what happened to the eunuch; however, the Early Church Father Irenaeus wrote that the eunuch became a missionary to the Ethiopian people. III. Our Second Story Saul on the Road to Damascus A. Saul 1. Saul was a Pharisee (Phillipians 3:5), a student of Gamaliel, one of the most noted rabbis in history.(acts 22:1-3) Page 2 of 6
2. A Roman Citizen (Acts 22:28) During this time, Roman citizenship was a highly coveted prize 3. A Persecutor of Christians: He had authority in the capture and punishment of Christians. Acts 9:1 is the fourth time that Luke has mentioned Saul in the Acts narrative. a) The first was when, in 7:58, we read about the witnesses to Stephen s death Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. b) Secondly, in 8:1, And Saul approved of his execution. c) Thirdly, in 8:3, But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. d) And finally, Saul, like the Ethiopian Eunuch was on a journey. He had a request for extradition to bring the new Christians back to Jerusalem in order to try them and persecute them, quite possibly even put them to death, like Stephen. Acts 9:1-2 [1] But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. B. The Conversion Saul Meets the Risen Lord Acts 9:3-4 [3] Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. [4] And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 1. As Saul was pursuing the Christians with all of his might, Christ appeared to him. a) It is obvious that Saul was not seeking after Christ when Christ revealed Himself to Saul. Rather, Saul was seeking to persecute the people of God. This demonstrates a timeless Biblical point: no one seeks after God. Romans 3:10-18: [10] as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; [11] no one understands; no one seeks for God. [12] All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. [13] Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. [14] Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. [15] Their feet are swift to shed blood; [16] in their paths are ruin and misery, [17] and the way of peace they have not known. [18] There is no fear of God before their eyes. b) This also calls us to recall two of the most powerful words in all of Scripture: But God. Ephesians 2:3-5: [3] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and Romans 5:8: but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Page 3 of 6
2. As Saul fell to the ground, he heard a voice [Verse 4] saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? (1) The answer to this fundamental question becomes clear when we begin to understand the nature of our covenant relationship in and with Christ. When we are regenerated and believe, we are united with Christ in an eternal covenant. (2) Our union Christ is clearly revealed throughout the New Testament, primarily in the writings of Paul Himself [1 Corinthians 6:17; 2 Corinthians 12:2; 13:5; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2; 3:17; 5:30; Colossians 1:27; 1 John 5:20] 3. This visitation and message from Jesus was only for Saul. The others saw the light (Acts 22:9) and heard a voice but not the words. 4. One of the immediate effects of Christ s revelation was that it blinded Saul. a) Saul was a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee (Phillipians 3:4). He knew the Scriptures; yet, he had missed that they pointed to Christ. It is quite possible, even probable, that the reason for Saul s blinding was to reveal that he was under the curse of breaking the Law, apart from Christ. Deuteronomy 28:28-29 states: [28] The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind, [29] and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. And you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you. b) Acts 9:8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. Saul was going to Damascus in order to arrest Christians and bring them bound to Jerusalem ; however, Saul has now been arrested by Christ, and finds himself being led, helplessly by others into Damascus. 5. Acts 9:9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. However, this act is not so much a judgement as it is a time for Saul to pause and reflect as his eyes have reacted to the strength of God s glory. For three days he sits in darkness...saul now blind, is also now seeing. Meanwhile, God also is preparing Ananias to receive him. (Bock, p. 359) C. Ananias 1. He was a disciple of Jesus at Damascus 2. He was devout, according to the law and well-spoken of by all the Jews in Damascus (Acts 22:12) 3. Like Philip, Ananias is faithful. He chose to believe the voice of the Lord more than his own natural knowledge and negative thoughts about Paul. He had natural, human re-actions like the rest of us and was somewhat nervous and hesitant to obey when he heard it was Paul he was meant to go and speak to. 4. Ananias goes to Paul and does not condemn him but calls him brother. He lays hands on him to restore sight and to see him filled with the Holy Spirit Page 4 of 6
5. Just as Philip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, Ananias baptized Paul D. The Aftermath 1. Appointed by Jesus as His special apostle to the Gentiles a) Jesus told Annanias in vs 15-16 [15] Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. [16] For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. b) Paul tells us in Galations that he was taught by Christ (Gal 1:12-17) 2. Acts 9:19-22 For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. [20] And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is the Son of God. [21] And all who heard him were amazed and said, Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests? [22] But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. a) It is certainly possible that no one in Damascus compared to Saul with respect to knowledge of the Old Testament. He no doubt knew it backwards and forwards. Likely he had large parts, quite possibly all of it, memorized. b) Most certainly he was demonstrating powerfully, effectively, conclusively, and irrefutably [although many may have been spiritually blinded to the truth] that the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the entire Old Testament. 3. Vs. 23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him so he escapes to Jerusalem (the many days is 3 years Gal 1:18) 4. In Jerusalem, the disciples were afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple but because of the work of Barnabas, and most certainly the work of the Holy Spirit, Saul was fully accepted in the circle of the apostles in Jerusalem. 5. So when God converted Saul, He took all of Saul, who had been the object of weeping for the followers of the Way, and transformed him into an object of God s glory. 6. It was the best of times: Acts 9:31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. Page 5 of 6
Questions for further study: 1. In Acts 9:2 Luke says that Saul will be going to Damascus to find men or women belonging to The Way. What is the significance of this name for Christians? 2. Jesus tells us in Mat 4:44 to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us and the example of the conversion of Paul, shows us that God can powerfully use those who persecute us for the advancement of His Kingdom. If we are praying for the salvation of our enemies, but they are raping, enslaving, beheading and crucifying innocent people, should we as Christians also be praying for there to be justice against them? 3. The story of Saul s conversion is also in Acts 22 and 26 and there are differences, seeming contradictions, in the accounts. If we accept that the Bible in inerrant, how do we reconcile those contradictions? Bibliography Bock, Darrell L., Acts, Baker Exegetical commentary on the New Testament, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2007, Print Fernando, Ajith, The NIV Application Commentary: Acts, Zondervon, Grand Rapids, 1998, Print Hughes, R. Kent, Acts, The Church Afire, Preaching the Word Series, Crossway: Wheaton, 1996. Print Johnson, Dennis E., The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption, P&R Publishing: Phillipsburg, 1997. Print Sproul, R.C. Acts. St. Andrew s Expositional Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010. Print Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version. [3rd ed.] Orlando, Fla.: Reformation Trust, 2015. Page 6 of 6