Acts 9
by Pastor Mark Hudson
Paul’s conversion is significant for Luke since this is told in chapter 9 and told again in chapters 22 and 26. Paul is significant because he writes 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Paul is The theologian of the New Testament and THE evangelist to the Gentiles or non-Jewish world. In fact, while Peter dominates the first part of Acts, Paul soon takes center stage and we never leave him since Luke, the author of Acts, joins Paul for some on Paul’s missionary journey. So Paul’s conversion contains many elements that Luke highlights.
In 9:2, Paul leaves Jerusalem with a mandate from the high priests to persecute Christians and later leaves Jerusalem as a fugitive Christian himself. “Saul the persecutor becomes Saul the persecuted” (John Stott, The Message of Acts. P. 179). If you would like a chronology of Paul’s life see this link: https://paultanner.org/English%20Docs/SpecialArt/Pauline%20Chronology.pdf This is only 14 pages! But helpful if you are curious about Paul’s chronology. For a compact version: https://paultanner.org/English%20Docs/Pauline%20Chronology%20Chart.pdf
Paul’s conversion is followed by chapter 10 where we read about Cornelius, the first Gentile conversion. This conversion is repeated in chapter 11. Near the end of the section that focuses on Paul, he is sent to Tarsus in v. 30 to escape persecution. Paul may have spent years in Tarsus as Stott suggests, “where he stayed incognito for the next seven or eight years” (Ibid.). Stott’s suggested time period can only be evaluated by Stott’s own chronology. The link above differs with Stott’s suggestion.
Paul is on the way to Damascus when he learned that there are Christians in Damascus. Leaving Jerusalem he is determined to bring back anyone who professes faith in Christ (v. 2). Evidently, Saul thinks Christians are deceiving people and these liars must be stopped. As he is nearing Damascus, Saul is confronted by a bright light and falls to the ground. He responds to Jesus’ first question by asking “Who are you, Lord?” To his utter amazement, the answer changes his life and indirectly millions, if not billions, of believers around the world. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Saul thought Jesus was dead. Now Saul realized Jesus is alive and speaking to him and giving him commands. Plus Jesus is intimately connected to the Way. Saul, is blinded by this Jesus and for three days he neither eats nor drinks. Consider how drastic this experience is for Saul and his companions. Those attending Paul could have been temple security and now they see Saul neither eating or drinking and blind!
Next, the Lord is bringing a reluctant Ananias to Judas’ home on Straight street to lay hands on him. Ananias prays for Saul to receive the Holy Spirit and baptizes Saul. Paul eats and drinks and is probably taught, encouraged, and comforted. Saul who came to Damascus to haul Christians back to Jerusalem is now Saul preaching the good news of Christ in the synagogues in Damascus.
Just as he wanted to kill Christians, now the Jewish leaders plotted to kill him. He escapes the city by being lowered to the ground in a basket. Paul later recounts this in II Cor. 11:33 which may indicate this was a rather humbling experience. Saul returns to Jerusalem but in a radically different frame of mind. Barnabas has to calm the Jerusalem believer’s fears about Paul since “they did not believe that he was a disciple” (v. 26).
We have another summary sentence(s) in v. 31. In the midst of persecution, radical conversions, the church is expanding geographically and numerically. These summaries are beautiful snippets of God’s grace. The church is still growing in spite of opposition. Some may say because of head winds.
Then in v. 32, we are back following Peter. These next two events are simply stupendous. First, (Peter) Christ heals Aeneas who had been bedridden for 8 years. Peter simply says, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And he immediately rises. People become believers as a result. The next event is even more miraculous. A woman named Tabitha dies and two messengers ask Peter to come at once. Peter puts everyone out of the room, kneels down and prays. Then he spoke these words: “Tabitha, get up” (which in its Aramaic form Tabitha kumi would have differed in only one letter from Jesus’ command Talitha kumi [“Little girl, get up”]). [Longenecker, 382.]. Peter’s healing reminds readers that the disciples are continuing the preaching, teaching, healing, and evangelistic work of Christ. Peter’s healing is almost a carbon copy of the healing in Mark 5:35ff. The disciples, sometimes, just do what they saw Jesus did.
Can you imagine all the events that happened that are not written about? Lives are being changed and a new community is being formed. At the end of chapter 9, Peter stays in Joppa with Simon the tanner, teaching and preaching. Jonah once boarded a boat at Joppa to get away from God. Now Joppa is a place where God is doing signs and wonders and “many believed in the Lord.” We don’t have details of Peter’s time there apart from the next chapter, but he is formulating his theology as he teaches, writes, and interacts with both believers and unbelievers.
The next chapter is also interesting because we normally think of Paul ministering to the Gentiles but here we find Peter preaching to Cornelius. Peter’s reluctance is not just Peter’s alone. The Lord is slowly getting the gospel to other parts around the Mediterranean and eventually around the world. The Holy Spirit binds people together in fellowship and He sends believers away from their homes to spread the good news. The Spirit unites and sends.
Father, we long to see revival in our lives and in our church. You still send awakenings. This country, by Your grace, has experienced revivals that have changed many lives in the past.. We ask You would do the same here. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to wake us from our slumber. We need to be concerned about missions abroad and evangelism here. We want to see conversion, baptisms, and our Sunday School classes, our small groups, and Bible studies full of people wanting to be taught the Bible. We would love to see our churches full, lives changed, and unbelievers saved. Pour down Your life-giving Spirit upon our parched souls. In the name of our Risen Christ, Amen.