Acts 9 - Healing Prayers That Work!
Saul’s Conversion
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
This is probably one of the most dramatic and important conversion stories in the bible. Why? Because the apostle Paul was a missionary to almost every church in the New Testament, which grew out of the hub of the mother church in Jerusalem. Paul's zeal led him to try and capture as many Christians as he could find and put them in prison. He thought he was doing this for God in obedience to the Law of Moses.
But that was until Saul met Jesus on the Road to Damascus. Saul was blinded by a light from heaven and the voice of Jesus who asked him why he was persecuting him. That's an interesting question from Jesus, because Paul was not persecuting Jesus just his followers. But therein lies the importance of Jesus' statement. When you persecute a Christian, you are in effect persecuting Jesus. This is why the church is called the body of Christ.
As the apostle John said in John 15, "He is the Vine and we are the branches".
Jesus told Saul to go into the city. He was blind and did not eat or drink anything for 3 days. His encounter with Jesus had completely changed his life and everything about him.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Meanwhile there was another disciple name Ananias, whom Jesus spoke to through a vision. The Lord told him where to go and meet Saul and also mentioned that at the same time Saul was seeing a vision of Ananias coming and placing hands on him.
Ananias was perplexed. He had heard reports about how Saul was mistreating Christians. It was well known how brutal Saul was treating Christians so much so that many reports had gone out about him. But the Lord then told Ananias that this same man would be his instrument to reach many Gentiles and kings. Ananias was obedient to the Lord's vision, which is saying quite a bit based on what Ananias had heard about Saul.
When Ananias laid hands Saul, he told him that Jesus had sent him to restore his sight and fill him with the Holy Spirit. Note once again Luke's emphasis on the filling of the Holy Spirit. Notice also how once again it was the laying on of hands which became the means for the Holy Spirit to fill Saul.
Also note that Saul was baptized. The book of Acts consistently shows that baptism is part of the salvation process, and a physical sign of what has happened in a person's heart. They are washed clean by the blood of Jesus, and filled with the Holy Spirit. This is what it means to be born-again of the Spirit. So baptism and the Holy Spirit are very connected.
This Sunday at my church we are having 18 people who were baptized when they were younger, affirm their faith and their baptism. They are going to public testify to their Christian faith, and we are going to anoint them with oil, mark them with the sign of the cross, and lay hands on them renew them in the Holy Spirit! It's going to be a great day!
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. 26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews,[a] but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
Immediately Saul underwent a radical change in his life. He began to preach in the synagogues. This is where the local Jews met, but his message was not an ordinary one. He preached that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. Apparently Saul gave an impressive message, because the Jews there were astonished. But they couldn't reconcile this with the fact that Saul had just come to take Jesus' followers as prisoners.
Saul's teaching became even more powerful, as he taught the Jews why Jesus was the real Messiah. He must have brought them through all of the prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament and showed them how Jesus fulfilled every one of them. Soon the Jews in Damascus devised a plan to kill him. But the Lord revealed to Saul their intent and his followers used a basket to lower him through a wall in the city gate. God had provided the way of escape.
Saul journeyed on to Jerusalem and came upon the Christians there. But they too had heard of Saul the persecutor and were afraid he had come there to round them up. Barnabas intervened and shared with the apostles all Saul had done and said in the name of Jesus. So the apostles accepted him and he moved about freely continued to boldly proclaim the gospel.
The Greek speaking Jews did not like Saul either, and they tried to kill him too. But the believers figured it out and took him to Caesarea and they off to Tarsus a port on the eastern coast of Mediterranean Sea (modern day Turkey). This was where Saul was from to begin with.
He was Saul of Tarsus, the young, successful, energetic rabbi. Then he was Saul the Persecutor; then Saul the Blind. He became Saul the Convert and then Saul the Preacher. Yet before he became Paul the Apostle, he spent somewhere between 8 and 12 years as Saul the unknown. Those were not wasted years; they were good and necessary years. - Guzik
For a time the church enjoyed prosperity, peace, and numerical growth. The Holy Spirit was alive and well always encouraging them.
Aeneas and Dorcas
32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” n39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
Lydda was northwest of Jerusalem and half the way to Caesarea. Peter moved out of Jerusalem to visit the believers there. A man named Aeneas was paralyzed for eight years. Peter merely said, "Jesus Christ heals you!"
This is a great reminder that we don't need long drawn out prayers for healing in Jesus' name. We can say something short like this. Jesus doesn't need a long and emotional prayer from us, just prayer in his name in faith. Peter knew it was Jesus who healed, and it wasn't dependent on the sophistication of his prayer.
Some disciples in Joppa (northwest of Lydda on the coast) sent two men who took him up to a room full of crying widows. It seems as though Dorcas had made robes and clothing for them, but now she was on her deathbed. Her name was also Tabitha. Peter asked everyone to leave and then told her to get up. She opened her eyes and got up. Again, no long drawn out prayer. Peter told her to "get up" in Jesus' name.
When all the widows came back with the other believers he showed them she was alive. The news spread like wildfire, and many more people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed there for some time with leather worker named Simon.
Peter seemed to clearly remember what Jesus did in Mark 5:38-43 (or Luke 8:50-56). 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.
Peter simply tried to do as Jesus did. Jesus was his leader. 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. Now Peter was letting Jesus lead him. - Guzik
He stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner: This sentence would be somewhat shocking to an observant Jew of that time. According to their understanding of the law, it was strictly forbidden to associate with anyone who routinely worked with dead animals.
Because of this, we see Peter was becoming less concerned about Jewish traditions and ceremonial notions than before. This work of God in Peter’s heart laid groundwork for what God would do in Peter in the following chapter.
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