Memorial Day and a pesonal health test (the one which requires drinking a gallon of salty liquid) took me out of the picture for the last two days. Sorry for the missing notes.
Notes and Things that Stood Out to Me
v.1 Saul's threats are murderous. He is a true persecuter of the early Christians. He is also aggressive. Note that he seeks out more ways to gather Christians and wants to go to more places to find them. His zeal for God will come in handy when the Holy Spirit turns his heart around.
v.2 The early Christians became known as "The Way" followers. This appears to come from Jesus' words, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."
v.3 God's direct intervetion into the twisted theology of Saul is by God's own initiative. Saul serves as the perfect example of the truth that God loves even the most heinous of sinners and wants them to be part of His family. He seeks and saves without mind to our past.
v.7 One wonders what hapens to these men who were traveling with Saul. Did they also have their "eyes opened?" Were their hearts also changed by this experience?
v.10 Imagine being Ananias and receiving the vision that you are supposed to preach the Gospel to the ONE who was bringing persecution and hardship to the Christians. It's like being asked to share Christ with Adolph Hitler. No wonder Ananias checks his vision by saying, "Lord, I have heard how much evil this man has done to your saints."
v.15 Chosen instrument. God has plans for this misguided one. In many ways I believe He has a sentence like this for all of us. "Really?" the angels say. And God declares, "Imagine the possibilities." And soon He's taken a timid young man from Philadelphia and moved him to proclaim the name of Christ. What is His calling for you?
v.18 Saul was spiritually blind, and God made him physically blind. Now, as the Spirit of God comes to him, he regains spiritual and physical sight again. Scales fall of his eyes, and, no doubt, his hard-heart is transformed.
v.20. Saul's first ministry takes place in exactly the place he had intended to wreak havoc.
v.22 Saul's deep insight and knowledge of the history of Israel and his training as a leader of Israel come in handy when he comes to understand that Jesus is the Messiah. He reasons with fellow Jesus and proves to them (from the Scriptures) that Jesus is the Christ.
v.23 Many do not remember this story of Saul's rescue. Some of the Jews continued to be hard of heart and had no time for this well-spoken, convincing leader. They wanted to kill him.
v.26 Note, even the disciples were skeptical of Saul's conversion. But Barnabas brings the good news to them about Saul's repentance and faith. Soon he is boldly moving throughout the region, and many are "built up" in the faith.
The rest of the chapter begins to focus on Peter. Note that Peter's work described here is a clear fulfillment of Jesus' promise that the disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit, will do the same types of works as Jesus did. A paralyzed man stands up and walks. A dead woman is raised to life.
Beginning in Acts 7 & 8,isn't it amazing that, both as Saul with evil intent and later as Paul, he is the one most responsible for promoting the Gospel and contributing to the NT?! This should give us comfort during hard and even horrific times in life that God never leaves us and works to accomplish His purposes always and in all ways.
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