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Thomas F. Fischer, M.Div., M.S.A., Editor
Third Sunday After
Epiphany/
Conversion Of St. Paul
Series C
Option
#1: "God's Before and After Picture-- 1) From legalist to evangelist: vv1-6; legalist: Matt 6:5, 15:7-9;
23:13ff; Mark 7:6-8; Lk 13:14ff; evangelist: Eph 2:8-10; Romans 5 & 8,
etc. 2) From chief persecutor (9:1-2) to chief proclaimer: v15, 17-18; 9:20-22;
Galatians 1:13-24 3) From law enforcer (take prisoners) to liberator from the Law: vv20-22;
Rom 3:28, 7:6, 8:1-39; Gal 2; Php 3:7-9 John F. MacArthur, Jr., Fervency in Speaking Immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He
is the Son of God." And all those hearing him continued to be amazed, and
were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called
on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound
before the chief priests?" But Saul kept increasing in strength and
confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the
Christ. Acts (9:2022) Those transformed by the saving grace of God
cannot stop speaking about it (Acts 4:20), and Saul was no exception. After a
few days of fellowship with the saints, he immediately began to proclaim
Jesus in the synagogues. To the shocked Christians, surprised by his
conversion, can be added the shocked Jews, who were expecting him to take
Christians prisoner, not preach Jesus Christ in their synagogues. From the
beginning he felt that courageous compulsion that later caused him to exclaim,
"Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel" (1 Cor 9:16). In the very synagogues to which he had come with warrants for the
arrest of Christians, Saul now began to proclaim Jesus. The content of
that preaching was that Jesus is the Son of God, a title for our Lord that
speaks of His deity (cf John 10:31-36). (For a discussion of the issue of the
sonship of Jesus Christ, see Hebrews, MacArthur New Testament
Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 1983], 26ff) The shock and consternation Sauls preaching produced is inconceivable
for us. The most zealous defender of Judaism now became the most zealous
evangelist for Christianity. Not surprisingly, all those hearing him
continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem
destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose
of bringing them bound before the chief priests?" They could not
comprehend the drastic change in Saul. Far from wilting under the pressure of confusion turning into hostility, Saul
kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by
proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Like Stephen before him, he met the
Jews in open debate about the deity and messiahship of Jesus. Saving faith
"comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Rom 10:17). That Saul was confounding the Jews in this dialogue should surprise
no one. He had the finest education first-century Judaism could offer, and
they could not hope to match his knowledge of the Scripture. Once he
understood who Jesus was, he had the key that unlocked the whole Old
Testament. He was then able to use his vast knowledge of those Scriptures and
his Spirit-controlled brilliance, as well as the truth of Jesus miracles,
words, death, and resurrection, to prove that this Jesus was indeed the
long-awaited Messiah.
The Life of St. Paul"
Acts 9:1-22
Rev. Wayne Dobratz, B.A., M.Div.
+ + +
(Acts 9:20) At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. (Acts 9:21) 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?"
+ + +
Option
#2: "A Divine Makeover"
Acts 9:15-16
Rev. Kelly Bedard., B.A., M.Div.
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