Acts of the Apostles: From Enemy to Apostle (Ep 138)

Introduction

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Jason: Thank you for listening and welcome to the podcast. I'm your host, Jason McConnell. We've been on quite a ride persecution of scattered believers, gospel leaping into new places and the Holy Spirit working in power. But today is one of those turning points. This is where we see that no one is beyond Jesus's reach, not the most hardened enemy of the gospel, not the fiercest opponent of the church.

We're gonna meet a man named Saul of Tarsus. Now to the early Christians, his name was synonymous with fear. He was the one dragging believers out of their homes, throwing them into prison and doing everything in his power to stamp out this movement. But then God stepped in and when God steps in, everything changes.

Saul's story, collides with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, and his life will never be the same. The beauty of this chapter doesn't stop with Saul. God uses unlikely people, an ordinary disciple named Ananias, a faithful encourager named Barnabas, and a fearfully growing church to show us that transformation is not a solo act.

It is the work of the spirit shaping individuals and building unity in the body of Christ. Are you ready for radical conversions, bold obedience, and the kind of strength and growth that only the spirit can encourage. I sure hope so!

Saul's Mission of Persecution

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Jason: As we open Acts chapter nine, the stage is set with tension. The early church is growing, the spirit is moving, but so is the opposition, and at the center of that opposition is this man named Saul.

Let's step into the text and see how Luke introduces him in this moment in history. In Acts nine verses one and two. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murders threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues to in Damascus, so that if he found anyone there who belonged to the way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

So the last we heard of Saul was back in Acts eight, verse three, where he was destroying the church and dragging men and women to prison. Now he's expanding his work to the city of De Damascus, which is about 130 miles northeast of Jerusalem. It's, it's a six day travel there. I mean, SA Saul at this point is no casual opponent.

He was a Pharisee trained under the famous Rabbi Gamal, and in his eyes, he wasn't being aggressive. He truly believed he was defending the honor of the of God's law To him, these followers of Jesus were heretics. A dangerous sect pulling people away from the covenant, and I want you to notice how Luke describes him here.

Saul was breathing out murderous threats. I mean, it's like the hostility was the very he in his lungs and he wasn't acting alone. He carried the full authority of the high priest requesting official letters that would give him power in Damascus. The high priest mentioned here was most likely Caiaphas.

I mean, imagine that a Pharisee Crossing board is traveling over 130 miles just to drag men and women back to Jerusalem in chains. And this goes to show us just how seriously the Jewish leaders opposed the way as they call the way of Jesus. For them following Jesus wasn't just a different opinion, it was blasphemy worthy of crushing.

So Saul of Tarsus, I mean, he was a well educated man. Um, you know, maybe he took his example from Phineas, who in the book of numbers killed an immoral man and women with a spear. And in return, God honored his actions by halting the plague. But here's kind of a sobering truth. Zeal without Christ is a dangerous thing.

d us to God's truth. Proverbs: 1412

Uh, you and I might be on fire for Jesus, but we have to ask ourself is our zeal misdirected. It, it's easy to look at Saul and shake our head in disappointment, but if we're to be honest with ourselves, many of us have been in a place where our passion can outrun our wisdom. Maybe it's a, a cause a, a tradition, or even a, a personal conviction that we hold so tightly that we failed to see others through the eyes of Christ.

Sometimes we become so busy trying to win an argument. Uh, that we, that we forget to win souls. So take a moment to check yourself. Is your passion aligned to the heart of Jesus? Do your actions reflect his love and truth, or are you breathing out frustration, anger, and judgment? These are questions I do try to ask myself because I'm no different than you or anyone else in my capacity to sin.

Zeal is a wonderful, powerful thing, but only when the Holy Spirit is guiding it. So Saul is breathing threats, armed with authority and heading northward towards Damascus. In his mind, this was gonna be a victory march, a mission to protect the faith and stamp out the name of Jesus once and for all. But what Saul didn't know was that the very one he was persecuting was about to meet him face to face and, and that's a meeting that would not only change Saul, it would change the world.

So let's go on this journey down the road of Damascus.

Saul's Encounter with Jesus

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Jason: In Acts nine, verse three through nine, as he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from the heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Who are you? Lord? Saul asked, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

He replied, now, get up and go into the city and you'll be told what you must do. The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the sound, but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. So they let, they let him by the hand into Damascus for three days.

He was blind. It did not eat or drink anything. So let's go back and try to imagine this moment. Damascus was one of the oldest, uh, continually inhabited cities in the world. At that time, a major trade hub, uh, connecting Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor and its streets were filled with, with merchants, with travelers, with people from all walks of life.

For Saul, this journey wasn't about arresting a few believers. It was about striking fear into the very heart of this growing movement in a very strategic location. But Saul and his company drew near Damascus. A blinding light comes from the heaven, not just any light, but a divine interruption that shatters his mission.

And this is an unusual event. God doesn't normally confront sinners with the heavenly light or audible voice, but Saul is thrown to the ground, blind, blinded, trembling, and terrified. The man who came to capture Christians now finds himself helpless, having to be led into the city by the hand, like a child.

Now it's possible that due to his station, he was on horseback and actually fell from the horse he rode. Though scripture doesn't really say, so I, I kind of like to imagine that according to Frederick five E Bruce or ff Bruce. The rabbis of Saul's Day mostly believed that God no longer spoke to man directly as he did in the days of the prophets.

However, they believe that one could hear the echo of God's voice, what they called the daughter of the vo voice of God. And here Saul learns that one can hear God directly. I thought that was interesting to share. So this voice calls out to him by name twice. Saul. Saul, and this may be to display. Kind of a deep emotion similar to how Jesus addressed Martha in Luke 10 verse 41.

Notice Jesus doesn't say, why are you persecuting my followers, or Why are you attacking my church? He says, why are you persecuting me? And this tracks, if we look at the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, verse 40, Jesus said, truly, I tell you, whatever you did to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

I think this works both ways. This moment reveals the deep unity between Christ and his followers. It's a reminder that when you suffer for your faith, Jesus suffers too. He feels it. When the world mocks or rejects you for standing firm in him, he takes it personally. He is not a distant savior watching from heaven.

He is the one walking the road beside you even when you don't see him, because Jesus identifies. With his people. He loves his people. Also consider this, Saul heard Jesus teach in Jerusalem and and was probably a member of the Sanhedrin, so he likely sat in judgment of Jesus in the trial before his crucifixion.

I'm guessing Saul would've recognized his voice. So to quote James Montgomery voice, unless Saul was hallucinating, the appearance of Jesus proves that Jesus was alive and that Jesus was God. This is a reminder that Jesus will meet us in our own blindness. Now, maybe your story doesn't include a bright light or a voice from heaven, but all of us have some moments where God had to stop us in our tracks.

Maybe it was through some loss, maybe a conviction, or even a quiet whisper that cut through our pride. Sometimes God allows the light to blind us a little so he can help us truly see. But the real question is this. Are we listening? When he calls our name, Saul Heard Saul. Saul, and it was personal. Jesus didn't speak to condemn him, but to call to him, and perhaps he's calling your name too, maybe.

He's asking, why are you resisting me? Why are you running your own way? Why are you fighting the very thing I want to do for you in your life? We all have areas of blindness, those places where we think we see clearly, but we're actually missing the big picture. Maybe it's how we treat people, maybe how we prioritize our time or even how we understand grace.

But Jesus will meet us in those places and it's not, it's not to shame us, but to restore our sight. And like Saul, we may need a few days in the darkness. It's some time of humility and reflection to realize that God's light is far brighter than anything we could produce on our own.

Ananias' Faithful Obedience

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Jason: So while Saul sat in darkness, blind and broken, the story shifts to a quiet home somewhere in Damascus.

God's plan is already in motion, but it doesn't unfold through any famous apostle or a powerful leader. Instead, it comes through an ordinary disciple. Somebody you or I might easily overlook. And his name was Ananias. And this is a different Ananias than we talked about in Acts five with Anani and Siah.

But what happens next shows us what faith and action really looks like. So let's go through this starting in Acts nine, verses 10 through 12. In Damascus, there was a disciple name, Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, Ananias. Yes Lord. He answered. 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 in a vision, he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight. So just to, to be clear, just a reminder, this is a different Ananias than the one we saw in Acts chapter five. We don't know too much about this man. There's no reference to him before or even after this event.

Um. So as far as we know, he was just your average follower of Jesus living right in the heart of Damascus, the very city Saul was headed towards to arrest believers. So he is not identified as an apostle, a prophet, a pastor, an evangelist, an elder, a deacon, none of that, just another disciple of Christ.

Now I have commentaries that suggest this was intentional. That if a prominent man came to Saul with the gospel, Saul may not have believed it. It actually came from Jesus, or this person actually came from Jesus. Plus, we know God loves to use the most unlikely person to do his good work, right? Jesus is also very specific in his vision to Anani.

He gave him the street, uh, straight street. Specific house, the house of Judas, a specific man, Saul of Tarsus, a specific activity the man was doing, he was praying, and also what Saul had seen, a vision of a man named Ananias. Perhaps this is all because this was such a bold and dangerous to ask that God was guarding Ananias and reassuring him, and I love that Jesus tells Ananias for he is praying.

This is coming from good authority. It tells me that Saul is truly raising up prayer to God. Maybe Saul never actually really prayed. I'm sure he said a lot of prayers, but to truly lift up prayers to the Lord is something completely different than just the mouth service. But let's continue on in X nine verses 13 through 16, where God helps Ananias overcome his objections.

Lord Ananias answered. I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem, and he has come here with the authority from the chief priest to arrest all who call on your name. 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.

I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. So, I mean, Saul was well known for his wrath and violence and persecuting Christians at this point, and I'm, I'm sure word of his movement to Damascus made it to the disciples there. And I think it's a fair chance the Christians living there were already preparing for him, anxiously awaiting his arrival.

So Anne and iis knew exactly who God was asking him to encounter. And God's reinforces this knowledge, basically confirming Anani war suspicions. God had other plans. Jesus tells our nervous follower here, this man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the gentiles, to the kings, and to the people of Israel.

Saul was a chosen vessel to bear the name of Christ, and verse 16 ends with, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. God was placing a burden on Saul's life. He would leave a life of privilege to spread the gospel and there would be suffering. Jesus has always been very honest with us about the cost of our obedience in this world.

He's also been very honest about the eternal cost of our disobedience too. So any, anyhow, what comes with all of this, let's look at Acts nine verses 17 through 19. 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.

Immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regenerated his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. With amazing courage. Ananias does what Jesus asks of him. He lays hands on Saul and calls him brother Saul to express the love of God in words and in through touch.

And this was when Saul was born again. We know this because he is filled the Holy Spirit and his, he's healed of his blindness. Saul becoming the apostle Paul here. Was baptized and after regaining his strength, made friends with the very people he had gone to persecute, and he actually reflects on this later in one Timothy one verses 13 through 16.

Even though I was once a bla femur and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ. Jesus here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason, I was shown mercy so that in me the worst of sinners Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Look, Saul's conversion reminds us that salvation is something God does within us and what we do.

Is merely in response to this. It's also a reminder that nobody is beyond salvation if they really want it. So Ananias obeyed, Saul's eyes were opened and he was filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized a new man. But what happens next might be one of the most amazing turnarounds in all of scripture.

Saul's Transformation and Early Ministry

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Jason: The hunter becomes the herald, the persecutor becomes the preacher. And the same passion. Thesal once used to destroy the church now fuels his mission to build it. So Acts nine verses 20 through 25 at once, he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem?

Among those who called on this name and hasn't he come here to take them prisoners to the chief priests? Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah after many days had gone by. There was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan day and night.

They kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him, but his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. So Saul walks into the same synagogues where he had planned to arrest believers. Instead of dragging people out in chains, he stands up and declares Jesus is the son of God, the very title.

He once despised. He now proclaims with conviction for the Jewish community in Damascus. This was unthinkable. Saul was supposed to be their champion, the one who defended the traditions of and, and then rooted out heresy. Instead, he's now preaching the very message he wants, condemned. I mean, it's no wonder they were baffled.

With every servant, with every debate. With, with everything he did, Saul grows stronger and his knowledge of scripture gives him the ability to connect the dots showing from the law and the prophets that Jesus truly is the Messiah. Yet that boldness comes with a price. Word spreads quickly and soon those same leaders who once plotted him, now plotted to silence him.

And the irony here is pretty astounding. Saul came to Damascus with the authority to arrest others, but now he's the one being hunted and his escape, it's not a triumphant, but in humility, he's lowered down the city wall in a basket under the cover of night. He went from proud Pharisee to fugitive preacher and Saul's journey.

I mean, it's just beginning. This part of Saul's story really reminds us that the gospel doesn't just save. It transforms. It turns enemies into witnesses, skeptics into servants, and persecutor, into proclaimers. When the light of Christ breaks through in a life, it changes everything. Our purpose, our direction, our identity.

Saul didn't ease into faith. He dove in the same zeal he once used to oppose Jesus. Now, now channels to proclaim him. Transformation isn't without resistance, the same message that saves souls, also stirs opposition. Understand wherever truth is proclaimed, darkness pushes back. And Saul's early days as a believer show us that that faithfulness to Christ often means facing danger, rejection, and sacrifice.

Yet it's through that very resistance that the gospel shines the brightest. So do we shrink back when our faith costs us something? Now, maybe it's not persecution like soul faced. Maybe it's ridicule, misunderstanding, loss of friends are simply feeling out of step with the world. But the principle is, is the same when we live boldly for Jesus.

There will be moments when it's uncomfortable. When we stand for truth and love, when we share the gospel at work in school, or even with family, we're gonna receive some pushback eventually. Saul didn't stop and neither should we. Courage doesn't mean we don't fear, it means we obey despite fear. So where can you boldly witness like Saul this week?

Maybe sharing your testimony with somebody who's curious. Maybe it's standing firm in your convictions when compromise would be so much easier. Maybe it's simply living with such a joy and integrity that others can see Christ in you. The world might not understand it. They may even resist it, but Saul's story shows us one voice faithfully proclaiming Jesus can shake an entire city.

Saul's Return to Jerusalem

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Jason: So after his escape from Damascus, Saul returns to Jerusalem, the very city where his campaign against Christians began. I mean, imagine walking back into that place where your name once struck fear into believer's hearts. Saul's life has changed, but not everyone is convinced of this. The next passage reminds us that even after transformation, trust takes time and, and that sometimes God uses encouragers to bridge that gap.

So let's see what happens next. In Acts nine verses 26 30, when he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him not believing that he was really a disciple. 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.

So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly and the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Cesa and sent him off to Tarsus. I mean, it's hard to blame the disciples in Jerusalem for being afraid.

I mean, the last time they heard Saul's name, it was connected with imprisonment, persecution, and the death of Steven, beloved Steven. Now the same man shows up claiming to be one of them. I mean, it's no Windsor. No wonder they hesitated, and that's where Barnabas steps in his name given by the apostles, literally means son of encouragement.

And it fits perfectly. We first met Barnabas back in Acts four when he sold a field and gave the money to the church. He's a man of known generosity of faith and encouragement, and here he lives up to that reputation once again while others keep their distance. Barnabas comes alongside Saul. He listens to his story, he believes in his conversion and personally vouches for him before the apostles.

Without Barnabas's Con courage to advocate, Saul may have never been accepted by the Jerusalem Church, but as Saul begins to preach boldly in Jerusalem, just like he did in Damascus, opposition once again rises this time from the Hellenistic Jews, the very group that had clashed with Stephen, I mean, history's repeating itself and Saul is forced to flee once again this time to his hometown of Tarsus and from.

Powerful Pharisee, a hunted preacher. His new life in Christ is one marked by both passion and persecution, just amazing. And after all of this chaos, the persecution, the conversions, and narrow escapes, Luke ends this section of acts with a moment of cl of calm. It's a breath of fresh air after a storm.

The church has been refined through fire, stretched through suffering, and now enters a season of peace and growth. And it is a reminder that God's mission doesn't just advance through miracles or conflict. It will also flourish in quiet faithfulness. Acts nine verse 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. This is the part I love. Despite years of persecution and turmoil, the church didn't just survive. It expanded. I mean, the Roman Empire for all its flaws, provided the perfect infrastructure for the gospel to spread Roman roads, common languages and trade routes, connected cities and people like never before.

What Rome built for conquest, God repurposed for his kingdom. And I want you to notice how Luke describes this season. Peace across Judea. Ly and Samaria, and that's the snapshot for the Great Commission of Motion. Jesus said The gospel would go from Jerusalem to ju, to Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

And here we see that promise unfolding step by step. Luke gives us the secret to flourishing church in just two phrases, living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Now, the fear of the Lord, as I've mentioned, doesn't mean living in terror. It means living in awe. It's a deep reverence that shapes how we think, how we act, how we treat one another.

It's recognizing that God is holy and his mission is sacred, and our lives belong to him. And then there's the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the divine comfort of the guidance, and the empowerment that sustains believers throughout every season. When reverence and encouragement walk hand in hand, the result is spiritual vitality.

The church grows not just in numbers, but in depth and unity and strength. When we live with a holy awe of who God is, our worship becomes real. When we let the Holy Spirit encourage and empower us, our faith becomes contagious. The combination of the two produces a church that's alive, one that walks humbly before God, boldly before the world, and lovingly among one another.

So maybe your church or even your own spiritual life feels a little weary right now. Maybe you're in a season of pressure or confusion. Take heart. Peace will come. God still brings seasons of refreshing to his people. The same spirit that strengthened the early church is still working in ours today.

Peter's Miracles and Ministry

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Jason: So as we wrap up, acts chapter nine, the focus shifts away from solve for a moment and returns to the apostle Peter.

It's easy to think. This chapter ends with Saul's transformation in the church's peace. But Luke gives us one more glimpse into what God was doing elsewhere. These closing verses remind us that the same spirit who transforms Saul's heart was also working through Peter's hands, bringing hope, healing, and even life itself.

It's a beautiful reminder that while one story may quiet down, God's mission will never stop. I'm not gonna read the whole scripture. I'm just gonna kind of summarize what's going on in Acts nine, verses 32 through 43. We see Peter moving beyond Jerusalem, visiting believers in small, in a small coastal town.

Uh, two of them like Lydia Choppa. Lydia was a bustling trade hub in Choppa. Uh, modern j Jafa was a major seaport in the Mediterranean, and these were diverse multicultural areas far from the familiar walls of Jerusalem. The gospel was literally expanding to new frontiers. A man named aas had been paralyzed for eight years.

His healing mirrors the compassion and authority of Jesus himself. Peter even uses the same phrasing. Jesus once did get up and roll up your mat, and I think Luke wants us to see that the ministry of Christ continues through his apostles. Then there's Tabitha, also called Dorcas, a woman beloved for her generosity and kindness.

In the early church, widows were among the most vulnerable, and Tabitha made it her mission to ser to serve them. Her ministry wasn't public or, or, or miracles or anything like that. It was acts of mercy stitching love into every garment she made. And when she died, her community's grief was absolutely overwhelming, and their faith was so strong that they called Peter for help.

And through Peter's prayer, the power of Jesus over death is displayed once more. First with the healing, then with restoring Tabitha back to life. Two miracles, two lives restored, and an entire region turning their eyes to the Lord. And if you wanna hear more about Tabitha, you can go kind of way back to episode eight of my podcast.

Unsung Heroes of the Bible, uh, defer Dorcas, and it gives, give that a listen. It might be interesting. These last few verses in this chapter remind us that the gospel isn't confined to the dramatic conversion of Saul. It's also found in the quiet faithfulness of ordinary people and the compassionate touch of spirit-led servants.

Peter doesn't take credit for any of these miracles. Notice what he says to aas, Jesus Christ heals you. That's the heart of true ministry, pointing people to the source, not the servant. Tabitha's story also reveals God's heart for service. She wasn't famous, but she was faithful. Her life shows that the spirit's work isn't only in preaching our power.

It's in love and generosity and caring for others. And when both Anas and Dorcas are restored, Luke tells us Many people believed in the Lord. Once again, miracles serve the mission. Each act of healing, pointing people to the savior.

Conclusion

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Jason: This chapter begins with Saul breathing out murderous threats against the church. And it ends with Peter breathing words of life over the sick and the dead. It begins in darkness and hostility and closes with healing, restoration, and peace. But look closer, and you'll see that Acts chapter nine isn't just a story about famous figures or dramatic miracles, it's about transformation.

What happens when ordinary people respond to an extraordinary God? Saul reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of grace. The same Jesus who met him on that dusty road still meets us on ours interrupting, confronting, and transforming us when we least expect it. Ananias reminds us that faith often looks like obedience In the face of fear sometimes the most courageous thing we can do is just say yes when everything in us wants to say no.

Barnabas reminds us that the church needs encouragers. People willing to believe in God's work in others, and when everyone else doubts. His faith in Saul's transformation helped unlock one of the greatest ministries the world will ever know. And Peter reminds us that the gospel keeps moving forward, not just through preaching, but through compassion, service and love.

Ania walks, Dorcas rises. Communities believe in the spirit, continues to move. God is writing redemption into every story. Whether you need a new beginning like Saul or, or wrestling with fear like Ananias, or choosing to advocate like Barnabas or even serving behind the scenes like Dorcas, God has a role for you and his mission and my prayer is that we can all live in that same boldness, that we can walk in the fear of the Lord encouraged by the Holy Spirit.

Until next time, keep loving your neighbors. Dive into God's word daily and may the Lord bless you and keep you and fill you with his peace. Take care. God bless, and I'll see you in the next episode.

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