And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.
heard a voice - "He heard a voice speaking to him in definite and articulate words; whereas those who travelled with him only heard the sound of a voice but caught no words. This appears from the difference in the Greek construction used in verse 7, and accounts for the statement of Acts 22:9. To Saul, the voice brought a distinct message." (Walker)
"We remember years ago how a poor, blinded Jew attended our Gospel meetings and among his claims that the New Testament contradicted itself, he would cite the statement here about the companions of Saul and Paul's statement that 'they heard not the voice of Him that spoke with me' (Acts 22:9). He called this a disagreement. The far more blinded Higher Critics make the same assertion. But there is no disagreement. Luke in his brief account tells us that the men heard a voice. But Paul tells us that they did not hear the conversation, they heard the sound of a voice but the voice itself was unintelligible to them. John 22:28-29 explains it perfectly. The Son of God heard the Father's voice. The people who stood by heard the sound waves and some declared that it was thunder, others that an angel had spoken. Only the Son heard what the Father had said. So here. The men heard the sound of the voice, but what was said they did not hear; Saul alone understood the words of the heavenly speaker. (Gaebelein)I am Jesus - "In this moment Paul identified the Lord Yahweh (or Jehovah) of the OT, whom he had attempted so zealously to serve, with Jesus of Nazareth, whom he had so ferociously persecuted through His saints. The phrase 'it is hard for thee to kick against the prick' (KJV) is not found in most manuscripts." (Ryrie)
"The Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him. The Son of God in the Glory of the Father was revealed unto Saul. Though the record here is silent about the actual vision, it is clearly seen from other Scriptures that such was the case. Ananias later addressed Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way' (Acts 9:17). From another verse in our chapter (verse 27), we learn that Barnabas said 'that he had seen the Lord in the way and that He had spoken to him.' Then in Chapter 26:16, the Lord Himself spoke to Saul: 'I have appeared unto thee.' A more direct testimony is found from the Apostle in 1 Corin. 15., where, after mentioning the different witnesses of the resurrection, Paul says, 'and last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God' (1 Corin. 15:8-9). He saw the Lord in all His resurrection Glory and this, besides the direct call, constituted him an Apostle, for he was now a fit witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 'Am I not an Apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" (1 Cor. 9:1.)" (Gaebelein)
"We doubt, however, that his mind was very much occupied with his own safety at this time. There were more important things to think about during these days without sight, food or drink. These letters of death; what did he want with them now? The past; the fathers, mothers and loved ones he had hunted to their deaths; those he had scourged to make them blaspheme Christ; his recent intense hatred of Christ. How could he ever begin to set all this right? And yet here he was saved, and chosen to bear Christ's name before the world! But how would they receive his testimony? Or, would his testimony, perhaps, bear greater weight than the testimonies of others? Ah, but how utterly undeserving was he to speak one word in Christ's behalf! What mingled feelings of sorrow and joy, remorse and gratitude, shame and glory must have surged within Saul's breast as he contemplated what he had just seen and heard!" (Stam)
"Mark well that right here, at the outset of his ministry, when the Lord first commissions him, the Gentiles are mentioned before Israel. It is true, to be sure, that until Acts 28 he went to the Jews first in city after city, but this was not to further extend Peter's offer of the kingdom, for that offer could be accepted only the land. It was rather that Israel as a nation might have no excuse for rejecting Christ. While God was still dealing with Israel, these Jews outside the land were given first opportunity to hear that 'Jesus is the Christ,' so that they might decide for themselves whether or not they would join the nation in its rejection of Christ and accept the responsibility for the judgment which was to follow. Furthermore, it was the natural thing for Saul, a Jew, to begin his ministry to 'all men' by going first to his own people, who at least believed in the true God, to witness to them that the rejected Jesus was truly God's Anointed. But Saul's ministry was to be mainly to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13). It is significant that upon Saul's first return to Jerusalem after his conversion Christ appeared to him to say: 'Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me' (Acts 22:18). And when Saul argued the case, thinking that his testimony, more than that of others, might bear weight with them, the Lord replied summarily: 'Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles' (Acts 22:21)." (Stam)
"Therefore, is Paul vehement and positive. 'Before God,' he cries, 'I lie not! I have no connection, nor has the gospel I preach, with the other apostles. All I teach was a direct revelation by Jesus Christ to me and must be harkened to, for I speak with the Lord's own authority. The Lord appeared to me not in order to convert me—for the Lord could have converted me by any one's preaching but to make me His witness for this dispensation' ... The failure or refusal to discern the Pauline Gospel as a separate and new revelation and not a 'development from Judaism,' accounts for most of the confusion in many people's minds today as regards just what the Gospel is ... unto none of these twelve Apostles did God reveal the great body of doctrine for this ... It pleased Him to choose Paul to be the great proclaimer and revealer of just what the Gospel is for this dispensation ... Paul's constant testimony to the fact that he had an especial message from God cannot be overlooked. No other apostle speaks of 'my gospel!' And it is according to the revelation given to Paul that men are established." (Newell)
"Paul's Roman, as well as his Hebrew citizenship is strongly emphasized in the book of Acts. This is significant, for here at the outset, as a representative of both Jew and Gentile, he is sent to both Jews and Gentiles to turn them from darkness to light and to give them an inheritance among the sanctified. Saul was not sent out to work under the commission given to the twelve. Indeed, the Lord had raised him up as another apostle, entirely apart from the twelve, that through him' He might reconcile both [Jews and Gentiles] unto God in one body by the cross' (Eph. 2:16)." (Stam)
"The words which follow in the authorized version 'It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord what wilt Thou have me to do?' must be omitted here. They do not belong into the historical account as given by Luke. They were inserted later from chapters 22 and 26, where they are in the right place. No Greek manuscript contains them. (See Alford Greek New Testament in loco.)" (Gaebelein)
Ananias - "According to Acts 22:12 Ananias was an unimpeachable witness to the reality of Paul's conversion." (Ryrie)
laying his hands on him - "Through Ananias's laying his hands on him, Paul is identified with the people he had been persecuting." (Ryrie)
"The conversion and commission of Saul was representative. Rather than immediately crushing the rebellion against Christ, God was now to save men out of it and send them, like Saul, back into enemy territory with the offer of reconciliation by grace through faith. It must be emphasized, however, that Saul's conversion was but the first step in this direction. The salvation of the leader of the world's rebellion, the call of another apostle, separate from the twelve: these were but the first departures from the prophetic program. This program was to be gradually displaced and temporarily replaced—by the parenthetical program of the mystery. As a whole the prophetic program still prevailed at this time. This is clear from the fact that the Holy Spirit (as He operated then) was imparted to Saul by the laying on of hands, and that his sight was miraculously restored in the same way." (Stam)
he rose and was baptized - "Those who contend that Israel was set aside at the cross and that Peter and the eleven were then sent forth by the risen Christ to preach 'the gospel of the grace of God,' must find it difficult to explain why even Paul was later baptized by a devout, law-observing Jew, to wash away his sins! No, Saul's conversion was not the fruit of a message of grace preached by the twelve. He was saved 'by the revelation of Jesus Christ' while the prophetic program and the 'great commission' was still in force. But his salvation and his ministry were to usher in 'the dispensation of the grace of God,' which was to emerge gradually from the deadlock caused by Israel's failure to accept her Messiah." (Stam)
heard a voice - "He heard a voice speaking to him in definite and articulate words; whereas those who travelled with him only heard the sound of a voice but caught no words. This appears from the difference in the Greek construction used in verse 7, and accounts for the statement of Acts 22:9. To Saul, the voice brought a distinct message." (Walker)
"We remember years ago how a poor, blinded Jew attended our Gospel meetings and among his claims that the New Testament contradicted itself, he would cite the statement here about the companions of Saul and Paul's statement that 'they heard not the voice of Him that spoke with me' (Acts 22:9). He called this a disagreement. The far more blinded Higher Critics make the same assertion. But there is no disagreement. Luke in his brief account tells us that the men heard a voice. But Paul tells us that they did not hear the conversation, they heard the sound of a voice but the voice itself was unintelligible to them. John 22:28-29 explains it perfectly. The Son of God heard the Father's voice. The people who stood by heard the sound waves and some declared that it was thunder, others that an angel had spoken. Only the Son heard what the Father had said. So here. The men heard the sound of the voice, but what was said they did not hear; Saul alone understood the words of the heavenly speaker. (Gaebelein)I am Jesus - "In this moment Paul identified the Lord Yahweh (or Jehovah) of the OT, whom he had attempted so zealously to serve, with Jesus of Nazareth, whom he had so ferociously persecuted through His saints. The phrase 'it is hard for thee to kick against the prick' (KJV) is not found in most manuscripts." (Ryrie)
"The Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him. The Son of God in the Glory of the Father was revealed unto Saul. Though the record here is silent about the actual vision, it is clearly seen from other Scriptures that such was the case. Ananias later addressed Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way' (Acts 9:17). From another verse in our chapter (verse 27), we learn that Barnabas said 'that he had seen the Lord in the way and that He had spoken to him.' Then in Chapter 26:16, the Lord Himself spoke to Saul: 'I have appeared unto thee.' A more direct testimony is found from the Apostle in 1 Corin. 15., where, after mentioning the different witnesses of the resurrection, Paul says, 'and last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God' (1 Corin. 15:8-9). He saw the Lord in all His resurrection Glory and this, besides the direct call, constituted him an Apostle, for he was now a fit witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 'Am I not an Apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" (1 Cor. 9:1.)" (Gaebelein)
"We doubt, however, that his mind was very much occupied with his own safety at this time. There were more important things to think about during these days without sight, food or drink. These letters of death; what did he want with them now? The past; the fathers, mothers and loved ones he had hunted to their deaths; those he had scourged to make them blaspheme Christ; his recent intense hatred of Christ. How could he ever begin to set all this right? And yet here he was saved, and chosen to bear Christ's name before the world! But how would they receive his testimony? Or, would his testimony, perhaps, bear greater weight than the testimonies of others? Ah, but how utterly undeserving was he to speak one word in Christ's behalf! What mingled feelings of sorrow and joy, remorse and gratitude, shame and glory must have surged within Saul's breast as he contemplated what he had just seen and heard!" (Stam)
"Mark well that right here, at the outset of his ministry, when the Lord first commissions him, the Gentiles are mentioned before Israel. It is true, to be sure, that until Acts 28 he went to the Jews first in city after city, but this was not to further extend Peter's offer of the kingdom, for that offer could be accepted only the land. It was rather that Israel as a nation might have no excuse for rejecting Christ. While God was still dealing with Israel, these Jews outside the land were given first opportunity to hear that 'Jesus is the Christ,' so that they might decide for themselves whether or not they would join the nation in its rejection of Christ and accept the responsibility for the judgment which was to follow. Furthermore, it was the natural thing for Saul, a Jew, to begin his ministry to 'all men' by going first to his own people, who at least believed in the true God, to witness to them that the rejected Jesus was truly God's Anointed. But Saul's ministry was to be mainly to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13). It is significant that upon Saul's first return to Jerusalem after his conversion Christ appeared to him to say: 'Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me' (Acts 22:18). And when Saul argued the case, thinking that his testimony, more than that of others, might bear weight with them, the Lord replied summarily: 'Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles' (Acts 22:21)." (Stam)
"Therefore, is Paul vehement and positive. 'Before God,' he cries, 'I lie not! I have no connection, nor has the gospel I preach, with the other apostles. All I teach was a direct revelation by Jesus Christ to me and must be harkened to, for I speak with the Lord's own authority. The Lord appeared to me not in order to convert me—for the Lord could have converted me by any one's preaching but to make me His witness for this dispensation' ... The failure or refusal to discern the Pauline Gospel as a separate and new revelation and not a 'development from Judaism,' accounts for most of the confusion in many people's minds today as regards just what the Gospel is ... unto none of these twelve Apostles did God reveal the great body of doctrine for this ... It pleased Him to choose Paul to be the great proclaimer and revealer of just what the Gospel is for this dispensation ... Paul's constant testimony to the fact that he had an especial message from God cannot be overlooked. No other apostle speaks of 'my gospel!' And it is according to the revelation given to Paul that men are established." (Newell)
"Paul's Roman, as well as his Hebrew citizenship is strongly emphasized in the book of Acts. This is significant, for here at the outset, as a representative of both Jew and Gentile, he is sent to both Jews and Gentiles to turn them from darkness to light and to give them an inheritance among the sanctified. Saul was not sent out to work under the commission given to the twelve. Indeed, the Lord had raised him up as another apostle, entirely apart from the twelve, that through him' He might reconcile both [Jews and Gentiles] unto God in one body by the cross' (Eph. 2:16)." (Stam)
"The words which follow in the authorized version 'It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord what wilt Thou have me to do?' must be omitted here. They do not belong into the historical account as given by Luke. They were inserted later from chapters 22 and 26, where they are in the right place. No Greek manuscript contains them. (See Alford Greek New Testament in loco.)" (Gaebelein)
Ananias - "According to Acts 22:12 Ananias was an unimpeachable witness to the reality of Paul's conversion." (Ryrie)
laying his hands on him - "Through Ananias's laying his hands on him, Paul is identified with the people he had been persecuting." (Ryrie)
"The conversion and commission of Saul was representative. Rather than immediately crushing the rebellion against Christ, God was now to save men out of it and send them, like Saul, back into enemy territory with the offer of reconciliation by grace through faith. It must be emphasized, however, that Saul's conversion was but the first step in this direction. The salvation of the leader of the world's rebellion, the call of another apostle, separate from the twelve: these were but the first departures from the prophetic program. This program was to be gradually displaced and temporarily replaced—by the parenthetical program of the mystery. As a whole the prophetic program still prevailed at this time. This is clear from the fact that the Holy Spirit (as He operated then) was imparted to Saul by the laying on of hands, and that his sight was miraculously restored in the same way." (Stam)
he rose and was baptized - "Those who contend that Israel was set aside at the cross and that Peter and the eleven were then sent forth by the risen Christ to preach 'the gospel of the grace of God,' must find it difficult to explain why even Paul was later baptized by a devout, law-observing Jew, to wash away his sins! No, Saul's conversion was not the fruit of a message of grace preached by the twelve. He was saved 'by the revelation of Jesus Christ' while the prophetic program and the 'great commission' was still in force. But his salvation and his ministry were to usher in 'the dispensation of the grace of God,' which was to emerge gradually from the deadlock caused by Israel's failure to accept her Messiah." (Stam)
No comments:
Post a Comment