CHAPTER 9

(A.D. 35)

SAUL

¹And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord (presents Paul as the Leader of the persecution against the Early Church), went unto the High Priest (if it was A.D. 35, Caiaphas was the High Priest; once again, we see the evil of religion),

²And desired of him letters to Damascus to the Synagogues (proclaims the persecution led by Paul branching out to other cities), that if he found any of this way (portrays the description of the Early Church [Jn. 14:6; Acts 18:25-26; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22]), whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem (refers to them appearing before the Sanhedrin, the same group that Crucified Christ).

³And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus (approximately 175 miles from Jerusalem): and suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heaven (proclaims the appearance of Christ in His Glory):

⁴And he fell to the earth (implies that the Power of God knocked him down), and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? (To touch one who belongs to the Lord in a negative way is to touch the Lord!)

⁵And he said, Who are You, Lord? (Paul uses this in the realm of Deity, not merely as respect as some have claimed.) And the Lord said, I am Jesus Whom you persecute (presents the Lord using the Name that Paul hated): it is hard for you to kick against the pricks (has reference to sharp goads, which were placed immediately behind the oxen and were attached to the plow; to kick against it, would cause sharp pain).

⁶And he trembling and astonished said (he was stupefied and astounded), Lord, what will You have me to do? (This constitutes the moment that Paul was saved.) And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do (pertains to the Plan of God for Paul, which, in effect, would change the world).

⁷And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless (they were very much aware that something had happened, but they did not know exactly what), hearing a voice, but seeing no man (but Paul saw the man, and that man was Christ).

SAUL BLINDED

⁸And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man (it seems that his eyes had been blinded by the Glory of the Lord): but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus (Paul, the champion of the persecutors, is now led like the blind man he temporarily is).

⁹And he was three days without sight (speaks only of the physical sense; in fact, for the very first time he was now able to see), and neither did eat nor drink (presents him fasting three days and nights).

ANANIAS

¹⁰And there was a certain Disciple at Damascus, named Ananias (the word Disciple, as used without exception in the Book of Acts, refers to followers of Christ); and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias (he actually saw the Lord, but in Vision form). And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord (proclaims an extensive familiarity with the Lord, far beyond the normal).

¹¹And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight (proclaims the street, which still exists even after nearly two thousand years), and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus (expresses the name of the man who was the most notorious scourge of the followers of Christ in the world of that time): for, behold, he prays (Paul had much to pray about),

¹²And has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in (proclaims the second Vision that Paul had in a very short period of time), and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

¹³Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man (how empty our fears often are! how ignorant we are of where our chief good lies hid! but God knows; let us trust Him), how much evil he has done to Your Saints at Jerusalem (but yet, the Lord has changed this man, and he will become the greatest blessing to the Saints of anyone in history):

¹⁴And here he has authority from the Chief Priests to bind all who call on Your Name (Pauls evil intentions had preceded him; but the Lord invaded those intentions, completely changing them).

¹⁵But the Lord said unto him, Go your way (presents an urgency which demands instant obedience by Ananias): for he is a chosen vessel unto Me (it means, Divine Selection), to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and the Children of Israel (Gentiles are placed first; that was Pauls principal calling):

¹⁶For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My Names sake (this is altogether different from much of the modern Gospel, which, in fact, is no Gospel at all!).

THE HOLY SPIRIT

¹⁷And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house (he obeyed the Command of the Lord); and putting his hands on him (on Paul) said, Brother Saul (he addressed Paul in this manner because Paul was already Saved, and had been so for the last three days and nights), the Lord, even Jesus, Who appeared unto you in the way as you came, has sent me, that you might receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit (this proclaims the fact that one is not baptized with the Holy Spirit at conversion, as many teach; in fact, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a separate work of Grace, which takes place after conversion [Acts 2:4; 8:14-17; 19:1-7]).

¹⁸And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized (was baptized with water, after he was baptized with the Holy Spirit).

PREACHING CHRIST

¹⁹And when he had received meat, he was strengthened (refers to him ending his three-day fast). Then was Saul certain days with the Disciples which were at Damascus (probably means that Ananias introduced him to these followers of Christ; he had come to arrest them, and now he joins them; what a mighty God we serve!).

²⁰And straightway (immediately) he preached Christ in the Synagogues (these were the very Synagogues to which letters of the High Priest were addressed, empowering Paul to arrest any Jewish Believers who called upon the Name of Jesus), that He is the Son of God (the first time in Acts that Jesus is referred to by this title).

²¹But all who heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he who destroyed them which called on this Name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the Chief Priests? (This means that those in the Synagogues had been expecting him, but not what he is now saying.)

²²But Saul increased the more in strength (refers to his greater understanding of the Word of God as the days wore on; in fact, for the first time, he understands the Word), and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ (proving from the Word of God that, Jesus, was the Messiah).

JEWISH LEADERS

²³And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him (the persecutor is now persecuted):

²⁴But their laying await was known of Saul (presents Believers informing him of the proposed action of the Jews). And they watched the gates day and night to kill him (which he was informed of as well; therefore, he will escape by a different route).

²⁵Then the Disciples (followers of Christ) took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

JERUSALEM

²⁶And when Saul was come to Jerusalem (presents his first visit there after his conversion), he assayed to join himself to the Disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a Disciple (they thought it was a ploy!).

²⁷But Barnabas took him (presents the same one mentioned in Acts 4:36), and brought him to the Apostles (actually only refers to Peter and James, the Lords brother [Gal. 1:19]), and declared unto them how he (Paul) had seen the Lord in the way (the Vision on the road to Damascus), and that He (Jesus) had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the Name of Jesus (Barnabas had heard this report, and now testifies to its veracity).

²⁸And he (Paul) was with them (the Apostles) coming in and going out at Jerusalem (probably refers to the approximate fifteen days he spent there, most of it with Simon Peter [Gal. 1:18]).

²⁹And he spoke boldly in the Name of the Lord Jesus (he did this, as is obvious, in the very center or core of Jesus hate), and disputed against the Grecians (he disputed with the Grecian Jews, probably preaching in the very Synagogues in which he had heard Stephen, and maybe even had debated him): but they went about to kill him (presents the same spirit now against him that he had presented against Stephen).

³⁰Which when the brethren knew (knew about the efforts to kill him), they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus (speaks of his home; as a result, we hear no more of Paul until Acts 11:25).

³¹Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria (the attention of the Jews was diverted at this time from the Believers to other things, thereby giving the Churches rest from persecution, at least for a while), and were edified (without interruption, the Lord now builds His house); and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied (many people were saved).

PETERS MINISTRY

³²And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters(now shifts the attention to this Apostle, and for a reason), he came down also to the Saints which dwelt at Lydda (refers to a town about thirty miles west of Jerusalem).

³³And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy (portrays, as is obvious, his helplessness).

³⁴And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ makes you whole (refers to Peter staunchly giving Christ the credit for these Miracles): arise, and make your bed (as a token of his Miraculous Cure). And he arose immediately (he was healed instantly, and healed completely).

³⁵And all who dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord (the word all, as it is given in the original Greek, does not necessarily mean every single person in these areas, but rather to those who saw him, which no doubt numbered many).

TABITHA

³⁶Now there was at Joppa a certain Disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas (it was Tabitha in Syrian and Dorcas in the Greek; both names mean a gazelle): this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did (she was a lady of fine reputation and love for God).

³⁷And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died (refers to the days in which Peter was at Lydda; her death was unexpected): whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber (it means that they laid her out for viewing).

³⁸And forasmuch as Lydda was near to Joppa, and the Disciples (followers of Christ) had heard that Peter was there (tells us that there was a Church in Joppa), they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them (it seems that they were expecting a Miracle, irrespective that the woman was dead).

³⁹Then Peter arose and went with them (indicates that he was led by the Lord to do so). When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them (seems to indicate that Dorcas was a widow as well!).

⁴⁰But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise (exactly the same as that said by Jesus when He raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead [Mk. 5:41]). And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up (presents the first person being raised from the dead in the Early Church).

⁴¹And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up (a common courtesy), and when he had called the Saints and widows, presented her alive (she is one of few in human history who has actually died, and then come back to tell the story; all who did so were connected with the Lord).

⁴²And it was known throughout all Joppa (one can well imagine the impact this Miracle had); and many believed in the Lord.

⁴³And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner (probably referred to several months; about eight years had passed now since Pentecost, during which time the Gospel had been preached only to the Jews; that is about to change).