In this installment, we proceed to chapter 9 of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. In this chapter, we see the conversion of Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle.  

They Want to Persecute Jesus and God the Father 

In chapter 9, Luke, the author of the book of Acts, picks up his historical account of the early church with the conversion of Saul. Remember, Saul was the young man who watched the clothes of Stephen’s murderers (Acts 7:54-58). Luke does not tell us how much time has passed since Stephen’s murder. Nevertheless, we are told that Saul’s behavior has not changed. Acts 9:1 says, “Saul yet breathing out threatenings and slaughters…” 

The word yet means still as in continuing to do. (Be sure to look this up for yourself.) This means this was not new behavior for Saul. He was an active member of a persecution squad set against the disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 9:2). Saul was acting under the authority of the religious hierarchy in Jerusalem. He was determined to arrest men and women to bring them back to Jerusalem for further persecution.  

In verses 3-5, we see the Lord Jesus Christ addressing Saul for his actions against the church. Notice that Jesus does not address the persecution of specific people. He asks Saul why he was persecuting Him?  

Though church members were the victims of Saul’s attacks, Saul was really attacking Jesus with his actions. Read John 15:18-19. Saul only hated the church because he hated Jesus. The church was promoting the person Saul hated. In hating Jesus, Saul was also hating the Father (John 15:20-24). Saul was seeing Jesus and the Father in the church. He hated what he was seeing because he wanted to hold to the teachings of the Pharisees. (Note Acts 26:4-5, where Paul declared that he was a Pharisee).  

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their teachings, especially their traditions in Mark 7:1-13. Jesus taught His disciples how to truly live by the commandments of God in Matthew chapter 5 through chapter 7. Jesus’ disciples were living opposite of the way Saul was, and he hated it. Saul wanted to stomp out Jesus’ teachings by destroying the church. 

If you are promoting the teachings of Jesus Christ, you can expect to be persecuted at some point. Know that the attack on you is not about you. It is really about a hatred for Jesus Christ and God the Father. We must remember that the carnal mind is hostile towards the law of God (Rom. 8:6-7). Mankind does not want God to tell them how to live. As a promoter of God’s way of life, you will become a target of those who truly want to target Jesus Christ.  

God’s Work Can’t Be Stopped  

Jesus told Saul that is hard to kick against the pricks (Acts 9:5). The Greek word translated as pricks means a point i.e. a sting or goad. Jesus was trying to show Saul that his efforts were as stupid as kicking at pointed sharp objects. Saul did not understand what a Pharisee named Gamaliel tried to teach the council in Acts 5:34-39. Neither did Saul understand what is taught in Ps 2:1-4. God laughs at mankind’s futile attempts to stop His work.  

Read Isa. 46:5-11. God will carry out His will. The rulers of men cannot stop God’s work. Christians do not have to worry about the efforts and plans of men. The Lord’s will cannot be stopped! Read Isa. 9:6-7 for confirmation.  

God will establish His government on this earth through the Lord Jesus Christ and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it! The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this! We can rest assured of this truth. We must not allow ourselves to be dismayed by satan’s efforts to stop God’s work. Satan cannot stop God from doing anything. There is no competition between God and satan. Remember, the book of Job shows that satan must get God’s permission before he can do things. God will not give satan permission to stop His kingdom.  

An Important Question 

Have you have ever thought on Saul’s response to Jesus’ statements? Sometimes we miss important details when we read the scriptures like a typical book. We must learn to think deeply about every verse so that we do not miss important lessons.  

“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6) 

Saul’s response to Jesus was not to debate the truth about his actions. He knew he was fighting against Jesus and wanted to suppress His teachings. Jesus told him that his efforts were futile. Saul did not debate. Saul humbled himself and asked Jesus about His will.  

How many of us respond to God’s correction with this same attitude? The natural human disposition is to try to defend or explain why something was done. Accountability is something most of us need to work on!  

If Jesus corrected you, would you try to explain yourself or would you ask Him what His will is? Truly think about this. When the Lord corrects us, we need to ask Him, “Lord, what will you have me do?” 

God does not need your explanation of your deeds (Jer. 17:9-10). He already knows what’s in your heart better than you do. What He wants from you is humility (Isa. 57:15; Isa. 66:1-2). God wants us to tremble at His word like Saul did. Reread Acts 9:6. Saul trembled and asked about God’s will for him. He humbled himself before the Lord Jesus Christ and asked the right question.  

In these last days, we must learn to ask this question as different events occur. We must focus on the will of God (Rom. 12:1-2). God will show you His will for you as He showed Saul.  

It is also important to point out how Saul humbled himself towards God after this encounter (Acts 9:9). Saul did not eat or drink for three days. He was fasting because he accepted the truth about his sin. This is the attitude we should have when it comes to correction from God (Duet. 8:5).  We must learn to be correctable rather than become stiff-necked. 

God Converts Whomever He Wills 

Read Acts 9:10-16. One of the biggest things we have to be careful of is passing judgment upon people because of their sorted past. God reserves the right to call whomever He chooses. Our opinions of people have no relevance to God. He is sovereign and reserves the right to recruit whomever He wants to do whatever work He has for them.  

Think about some of the people God has called. Moses murdered someone. Isiash was a man of unclean lips. Jacob deceived his father for an inheritance. Mary Magdalene was demon-possessed. Zacchaeus was a theft and extortioner. These are just some of the examples recorded in the Bible.  

Also consider Luke 5:30-32. Jesus spent time teaching sinners about the kingdom of God. Every human being on earth is a sinner. Some of us have more grotesque sins, but we are all sinners. We should not be arrogant enough to see ourselves as better than others because we have sins that seem less wicked. See Luke 18:9-14.  

God can turn a murderer into a great apostle. We should not think less of other people because of what they have done because we do not know how God may use them. We should be open to accept whomever God calls. We should be willing to lay hands on whomever God send us to.  

To be fair, Ananias did complete the task that the Lord set before him despite his initial apprehension (Acts 9:17-18). Whenever possible, avoid judging those God has called and do whatever God commands you to do for them.  

For His Name’s Sake  

It is important to pause at Acts 9:16 and reflect on what Jesus said to Ananias. Jesus said that He would show Saul great things he must suffer for His name’s sake. Though this is specifically talking about Saul, we should not ignore what Jesus says about His name’s sake in other places.  

For example, in Matt. 10:22 Jesus says that His disciples will be hated of all for His name’s sake. This statement was made while discussing how the disciples would be betrayed by family members and brought before councils, governors, and kings. This coincides with Matt. 24:9-10 which includes a warning of members of the church falling away and betrayal. Remember, Matt. 24 is an end-time prophecy. Its fulfillment will happen in our time.  

It would behoove every Christian to make sure that they are willing to suffer for Jesus Christ’s name. You should not be willing to be one of the many that will be offended. The word offended means to trap or trip up in the Greek. Many will fall into traps that lead them away from honoring the Lord Jesus Christ in words and deeds. We must be unwilling to betray one another!   

Sadly, many will also begin to hate others in the church. This is contrary to what Jesus commanded of us in John 13:34-35 and John 15:9-17. Unfortunately, many will reveal that that they truly aren’t the disciples of Jesus. These people will even come to hate the brethren just as the world hates the brethren. There will be tremendous pressure on the saints to deny their faith, but we must be prepared to resist this coercion for the sake of comfort.  

Are you willing to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ? This is not a light question. We all have to consider this question deeply and more frequently as the world inches towards the Great Tribulation.  

Truly, Saul learned what it meant to suffer for Jesus’ name and taught others about it (see Acts 14:21-22). It is through much tribulation that we will enter the kingdom of God. The Christian lifestyle is not an easy one. Upholding the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is not a walk in the park. Also read what Jesus says about His name and faith to the some of the seven churches in Rev. 2:2-3, Rev 2:13 and Rev. 3:8.  

Again, we must be ready and willing to suffer for His name! Luke 12:8-9. 

Overcoming Reputations 

Saul, a former persecutor of those in the church of God, was baptized and converted (Acts 9:18). After being baptized, Saul ended his fast and communed with other disciples of Jesus Christ (verse 19). After communing with the saints, Saul goes on to preach in the synagogues of Damascus (verse 20). If you read verse 21 carefully, you will see that Saul’s original mission was well-known to those who were in the synagogues. Remember that Acts 9:2 says that Saul was planning to bring letters to the synagogues of Damascus authorizing him to arrest the followers of Jesus and bring them back to Jerusalem. It is possible that a messenger was sent ahead of him to the synagogues. Even, Ananias knew about this (verse 14).  

The reason for pointing this out is to show how Saul overcame this. Instead of hiding himself from those who knew what he was there to do, he went straight to those same synagogues to preach about Jesus. Essentially, Saul was determined to set the record straight about Jesus being the Son of God.  

Reread verse 21. Those in the synagogues were amazed. The word amazed was translated from a Greek word meaning to put out of wits i.e. astound. These people could not believe what they were hearing because of Saul’s reputation prior to his conversion. He was known as one who destroyed those who called on the name of Jesus. This reputation was even known unto the Galatians (see Gal. 1:13).  

Nevertheless, Saul preached the gospel that Jesus Christ taught him. What Luke does not record is that Saul actually left for a while before he came back to Damascus to preach what Jesus Christ revealed unto him (see Gal. 1:11-24). Saul was zealous in the traditions of the Pharisees, but he had to learn the real message preached by the prophets so he could be zealous unto the Lord.  

Note Acts 9:22. Saul did not allow his former reputation to become an obstacle for him. He increased in strength. What does this have to do with the end times?  

We all have a reputation. If you are someone with a bad reputation because of your past, do not let it stop you from being strong in the Lord. There is work to be done and we all must be willing to share the gospel in the name of Jesus Christ. This is a reoccurring theme in the book of Acts. The early church was powerful because it was willing and eager to share the gospel of the kingdom of God, the return of the King, and the coming resurrection of the saints. Your reputation will not hinder the truth if you preach it boldly to those who will receive it. And know that God will give you strength to preach His word.  

Read Acts 9:23-25. Saul’s reputation was going through a complete reversal. Those who would have supported his destruction of the church began to plot his death. Again, what was your reputation before you began to fully submit to God’s will? Have you lost supporters, friends, etc.? Know that you are in good company and that you are not the only Christian in history who has been through this. Hold fast to the faith and do not deny the Lord Jesus Christ. There are many that profess belief in a creator but many of them do not acknowledge Jesus and His role in the plan of God. Do not be afraid to profess the name of Jesus and His teachings! 

A Word of Caution 

Acts 9:26-30 opens the door for a serious discussion false or fake Christians. Here we read of Barnabas vouching for Saul and what he did in Damascus. We first read about Barnabas in Acts 4:36-37. He most likely was known for his charity to the church. It was Barnabas’ support that stopped the disciples from fearing to be around Saul.  

Obviously, the disciples were being cautious because of Saul’s reputation and his recent mission to arrest disciples in Damascus. Unfortunately, some are too accepting of those who call themselves Christian and confessing the name of Jesus Christ. Conversely, some are too suspicious of those claiming to be Christian.  

As we should all know, Jesus warned of us of infiltration of the church of God in Matt. 13:24-20, 36-43. If we read this parable and accept it for what it says, then we will accept that there is no way to weed out the infiltrators without damaging those who are truly converted. This can be disheartening to accept, but we must accept it. 

 Additionally, Jesus warned that there would be some during the Great Tribulation trying to point Christians to a false second coming of Jesus Christ. Please read Matt. 24:23-26. These words prove that there will be infiltrators amongst the church during the Great Tribulation. This is DEEPLY concerning! It should tell us that no matter how cautious we are about who we allow around us, there will be infiltrators even to the end of this world.  

Note that Matt. 10:16 promotes the principle of being wise as serpents but harmless as doves. We should be wise enough to spot fake Christians and disassociate. We also should be wise enough to identify true Christians. Lastly, we should be wise enough not to be paranoid about the matter. Jesus Christ will sort it all out at His return! Have faith in that fact and leave the details to God.  

Deception is abundant, but if we stay rooted in the word of God, we do not need to worry about being deceived by those posing as Christians.  

II Cor. 11:14-15