What did you learn about Paul’s conversion?
He Fasted
As I read the story of Paul’s conversion this week, Acts 9:9 caught my eye and piqued my curiosity.
And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (Acts 9:9)
Now, in all honesty, this likely stood out to me because we have spent the last couple of weeks fasting. But I was intrigued to find that when I searched several translations, none used the word fast, but all pretty much said the same thing that Paul did not “eat or drink”.
Searching commentaries, on the other hand, did mention Paul’s fasting during this time. One which I found interesting, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, stated that it is not uncommon for someone who is newly convicted of their sin to lose their appetite and produce a sort of involuntary fasting. This commentary also added that at this point, Paul had not yet received the Holy Spirit and, therefore, no assurance of salvation.
Another commentary, Matthew Poole’s Commentary, spoke of this verse in the traditional way that we think of fasting, in that “he might be more intent in prayer.” Verse 11 backs up this idea in which the Lord tells Ananias in his vision, “he is praying”. Not that he has been praying, but that he IS, which seems to suggest to me that Paul was going a great deal of praying.
So whether or not Paul fasted because of the guilt he felt for his sin or to be more intentional in prayer, I cannot be sure. However, considering what I know about the weight of my own sin, plus my knowledge considering the zeal of Paul, my guess is that it was a bit of both.
Brother Saul
Ananias, though a bit reluctant at first, not only seeks out the man who had been seeking to arrest him and haul him off to Jerusalem, where he would likely be killed, but when he finds him, he also calls him brother.
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.” (Acts 9:17)
What a testimony to Ananias and the early church. The level of trust they had in the Holy Spirit, and their capacity to forgive must have been off the charts.
Immediate Evangelism
Paul wasted no time in sharing the Gospel.
And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:20)
To paraphrase the Life Application Study Bible; While Paul did take some time to gain a footing before beginning his worldwide ministry, he wasted no time before telling others about Christ and what He had done for him.
What can we take away and apply from Peter’s vision (10:9-48)?
God used Peter’s vision to break down walls of prejudice in his life and the church. Because of the culture in which he was raised, as well as the Mosaic law and countless additions to it, Peter had preconceived notions about the food that he saw in his vision, but more importantly, the people known as gentiles. God used this vision to tell Peter that He reserved the right to change the law and that His commands trumped any prejudices he may have had as a result of his upbringing.
God used Peter’s vision to show him that no one is outside the scope of His love.
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. (Acts 10:34-35)
What did you learn about the early church in this week’s reading?
What really stuck out to me the most about the church this week is Acts 9:31.
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. (Acts 9:31)
We talked last week about what it takes for Gateway to look like the church in Acts. The main theme of the discussion was that it starts with us. Each of us needs to look like the church, and each one of us needs to lead others to do the same. So how do we do that? How do we feed and grow the church to look like the church in Acts? By walking in fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
To walk in fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13), to be in awe of Him (Psalm 33:8), to walk in His ways, to love, and to serve Him (Deuteronomy 10:12), and to call Him friend (Psalm 25:14).
To walk in the comfort of the Holy Spirit is to walk in freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17), with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), and with the assurance of His seal for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).