Study From the Book of Acts,9

Study From the Book of Acts,9  

Today we study the ninth chapter of the Book of Acts and we choose two biblical principles and their lessons which are useful in Biblical Counselling.

Saul is still restless in his zeal to defend his Jewish faith. He took letters authorizing him to arrest Christians in Damascus. Rome permitted the Jewish Sanhedrin to control Jewish affairs. Saul planned to take the followers of Jesus who had escaped to Damascus back to Jerusalem to stand Trials before the Sanhedrin and probably to face death sentence.

In his way, Saul was stopped by a light brighter than the sun. The light was so intense and penetrating that Saul fell to the ground. The men with Saul stood speechless as they saw the light and heard the voice but did not understand the voice. Saul fell to the ground and heard the Lord Jesus saying “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me.” The way Saul persecuted the Christians, he persecuted the Lord Jesus. Saul was not dreaming on the road to Damascus but instead had seen the resurrected Lord. Saul’s name now was changed to Paul. He entered Damascus and was blind until his eyes were opened and baptized by Ananias.

The people of Damascus were amazed that Paul was preaching, because Paul had come to kill Christians. The preaching was so powerful that Jews plotted to kill him, so the believers let him down through the wall in a large basket. Paul then returned to Jerusalem and joined the disciples.  Barnabas who had the gift of encouragement saw Paul’s true heart and defended him to the other apostles.  However, the Jews tried to kill him there. But the brothers found out, they brought him down to Casarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

Apostle Peter went through all parts of the country. He healed Aeneas who had been bedridden eight years and was paralysed. At Joppa he restored life to Dorcas. People were. amazed and praised the Lord Jesus.

Structure:

Verses 1-9: the Damascus Road: Saul converted.

Verses 10-19: Ananias baptizes Saul

Verses 20-22: Saul preaches Christ.

Verses 23-25:  Saul escapes death.

Verses 26-30: Saul at Jerusalem.

Verses 31: the church prospers.

Verses 32- 35: Aeneas healed.

Verses 36-42: Dorcas restored to life.

Principle 17: verse 9:4 ---“Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me’.”

Lesson 17: Saul thought he was arresting and imprisoning dangers heretics; Jesus told him that he was persecuting the Christ Himself. When we bless other believers, we bless Christ., and when we wound other believers, we harm Christ.

Principle 18: 9:27: --"But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles.”

Lesson 18: The name Barnabas mean “Son of Encouragement,” and wherever we see him in the Book of Acts, he is encouraging someone. In this occasion, he vouched for Saul when everyone else was afraid of him.30/3/2025.