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THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
International Lesson Commentary
Outline and Exposition B. B. S utcliffe Points >and Problems H omer A. K ent Golden Text Illustration A lan S. P earce
Blackboard Lesson . G retchen S ibley ; Object Lesson E lmer L. W ilder Children s Division M ildred M . C ook
APRIL 2, 1944 SAUL BECOMES A NEW MAN A cts 9 : Ü Û ; 22:6-16 ; 26:12-20
•he thought he ought to do (cf. Acts 26:9). But conscience is never a safe guide. In this case, it led Saul to fight against God, and to become a blas phemer, even in his effort to please God (cf. 1 Tim. 1:13). Saul’s enmity was a manifestation of the hatred of God which the natural man possesses, even while he thinks he is serving God. Cain hiurdered God’s man because he could not reach the God he really hated. Likewise Saul of Tarsus manifested his inherent disdain for the holy One by persecut ing God’s followers. So complete is the ruin caused by sin in the human race that when a man does what is right in his own eyes, he does what is wrong in God’s sight (cf. Judg. 21:25; Prov. 14:12). II. T he L ord ’ s G race (3-9) It was pure grace that arrested Saul in his mad pursuit of the followers of the Lord Jesus. For human enmity, God offers divine kindness; for perse cution, He gives compassion; and for wickedness and blasphemy, He returns infinite mercy. Saul found that the question, “Why persecutest thou me?” was a difficult one to answer, con sidering all that Jesus had done for humankind, and all that men had done to Him. Saul’s response to the question indi cates that he now knew he was deal ing with the Lord of glory. When he heard that it was Jesus who was speaking to him, consternation seized him. Trembling in astonishment, he asked, “What shall I do?” He was con victed of his sin and was ready to do B LACKBOARD LESSON
Acts 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the dis ciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that If he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Da mascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why per secutes! thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou perse- cutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what w ilt thou have me to do? And the Lord .said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but see ing no man. 8 And Saul arose from, the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man,, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy w ay: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will show him how great, things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and en tered into the house; and putting his hands en him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus,, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou might- est receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. LESSO N T E X T : Acts 9:1-9, 13-19a. GO LD EN T E X T : "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, ail things are be come rew " (2 Cor. R:17). D EV O T IO N A L R EA D IN G : 1 Tim . 1:12-17. Outline and Exposition I: T he L ord ' s E nemy (1, 2) S AUL OF TARSUS, a strict Phar he thought was the honor of God, Saul attempted to exterminate all the fol lowers of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was truly following the dictates of his conscience and doing only what
Lesson material is based on outlines of International Sunday S c h o o l Lessons , copyrighted by International Council of Reli gious Education; used by per mission.
whatever the Lord commanded. He proved by his response that he had been ignorant in persecuting the be lievers. We may never know what passed through this man’s mind during those- three terrible days when he was with out sight and without food; but we know that a transformation took place which made him a new man in every respect. m . T he L ord ’ s P urpose (13-19a) To amazed Ananias there was given the high privilege of being the agent of God in dealing with Saul of Tarsus (vs. 13,14). In the light of Saul’s later life, what an honor this was for Ananias! The Lord’s purpose for Saul (vs. 15, 16), provided that he should be a chosen vessel to testify for the Lord before the Gentiles, before the children of Israel, arid before kings. He would meet suffering many times and in many ways—all for the glory of God. Ananias addressed him as “Brother Saul,” showing that he understood that this one-time enemy had become a brother in the Lord. Saul’s recovery was immediate (vs. 17-19). Is it possible that the experi ence through which he had passed should have resulted in what many think was Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” a weakness of his eyes? We do not know. Certain it is that his. physical sight, though it may have been im paired, did not obscure his spiritual sight, which became more acute day1 by day, until this “new man” entered the very presence of the Lord Himself and looked upon Him face to face.
isee, was violently opposed to Jesus, whom he believed to be an impostor. With.great zeal for what
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