Sabbath: Paul – Background and Call
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 9:1, Phil. 3:6, 1 Cor. 15:10, Acts 9:1-22, Acts 26:18, Gal. 2:1-17.
Memory Text: But the Lord said to Ananias,
(Acts 9:15-16 NIV).Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name
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One of the most central figures in the New Testament was Paul, originally Saul of Tarsus. Paul was to the early Christian church what Moses was to the children of Israel. The difference is that while Moses brought God’s people out from the Gentiles in order that Israel would be able to do God’s will, Paul brought God’s Word from Israel to the Gentiles in order that the Gentiles could do the same, that is, to do God’s will.
More is known about Paul than any other first-century Christian. He is especially remembered for his significant contributions that have influenced Christian outreach during the past two millennia. His missionary visits and activities to the nations around the Mediterranean Sea set a powerful example for Christian missions in coming generations.
Paul is credited with lifting biblical absolutes from their Jewish culture, where civil, ritual, and moral laws were so integrated into the fabric of Jewish life that there was hardly any distinction between the Jewish custom and what they thought was God’s everlasting message to the nations.
This week we will take our first look at someone who, other than Jesus Himself, is thought by many to be the most important figure in the New Testament.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 12.
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To be God’s chosen vessel and to suffer for His name is a double honor (Acts 9:15, 16). Given Paul’s example how is it there are not a lot more Damascus Road type experiences reported?
Notwithstanding the fierce persecution directed against Christians and Christ himself (Acts 9:1, 5), Jesus saw some things in Saul which He liked. Searching the heart of he who would become Paul the Lord hand-picked one who had great focus, zeal and sincerity, and would later exercise pronounced humility when he understood its value (Philippians 3:4-8).
Make no mistake, God loves everybody because godly love is unconditional. However there are some whom the Lord really likes (a quality related to attractiveness). Such the Lord calls friends (James 2:23). These are they who have or adopt attitudes particularly pleasing to the Creator.
Moses was one such (Exodus 33:11). Like Saul Moses made mistakes with his zeal, and even killed believing he was honoring Jehovah (Exodus 2:11-14). Yet when the Lord really got his attention he was ready to suffer (Hebrews 11:24-26), and most importantly to be emptied of self (Exodus 32:31, 32) and walk humbly with God (Numbers 12:3).
Jehovah got so close to Moses he would not wait for salvation’s price to be paid at the cross, He marked the grave and resurrected His special friend whom He really liked and longed to be reunited with on credit (Jude 1:9). O to be the Lord’s friend, and to be missed when one’s time on earth is up!
God invested in revealing His character to mankind through Jesus (John 14:6-9) and His people (2 Corinthians 5:20) not so that we will love Him; for love is independent of the beauty or faults of another’s character. God reveals his character so others may grow to like Him the same way He likes those with an attractive character, who are humble and willing to suffer for His name.
This way there can be a genuine friendship where both enjoy each other’s company all the time, as in a happy marriage (Revelation 21:2). Human marriage which will have served its purpose and expire when Jesus returns (Mark 12:25) was in part meant to communicate this truth.
Thanks Hugh. God bless you.
Please, i want to know what will awaken my love for God. (question to everyone)
I love and follow the LORD because of who He is, because He loves me, because of His character, His worldview, His wisdom, His divine power I am drawn to Him, I want to be with Him and to be like Him.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Joh 17:26 And I made known to them Your name, and will make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself.
Pauls critics said he was not charging to preach. They said he had no adornment like gold chains and rings. Some said he was still hunting christians for Rome. and he himself said show me your faith without works I will show you my faith by my works, twice shipwrecked, beaten and left for dead for the cause of Christ.
When Saul [together with his associates] were accosted on the road to Damascus, Saul had been the only one to actually hear Jesus' words, and to see Him. (Acts 22:7, 1Cor 9:1)
We do not know what the attitude of Saul's associates was when he told them about what he had just experienced. But it may have been the Devil's intent to cast doubt into Saul's mind. (We can be sure that every loop-hole would have been probed and pushed.)
But when Ananias appears on the scene of action, he does something significant.
Ananias says to him, "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me..." (Acts 9:17)
Humanly speaking, his voice gives confirmation/reinforcement to a reality that only Saul himself has seen and heard. (It is possible that none of the other Pharisees were willing, that day, to connect the super-natural "light" with the Jesus that they despised.) But Saul's experience is forever placed beyond the reach of the reasoning sceptic and the religious mocker.
And whether or not Ananias knew what he was actually doing, his voice gave precious confirmation to something that was a turning point, not only in Paul's experience, but in the experience of the Church.
Saul part in the gospel is so important to me for if Paul would not have had his encounter with Christ and the persevered to persecute the church the message may have taken sometime to reach those who were ready to receive it.
From Sinai to calvaly the people of God were worshiping God with the tradions of men some of those traditions were even practiced by other nations. Mind you as the children of Abraham the father of our faith we are to pass through what she passed and experience . He ad two sons one (Ishmael) born out of traditions of men and the other one( Isaac) born out of grace and promise.Despite tthat , God still accepted him as his man. Later on God ordered Abraham to do away with the son born of traditions of men and remain with a son born of promise of which he did. Abraham remained with Isaac alone and continued worshiping God. So all those who worshiped God after Abraham have to worship God with the traditions of men but do away with them and remain with Christ' teachings alon through his apostles after his death. Through paul Christ taught the people to worship God in spirit and truth alone without any tradions of men. Our New Testament worshiping of God should in subject with the teachings of the apostle to all the nations without attaching any tradions of men . Whatever the old Testamen doctrine which was not taught by the Apostles after the the daeth of Christ it shouldn't be taught or observed now , such as tithing , circumcision, 7th year sabbath, passover and many monthly and yearly feasts, lam sacrifices and many more. But whaever they taught is what we should do such as free will offering, holy communion,7th day weekly sabbath , endtime prophecies and caring for the widows and orphans.