Sunday School Lessons: Acts 9

Lesson 14
Acts 9  
The Conversion of Saul

This is the first of three account of the conversion of Saul in the Book of Acts.  This account tells us what happened—just the facts.  The other two accounts are in chapters 22 and 26.

Read Acts 9:1-2
Still breathing threats and murder.  Saul wasn’t satisfied with the persecution of the believers in Jerusalem, he asked special permission to go to Damascus to find believers and bring them back bound to Jerusalem.  He was looking for people belonging to “the Way.”  This was what the early church was called in those day—people of the Way.

Read Acts 9:3-9

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Several important things stand out in Saul’s conversion.  First, it is evident from Jesus’ words that Saul was under conviction of sin.  He was “kicking against the goads.” (Explain about horses/donkeys/goads)  Saul had seen the stoning of Stephen and his response and it had made him mad, but having seen Stephen’s faith in death, probably made him think, too.  Stephen had seen into heaven.  He died full of faith and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Saul was under conviction and his way of responding was to lash out against the people of the Way.

Second, notice what happens when Jesus calls him by name and asks, “why are you persecuting me?”  To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus Himself!  Saul asks, “Who are you, Lord?” Jesus tells Saul that it is He.  What is Saul’s response? He trembles and is astonished! He responds without reservation.  “Lord, what do you want me to do?”  He acknowledged Jesus as Lord and submitted to Him.

Saul was struck blind and led into Damascus, where he will wait to be told what he must do.  For three days he could not see and neither ate, nor drank.

Now we switch to a believer in Damascus named Ananias.  This is the only time in scripture that Ananias is mentioned, but he is greatly used by God.

Read Acts 9:10-12

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

What can we learn about Ananias from this passage?  About Saul?  About the Lord Jesus?

Read Acts 9:13-14

13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Ananias is afraid of Saul because of what he had heard about him.  But notice, he is not afraid to talk to Jesus about his fears.  Jesus tells Ananias to ‘Go’ anyway, but He also lets Ananias in on His plans for Saul.  What two things does Jesus tell Ananias about Saul?  Who will Saul “bear His Name before?”

Read Acts 9:17-19

17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Ananias does just what Jesus told him to do and just what Jesus had told Saul would happen.  What does Ananias call Saul?  What is the significance of that?  Immediately he received his sight, got up and was baptized!  He ate and was strengthened and then stayed with the other believers at Damascus, and was spiritually strengthened by the very people he had set out to persecute and drag back to Jerusalem!

Read Acts 9:20-22
Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Immediately Saul began to preach.  What did he preach?  (the Person and Work of Jesus Christ)  Why is that important?  The people were amazed, both the believers and the Jews in Damascus.  He proved that Jesus is the Christ.  The Christ is the Messiah.  The Jews were waiting for their Messiah and Saul, with all his training in the Jewish Scriptures, having been taught by the great scholar, Gamaliel, used the scriptures to prove that Jesus is the Messiah.  Some Jews were convinced and believed, others plotted to kill Saul.

Read Acts 9:23-25
The Jews in Damascus were “laying in wait” to kill Saul, but the believers lowered him over the wall in a basket and he escaped .  We learn from Galatians 1:17 that Paul spent three years in Arabia before going to Jerusalem:

Galatians 1:11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
   
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)
21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me.

 Acts 9:26-30

When Saul got to Jerusalem, the believers were afraid of him!  They didn’t believe him!  But Barnabas, whose name means “Son of Encouragement” helped him.  He took him to the apostles and told them all about Saul’s conversion and his bold preaching of the name of Jesus in Damascus.  He stayed with the apostles and began to preach in Jerusalem and again, the Hellenistic Jews tried to kill him.  (these were the same ones Saul had cooperated with in the stoning of Stephen) The believers saved him and sent him home to Tarsus.  It is thought that Saul stayed 10 years in Tarsus before returning to ministry with Barnabas in Antioch.

Read Acts 9:31
Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.   

Notice where the Gospel has gone up to this point.  The church experiences peace and growth during this period.

In verse 32, we’ll return to Peter.

Read Acts 9:32-43
Peter is traveling throughout the region.  He heals two people.  In whose name does he heal?  What is the response of the people after these healings?

Please read Chapter 10 for next week. 

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students.  You can find lessons for previous chapters here.