Jesus Loves You Lots
Moderator
Study in The Life Of Paul
Saul = meant borrowed or prayed for
Paul - ment humbled
week 1
Pre-Damascus Road
Acts 7:54-60
When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
this is the first time we are introduced to Paul and as u can see he was the one responcible for killing steph who was brutally stoned to death in chapter 8 we see that paul was responsible for making sure he was dead
Acts 8 :1
Saul was there, giving approval to his death.
Saul Then Started Persecuting the Church in Jeruselum
Acts 8:2-3
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
in acts chapter 9 we see pauls conversion it's important to notice in verse 1 that u notice that he is still breathing out murderous threats against christians. it is also interesting how he refers to christians as those following " The Way" referencing back to christ saying "I am the Way, The Truth, and The Light." in John 14:6
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
The Damascus Road
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
Ok in this we see pauls epic converstion. it isimportant to realise 2 things in this 1st of all that only paul was blinded but everyone heard the voice. and secondly that paul fasted after this not eating for 3 days while he was blind. this was a humbling experience for everyone there and especially for him.
Ananias in Damascus
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it.
we see in this anasias sasking god pretty much if he is sure about paul. because ananias was afraid oof paul but god told him look i chose him so do it.
Paul And Ananias
Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
we see here after being humbled and prayed for by some one he was going to kill originally "scales" fell from his eyes and he could see. also we see that he regained his strength after eating. this means that the damascus experience weakened him physically as well as humbled him.
Barnabas and Saul go on a road trip
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
On Cyprus
The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.
They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun."
Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
ok now we see his name changed and see him call this warlock out. and the guys is struck blind because of the power of god in paul this man really was "on fire" for god. i means talk about a mirical and this was used to witness to proconsul.
paul after his converstion was a zealous man. Paul whole soul was filled with the thoughts of men- men in turn developed in to energy. Paul was a man who gave it all to god and we should follow his example. he was one of the greatest apostales of all time and he didn't get a big head about it he said that he must die daily. also says that he doesnt understand cause wat he hates he does and wat he loves he doesnt do. i mean paul had alot to boast for he was born in thebest city in the world but look at how he answered the question of his rightousness and how he obtained it. he says " i came by it through the sight of jesus christ: that is the inward sight, which the spirit revealed to me. my own righteousness was as filthey rags. which i thought of and prided my self on." Now talk about humility i amean he had is all and then gave it up for christ. he was in perfect clear with the jewish law and well liked by most jews.but when he became a christian he was perecuted and called "the bastard apostale" because he was not one of the 12. and the qurstioned the gospel he preached he answered these reports saying i didnt recieve this gospel from that of a man but form the mouth of god.
in the same way we were given this commission the same as paul in Mark 16 and matthew 28
Mark
He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
In Mark Jesus even promises that we will be protected and perform miricales in his name
Matthew
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
and in matthew he gives us the same authority form heaven that was given to him and promises to be with us till the end of time.
guys this means we have nothing to fear about spreading the gospel. yes u will be made fun of jesus said we will be hated cause he was. but he DIED for us and many disiples were brutally murdered for the cause just to name some.
1. Stephen was stoned to deaths
2. James(disiple) the great Was beheaded
3. Philip was scourged, thrown in jail and then crucified
4. Matthew was Slained with a halberd
5. James(jesus's brother) the less was stoned and had his brains bashed out with a fullers club
6. Matthias was stoned and beheaded
7.andrew was crucifeid on a cross turned like an x
8. mark was dragged to pieces by the people of alexandria
9. peter was crucified upside down cause he would not be crucified like christ. cause he was un worthy
10. paul willingly gave his head to the sword.
11. luke was hung on an olive tree
12. thomas was thrust with a spear
13. John Was the only disiple to escape a violent death.
and we sit on our butts not wanting to witness cause then we wont be popular or we may be laughted at look at wat these guys did. how much more selfish can we be. i pray that we would see youth and adults stand up with the same kind of zealous fire that Paul had. the kind of faith that will get stuff done.
" But though persecuting malice raged, yet the Gospel shone with resplendent brightness; and, firm as an impregnable rock, withstood the attacks of its Boisterous enemies with unfailing success. "-John Foxe 1926 Foxe's book of martrys
Saul = meant borrowed or prayed for
Paul - ment humbled
week 1
Pre-Damascus Road
Acts 7:54-60
When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
this is the first time we are introduced to Paul and as u can see he was the one responcible for killing steph who was brutally stoned to death in chapter 8 we see that paul was responsible for making sure he was dead
Acts 8 :1
Saul was there, giving approval to his death.
Saul Then Started Persecuting the Church in Jeruselum
Acts 8:2-3
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
in acts chapter 9 we see pauls conversion it's important to notice in verse 1 that u notice that he is still breathing out murderous threats against christians. it is also interesting how he refers to christians as those following " The Way" referencing back to christ saying "I am the Way, The Truth, and The Light." in John 14:6
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
The Damascus Road
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
Ok in this we see pauls epic converstion. it isimportant to realise 2 things in this 1st of all that only paul was blinded but everyone heard the voice. and secondly that paul fasted after this not eating for 3 days while he was blind. this was a humbling experience for everyone there and especially for him.
Ananias in Damascus
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it.
we see in this anasias sasking god pretty much if he is sure about paul. because ananias was afraid oof paul but god told him look i chose him so do it.
Paul And Ananias
Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
we see here after being humbled and prayed for by some one he was going to kill originally "scales" fell from his eyes and he could see. also we see that he regained his strength after eating. this means that the damascus experience weakened him physically as well as humbled him.
Barnabas and Saul go on a road trip
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
On Cyprus
The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.
They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun."
Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
ok now we see his name changed and see him call this warlock out. and the guys is struck blind because of the power of god in paul this man really was "on fire" for god. i means talk about a mirical and this was used to witness to proconsul.
paul after his converstion was a zealous man. Paul whole soul was filled with the thoughts of men- men in turn developed in to energy. Paul was a man who gave it all to god and we should follow his example. he was one of the greatest apostales of all time and he didn't get a big head about it he said that he must die daily. also says that he doesnt understand cause wat he hates he does and wat he loves he doesnt do. i mean paul had alot to boast for he was born in thebest city in the world but look at how he answered the question of his rightousness and how he obtained it. he says " i came by it through the sight of jesus christ: that is the inward sight, which the spirit revealed to me. my own righteousness was as filthey rags. which i thought of and prided my self on." Now talk about humility i amean he had is all and then gave it up for christ. he was in perfect clear with the jewish law and well liked by most jews.but when he became a christian he was perecuted and called "the bastard apostale" because he was not one of the 12. and the qurstioned the gospel he preached he answered these reports saying i didnt recieve this gospel from that of a man but form the mouth of god.
in the same way we were given this commission the same as paul in Mark 16 and matthew 28
Mark
He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
In Mark Jesus even promises that we will be protected and perform miricales in his name
Matthew
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
and in matthew he gives us the same authority form heaven that was given to him and promises to be with us till the end of time.
guys this means we have nothing to fear about spreading the gospel. yes u will be made fun of jesus said we will be hated cause he was. but he DIED for us and many disiples were brutally murdered for the cause just to name some.
1. Stephen was stoned to deaths
2. James(disiple) the great Was beheaded
3. Philip was scourged, thrown in jail and then crucified
4. Matthew was Slained with a halberd
5. James(jesus's brother) the less was stoned and had his brains bashed out with a fullers club
6. Matthias was stoned and beheaded
7.andrew was crucifeid on a cross turned like an x
8. mark was dragged to pieces by the people of alexandria
9. peter was crucified upside down cause he would not be crucified like christ. cause he was un worthy
10. paul willingly gave his head to the sword.
11. luke was hung on an olive tree
12. thomas was thrust with a spear
13. John Was the only disiple to escape a violent death.
and we sit on our butts not wanting to witness cause then we wont be popular or we may be laughted at look at wat these guys did. how much more selfish can we be. i pray that we would see youth and adults stand up with the same kind of zealous fire that Paul had. the kind of faith that will get stuff done.
" But though persecuting malice raged, yet the Gospel shone with resplendent brightness; and, firm as an impregnable rock, withstood the attacks of its Boisterous enemies with unfailing success. "-John Foxe 1926 Foxe's book of martrys