Teaching Elder, Duke Shelley, continues teaching in the book of Acts

1. The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 9:1-19a

2. • 1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder
against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high
priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the
synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any
belonging to the Way, both men and women, he
might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3. • “When the Jewish state won its independence
under the Hasmonaean dynasty of ruling priests
(142 B.C.), the Romans, who patronized the new
state for reasons of their own, required
neighboring states to grant it the privileges of a
sovereign state, including the right of extradition.
A letter delivered at that time by a Roman
ambassador to Ptolemy VIII of Egypt concludes
with the demand:

4. • “If any pestilent men have fled to you from their
own country [Judaea], hand them over to Simon
the high priest, so that he may punish them
according to their law” (1 Macc. 15:21). In 47 B.C.
Julius Caesar confirmed those rights and privileges
anew to the Jewish nation (although Judaea was
no longer a sovereign state), and more particularly
to the high-priesthood.” FF Bruce

5. • Acts 26:11 "And as I punished them often in all the
synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme;
and being furiously enraged at them, I kept
pursuing them even to foreign cities.

7. • John 14:6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and
the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father
but through Me.

8. • John 14:6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and
the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father
but through Me.
• Acts 18:26 and he began to speak out boldly in the
synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard
him, they took him aside and explained to him the
way of God more accurately.

9. • 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was
approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from
heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the
ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

10. • 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was
approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from
heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the
ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
• Acts 26:14 "And when we had all fallen to the
ground

11. • Romans 3:10-12 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE
RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE
WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS
FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE,
TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS
NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN
ONE.“

12. • Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your
transgressions and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having
forgiven us all our transgressions,

13. • 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said,
"I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

14. • 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said,
"I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
• Acts 22:9-10 "And those who were with me saw
the light, to be sure, but did not understand the
voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10
"And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord
said to me, 'Get up and go on into Damascus, and
there you will be told of all that has been
appointed for you to do.'

15. • 1 Timothy 1:12-16 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord,
who has strengthened me, because He considered
me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even
though I was formerly a blasphemer and a
persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was
shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in
unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more
than abundant, with the faith and love which are
found in Christ Jesus.

16. • 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full
acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me
as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate
His perfect patience as an example for those who
would believe in Him for eternal life.

17. • Isaiah 30:21 Your ears will hear a word behind you,
"This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to
the right or to the left.

18. • 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told
you what you must do." 7 The men who traveled
with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but
seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and
though his eyes were open, he could see nothing;
and leading him by the hand, they brought him
into Damascus.

19. • 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told
you what you must do." 7 The men who traveled
with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but
seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and
though his eyes were open, he could see nothing;
and leading him by the hand, they brought him
into Damascus.
• 9 And he was three days without sight, and
neither ate nor drank.

20. • 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named
Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision,
"Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." 11 And
the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street
called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas
for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is
praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man
named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him,
so that he might regain his sight."

21. • Acts 22:12 "A certain Ananias, a man who was
devout by the standard of the Law, and well
spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

22. • Acts 22:12 "A certain Ananias, a man who was
devout by the standard of the Law, and well
spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
• 1 Samuel 3:10 Then the LORD came and stood and
called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And
Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening."

23. • 13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard
from many about this man, how much harm he did
to Your saints at 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 instrument of Mine, to bear My
name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons
of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he
must suffer for My name's sake."

24. • Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we would be holy
and blameless before Him.

25. • Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we would be holy
and blameless before Him.
• Romans 11:13 But I am speaking to you who are
Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of
Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

26. • 1 Corinthians 4:9-13 For, I think, God has exhibited
us apostles last of all, as men condemned to
death; because we have become a spectacle to the
world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools
for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we
are weak, but you are strong; you are
distinguished, but we are without honor. 11 To
this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty,
and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated,
and are homeless;

27. • 12 and we toil, working with our own hands;
when we are reviled, we bless; when we are
persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are
slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as
the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even
until now.

28. • 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Are they servants of
Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in far more
labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times
without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five
times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was
stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and
a day I have spent in the deep.

29. • 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers
from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from
my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles,
dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness,
dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
27 I have been in labor and hardship, through
many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often
without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart
from such external things, there is the daily
pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

30. • 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Because of the surpassing
greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to
keep me from exalting myself, there was given me
a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to
torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! 8
Concerning this I implored the Lord three times
that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me,
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is
perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I
will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the
power of Christ may dwell in me.

31. • 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses,
with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,
with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am
weak, then I am strong.

32. • 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house,
and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother
Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the
road by which you were coming, has sent me so
that you may regain your sight and be filled with
the Holy Spirit."

33. • Acts 22:14-15 "And he said, 'The God of our fathers
has appointed you to know His will and to see the
Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His
mouth. 15 'For you will be a witness for Him to all
men of what you have seen and heard.

34. • “The Spirit transformed Saul in two fundamental
ways. First, He took Saul’s natural strengths and
refined them. Saul was a gifted natural leader, with
strong will power. He was a man of strong
convictions, a self-starter, bold, a master at using
his time and talents, a motivated individual, and a
profoundly gifted thinker and speaker. The Holy
Spirit also eliminated undesirable characteristics
and replaced them with desirable ones.

35. • He replaced Saul’s cruel hatred with love; his
restless, aggressive spirit with peace; his rough,
hard-nosed treatment of people with gentleness;
his pride with humility. Only the Spirit of God can
so thoroughly sanctify a life. Saul later expressed
that truth to the Corinthians: “But we all, with
unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of
the Lord, are being transformed into the same
image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord,
the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18).” John MacArthur

36. • 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes
something like scales, and he regained his sight,
and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took
food and was strengthened. Now for several days
he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,

37. • 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes
something like scales, and he regained his sight,
and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took
food and was strengthened. Now for several days
he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,
• 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of
death into life, because we love the brethren. He
who does not love abides in death.
•