ACTS CHAPTER NINE

OBSERVATION STAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the normative rules of language, context and logic .which largely limits the observer to the content offered by the books of Luke and Acts. Other passages must have a relationship with the context at hand, such as a Scriptural quotation or reference in the passage at hand. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.

Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

The context in Acts chapter 7 of the stoning of Stephen by the Jewish rulers introduced a young ruler named Saul who had consented to Stephen's execution. And chapter 8 briefly has the subject as Saul as well. And then chapter 9 focuses on Saul from the beginning.

****** EXCERPT FROM ACTS CHAPTERS 7 & 8 RE: SAUL ******

OR SKIP TO THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 9

(Acts 7:54-60) THE RULERS, AFTER HEARING ALL THAT STEPHEN HAD TO SAY - AN ACCURATE LESSON OF THEIR HISTORY FRAUGHT WITH REBELLION AND APOSTASY - THEY WERE CUT TO THEIR HEARTS AND GNASHING THEIR TEETH AT HIM. BUT STEPHEN BEING FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAVING LOOKED STEADFASTLY TO HEAVEN SAW THE GLORY OF GOD, AND JESUS STANDING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, AND STEPHEN SAID, "LO, I SEE THE HEAVENS HAVING BEEN OPENED, AND THE SON OF MAN STANDING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD." THE RULERS CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, STOPPED THEIR EARS, AND RUSHED UPON STEPHEN ALL AT ONCE. THEY CAST HIM OUT OF THE CITY, TOOK OFF THEIR OUTER GARMENTS, LAID THEM AT THE FEET OF A YOUNG MAN CALLED SAUL, AND BEGAN STONING HIM TO DEATH. STEPHEN CALLED OUT, "LORD JESUS, RECEIVE MY SPIRIT;" THEN HE KNELT DOWN AND CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, "LORD JESUS DO NOT CHARGE THEM WITH THIS SIN." WHEREUPON HE FELL ASLEEP, IN THE SENSE OF DIED

(Acts 8:1-4) NOW SAUL HAD CONSENTED AND CONTINUED TO CONSENT IN THE CARRYING OUT OF STEPHEN'S STONING TO DEATH. THIS EVIDENTLY SIGNALED A GREAT PERSECUTION LED BY SAUL AGAINST THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM, SCATTERING ALL THROUGHOUT THE REGIONS OF JUDEA AND SAMARIA - LARGELY THE HELLENIST (GREEK SPEAKING) JEWS; YET LEAVING A NUMBER OF THE HEBREW JEWS WHO WERE BELIEVERS IN "THE CHRIST" AND THE APOSTLES TO REMAIN IN JERUSALEM

DEVOUT JEWISH MEN BURIED STEPHEN, AND MADE GREAT LAMENTATION OVER HIM WHILE SAUL CONTINUED TO RAVAGE THE CHURCH, ENTERING HOUSES AND DRAGGING OFF MEN AND WOMEN TO PRISON

THROUGH ALL OF THIS, THE SCATTERED MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH WHICH HAD GONE ABOAD WERE PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL WHEREVER THEY WENT

[Compare Acts 5:34-39]:

[Compare Acts 8:2 with Acts 8:3]:

****** END OF EXCERPTS FROM ACTS CHAPTERS 7 & 8 ******

I) [Acts 9:1-30]:

A) (Acts 9:1-9) IN THE LIGHT OF STEPHEN'S GREAT DEFENSE AND PRESENTATION OF JESUS TO THE JEWISH RULERS AND HIS MARTYRDOM, SAUL EXPANDED HIS RELENTLESS PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH INTO DAMASCUS. WHILE ON THE WAY TO DAMASCUS THERE SUDDENLY SHONE A LIGHT FROM HEAVEN UPON HIM, BLINDING HIM AND CAUSING HIM TO FALL UPON THE GROUND. AND SAUL HEARD A VOICE SAYING TO HIM, "SAUL, SAUL, WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME? ... I AM JESUS WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING, BUT GET UP AND ENTER THE CITY, AND IT WILL BE TOLD TO YOU WHAT YOU MUST DO." SAUL WAS ALREADY SAVED WHEN HE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE LORD JESUS RELATIVE TO SERVING HIM IN A MINISTRY OF PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL. THE MEN JOURNEYING WITH SAUL STOOD SPEECHLESS HEARING A VOICE BUT SEEING NO ONE. THEY BROUGHT HIM TO DAMASCUS. FOR THREE DAYS WITHOUT SEEING, HE NEITHER ATE NOR DRANK

1) [Ref. Acts 26:10]:

2) [Compare Acts 22:6-9 14-15, Acts 26:15-19; 1 Cor 9:1, 15:8]:

3) [Compare Acts 26:16-18]:

4) [Compare Gal 1:11-24]:

5) [Compare Acts 22:7-9]:

6) [Compare Phil 3:5-6]:

7) [Compare Ro 10:1-3]:

****** EXCERPTS FROM ISAIAH AND MATTHEW ******

IN VIEW OF THE IMMINENT RETURN IN ANCIENT TIMES OF ISRAEL FROM BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY TO A JERUSALEM WHICH WOULD BE REBUILT, A VOICE OF A PROPHET CRIED OUT TO THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM TELLING THEM IN A FIGURATIVE / SPIRITUAL SENSE, NOT A LITERAL SENSE, THAT IN THE WILDERNESS THEY WERE ALL TO PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD IN THE SENSE OF MAKING THE WAY OF THE LORD RIGHTEOUS; AND IN THE SAME SENSE, MAKE A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD IN THE DESERT, AND LIKEWISE HAVE EVERY VALLEY LIFTED UP, EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL LEVELED, AND UNEVEN GROUND BECOME SMOOTH AND ROUGH PLACES A PLAIN, I.E., SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WOULD BE CHARACTERIZED AS HAVING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD THUS HAVING REMOVED THE SPIRITUAL HINDRANCES WITHIN THEMSELVES TO THE COMING OF THE LORD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS SO THAT ALL MANKIND WOULD SEE THE GLORY OF THE LORD WHEN HE COMES TO RULE OVER HIS EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON THE EARTH, AS DECLARED BY THE PROPHET TO BE TRUE, FOR ISAIAH DECLARED THAT THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HAD SPOKEN IT TO HIM. SO THE TIME OF THE LORD'S RULE WOULD BEGIN WHEN EACH ONE OF NATIONAL ISRAEL, TO WHOM THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHET CRYING OUT WAS EXCLUSIVELY DIRECTED, RESPONDED TO IT EVIDENTLY VIA A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN THE COMING LORD ALONE TO DELIVER ONE FROM ONE'S SINS SUCH THAT EACH ONE WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH THE GIFT OF GOD'S PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHIN ONESELF UNTO ETERNAL LIFE AND BY THAT PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD TO COME TO RULE OVER HIS EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON THE EARTH THROUGH HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL. ISAIAH INDICATED PREVIOUSLY THAT THIS OUTCOME WAS TO BEGIN WITH A CHILD BORN SUPERNATURALLY OF AN ISRAELITE MAIDEN / VIRGIN - A SON AND CHILD OF ISRAEL, WHO WOULD BE DECLARED WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE WHO WOULD COME TO ESTABLISH HIS EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF HEAVEN RULE OVER THE WORLD UPON THE THRONE OF DAVID FROM JERUSALEM THROUGH HIS PEOPLE, ISRAEL AS BOTH GOD AND MAN

[Compare Isa 7:14-16]:

[Compare Mt 1:18-23]:

[Compare Isa 9:6-7]:

[Compare Isa 6:3 NKJV]:

****** END OF EXCERPTS FROM ISAIAH AND MATTHEW ******

B) (Acts 9:10-21) THE LORD TOLD A DISCIPLE NAMED ANANIAS TO GO TO STRAIGHT STREET TO THE HOUSE OF JUDAS, AND FIND SAUL OF TARSUS, PRAYING. SAUL WAS GIVEN OF VISION OF THIS ACCOUNT BY THE LORD, WHEREIN ANANIAS WOULD PLACE HIS HAND ON SAUL TO RECEIVE HIS SIGHT BACK. ANANIAS OBJECTED, RECOUNTING SAUL'S PERSECUTION OF THE BELIEVERS IN JERUSALEM AND HIS INTENT TO TAKE BELIEVERS PRISONERS IN DAMASCUS. BUT THE LORD TOLD ANANIAS TO "GO, FOR HE IS A CHOSEN INSTRUMENT TO BEAR HIS [THE LORD'S] NAME BEFORE GENTILES AND KINGS AND THE SONS OF ISRAEL FOR [HE] WILL SHOW HIM HOW HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY [THE LORD'S] NAME SAKE." SO ANANIAS DEPARTED, ENTERED THE HOUSE, LAID HANDS UPON SAUL, SAID TO HIM, "BROTHER SAUL, THE LORD 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." IMMEDIATELY SCALES FELL FROM SAUL'S EYES, HE SAW AGAIN, ROSE, WAS WATER BAPTIZED, TOOK FOOD, WAS STRENGTHENED, AND FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS WAS WITH THE DISCIPLES IN DAMASCUS. IMMEDIATELY "HE WAS PREACHING THE CHRIST, THAT HE IS THE SON OF GOD" IN THE SYNAGOGUES IN DAMASCUS. ALL HEARING HIM WERE BEING AMAZED, SAYING, "IS THIS NOT HE WHO IN JERUSALEM DESTROYED THOSE CALLING ON THIS NAME?" - WHO HAD COME HERE TO TAKE BELIEVERS AS PRISONERS TO THE CHIEF PRIESTS?

1) [Compare Acts 26:15-18]:

C) (Acts 9:22-30) SAUL WAS INCREASING IN STRENGTH, CONFOUNDING THE JEWS IN DAMASCUS BY PROVING THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST. WHEN MANY DAYS HAD BEEN FULFILLED, I.E., DECREED BY GOD FOR SAUL TO LEARN DOCTRINE IN THE ARABIAN DESERT FROM THE LORD AND RETURN TO DAMASCUS TO PREACH WITH GREAT EXPERTISE, THE JEWS THERE SOUGHT TO KILL HIM. SAUL LEARNED OF THEIR PLOT - WATCHING THE GATES DAY AND NIGHT TO PUT HIM TO DEATH. SO THE DISCIPLES LOWERED HIM IN A LARGE BASKET THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE CITY WALL. AND SAUL CAME TO JERUSALEM, ATTEMPTING TO JOIN WITH THE DISCIPLES THERE. BUT THEY FEARED HIM. BUT BARNABAS TRUSTED IN SAUL'S CONVERSION AND BROUGHT HIM TO THE APOSTLES PETER AND JAMES. SAUL DECLARED HOW HE SAW AND HEARD THE LORD ON THE WAY TO DAMASCUS, AND HOW HE SPOKE BOLDLY AT DAMASCUS IN THE NAME OF JESUS. SO SAUL WAS WITH THEM AT JERUSALEM, COMING AND GOING, SPEAKING BOLDLY IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, DISPUTING WITH THE HELLENIST JEWS, CAUSING THE LATTER TO SEEK TO KILL HIM. WHEREUPON THE BRETHREN HAVING KNOWN THIS, BROUGHT HIM DOWN TO CAESAREA, AND SENT HIM AWAY TO TARSUS TO AVOID PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM - TO WHERE THE LORD IN A VISION DIRECTED SAUL TO GO TO CONTINUE TO SERVE HIM

1) [Compare Gal 1:11-24]:

2) [Compare 2 Cor 11:32-33]:

3) [Compare Acts 22:17-21]:

II) [Acts 9:31-43]:

A) (Acts 9:31-43) DURING THE TIME OF SAUL'S MINISTRY FOR THE LORD THE CHURCH THROUGHOUT ALL JUDEA, GALILEE AND SAMARIA WAS AT PEACE, BLESSED, BEING BUILT UP, INCREASING AND CONTINUING IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AT THIS TIME WHILE PETER WAS PASSING THROUGHOUT ALL JUDEA, GALILEE AND SAMARIA HE CAME UNTO THE SAINTS WHO WERE DWELLING AT LYDDA WHERE HE FOUND A HELLENIST JEWISH BELIEVER NAMED AENEAS WHO FOR EIGHT YEARS LAY UPON A COUCH, PARALYZED. PETER SAID TO HIM, "AENEAS, JESUS ... CHRIST HEALS YOU. ARISE AND MAKE YOUR BED," WHEREUPON HE AROSE IMMEDIATELY. MANY IN LYDDA AND SHARON HENCEFORTH TURNED TO THE LORD AND WERE SAVED. THEN IN NEARBY JOPPA A FAITHFUL FEMALE DISCIPLE NAMED TABITHA BECAME SICK AND DIED. SEVERAL DISCIPLES SOUGHT AFTER PETER TO COME. SO PETER RAISED THE WOMAN FROM THE DEAD. MANY THROUGHOUT JOPPA BELIEVED ON THE LORD. PETER REMAINED MANY DAYS IN JOPPS WITH SIMON A TANNER.

1) [Compare Acts 10:34-48]:

2) [Compare Acts 13:44-48]: