KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING

  • Saul:  The "young man" at whose feet the men who stoned Stephen laid their coats (Acts 7:58).  From that day he became a leading persecutor of those who believed in Jesus (Acts 8:1,3).  In this lesson he is given a special vision of the risen Jesus so he can qualify as an apostle.  We will see him become the great apostle Paul.
  • Damascus:  Capitol city of Syria (even as it is today).  It was about 140 miles from Jerusalem.
  • Tarsus:  Saul's home city, located on the southeast coast of what is now Turkey.

Lesson Links:  In telling his story, Luke, author of Acts, returns again and again to the persecution which began with the death of Stephen (Acts 8:1).  In Acts 8, he follows one of the scattered ones--Phillip.  In Acts 9:1-30, he goes back to tell of the activities of the persecutor Saul.  In the last of the chapter he picks up the movements of one of those apostles (Peter) who at first remained in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1).  He tells in chapter 9 of this apostle's movements among the churches which had sprung up wherever the scattered disciples had gone "preaching the word." 

CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTER
Saul was so bitter against the followers of Jesus that he planned a journey to Damascus to arrest any that he might find there.  Enroute, however, he had a vision of the risen Lord and this vision changed the course of his life.  Jesus told him to go into the city and await instructions.  The Lord sent a man named Ananias (not the same as Ananias in chapter 5), telling him that Saul was a chosen vessel to carry His name.  Immediately upon the instructions of Ananias, Saul was baptized and began preaching in Damascus.  Persecution drove him from Damascus back to Jerusalem, then from Jerusalem to his home in Tarsus.
The conversion of Saul brought peace to the persecuted churches.  Peter traveled among them to encourage them.  Through Peter, the Lord performed two remarkable miracles which confirmed his word about Jesus so that believers were multiplied.

NOW READ ACTS CHAPTER 9 CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

QUESTIONS
1.    Have you read Acts, chapter 9?  Yes ________  No _______       
2.    Saul was authorized by the high priest to go to ____________________ to arrest followers of Jesus.
3.    Approaching Damascus, Saul saw a great light and the voice from the light was       
       the voice of  ___________________ .
4.    The Lord told Ananias that Saul would carry His name before ________________  , ___________,         
       and the  _______________  of  __________________ .  (vs. 15)
5.    How did Saul escape from Damascus when there was a plot against him? _____________________
6.    Who encouraged the church in Jerusalem in receive him?  __________________________                      Do you remember this man?
7.    Where did Saul go to escape another plot against him in Jerusalem? _________________________
8.    In what areas did churches exist by the time recorded in 9:31?  _________________________ ,
        ____________________  and    _______________________ .
9.    What were believers who lived in Lydda called in vs. 32? _____________________________
10.  What was the name of the man whom Peter healed in Lydda? ___________________________
       What was the name of the woman whom he raised from the dead in Joppa? ___________________