Study Acts 9

• Acts 9:1-9 describes Saul's dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

  • How does this pivotal event immediately shift Saul's role from being the church's fiercest opponent to a chosen instrument for The Great Commission?

  • What does Jesus' direct question, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?", reveal about His identification with His persecuted church?

• Ananias's obedience to the Lord's command to visit Saul (Acts 9:10-19a) is a crucial step in Saul's transformation.

  • Despite Ananias's understandable fear, how does his obedience, guided by The Holy Spirit's Role, contribute to Saul's healing and subsequent ministry?

  • The Lord reveals that Saul is chosen to carry His name "before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel," explicitly fulfilling Prophecy Fulfillment.

• Acts 9:19b-31 details Saul's immediate and bold proclamation of Jesus in Damascus and Jerusalem, which leads to both astonishment and intense opposition.

  • How does Saul's rapid transformation and fearless Teaching About Jesus and the Gospel illustrate the power of God's grace and the reality of Christianity Accepted and Opposed?

  • How does the opposition Saul faces in both Damascus and Jerusalem, paradoxically, contribute to the strategic geographical expansion of The Great Commission (e.g., his escape and relocation)?

• Acts 9:32-43 shifts focus to Peter's continuing ministry in Lydda and Joppa.

  • How do Peter's miracles of healing Aeneas and raising Tabitha authenticate Teaching About Jesus and the Gospel and contribute to the growth of the church in new regions?

  • What does Peter's stay with Simon the tanner in Joppa (Acts 9:43) subtly foreshadow about the future direction of The Great Commission and Connecting Acts to the Rest of the NT?

• Consider the overarching significance of Acts 9 for the entire Book of Acts and beyond.

  • How does the transformation of Saul and the ongoing ministry of Peter in this chapter demonstrate God's sovereign hand in directing The Great Commission to reach diverse peoples and places?

  • Reflect on how this chapter sets the stage for Paul's future epistles and his foundational role in Gentile missions.