P2 The Holy Spirit - The Strengthening Comforter

Acts 9:31 "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase."

Introduction & Review:

Yesterday we began consider how the Holy Spirit is the Comforting Strengthener in the life of His people and the church.  Starting with what the Old Testament has to teach on this Divine title of God as "Helper" or "Comforter", we moved then to Jesus' teaching on this important title.  In John 14-16 we see Jesus ascribing this Divine title indirectly to Himself and directly to the Person of the Holy Spirit. We discovered that in the New Testament's usage of the word "paraclete", the Holy Spirit (and Jesus as well) are both assigned the same title that God the Father had in the Old Testament as the Helper, Comforter or Strengthener of His people.  We also considered why our English translations retain the term "Comforter", and how that word refers to the Strengthening and "Coming alongside" ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life.   We ended yesterday in Acts 9:31, noting how the Holy Spirit in particular strengthens His church in His comforting ministry by way of building up, working forth fear of God and strengthening His people in the calling He issues forth to them.  

In today's post we aim to continue this series on the Holy Spirit - the Strengthening Comforter, by noting how the remainder of the New Testament beyond the Book of Acts develops this truth.  It is hoped that you will discover what God's Word has to say, and in the process learn what the Bible truly means by the Spirit's comforting ministry.

The Holy Spirit's Strengthening Comfort in the New Testament Epistles
It is important for the reader to recall how the New Testament is structured in terms of its main divisions: The Gospels present Christ and His achievement; Acts preaches about Christ and His achievement; Epistles explain Christ and His achievement; Revelation portrays Christ as exalted and victoriously returning due to His achievements. Without a doubt the Promise of the Holy Spirit in the Gospels is the reason why we see the Power and Person of the Holy Spirit presented and explained throughout Acts and the Epistles. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as the Strengthening Comforter in John 14:16; 15:26-27 and 16:7. We saw yesterday specific reference to the Spirit's Strengthening Comfort in Acts 9:31. So now the question is: so what? What bearing does this particular ministry of the Holy Spirit have on your Christian life in today's world.  This is where some statements from the Epistles aid in the reader's understanding. 

Consider for example Romans 15:13-14 "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." What passages such as these do is to put flesh and life on what would be an otherwise abstract concept.  In context the Apostle Paul is connecting this important ministry of the Holy Spirit to what he noted earlier in Romans 15:4 "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."  How often have you found exactly what you needed in your weakest moment through a passage of scripture? You can thank the Holy Spirit - the strengthening comforter. 

Further reflection on this text in Romans unfolds what it looks like in the life of a person who is regularly benefting from the Strengthening Comforter. Such a person is full of hope, joy and is able to admonish or encourage their fellow believer onto love and good deeds.  All of these activities can only occur as a result of the strenghtening comfort of the Holy Spirit.  

Galatians 5:22-23 states - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Whenever you survey all of the passages in both Testaments that speak of God's strengthening comfort in the lives of these people, oftentimes these fruits will be found in some measure.  These fruits or behaviors will come to characterize the Christian who is regularly proceeding in the strengthening comfort of the Holy Spirit.

One final passage that we will briefly mention in today's post - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work." The underlined word in the passage is the same word used by Jesus back in John 14:16; 15:26-27 and 16:7 to describe God's divine "coming alongside" ministry of strengthening.  Even though the Person in focus in the passage is the Father, we can readily say with everything discovered thus far in this study that the Father does this comforting by way of the Person and Agency of the Holy Spirit. The Three Persons of the Trinity, though to be distinguished, yet ever work together as One God for the sake of the Trinity's glory and completion of every believer's salvation. 

Life applications - drawing everything together we have learned thus far
We have explored the scriptures concerning the Holy Spirit - the strengthening comforter.  It should help the reader to realize that no matter what the circumstance, the Holy Spirit's ability to strengthen and come alongside the people of God knows no limit.  Theologian Michael Horton says concerning this ministry of the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit mediates Christ's royal ministry by subduing unbelief and the tyranny  of sin, giving sinners the faith that unites them to Christ so that they can receive all His heavenly gifts.  The ascended Christ gives, and the Spirit equips ministers and elders as His undershepherds (Eph 4:11-16).1 No fear, no situation, no challenge is too great for the child of God to handle who is relying upon the Paraclete - the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit, in His strengthening comfort, points us to our Heavenly Strengthener, Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 John 2:1) We also know that in understanding this important work of the Spirit, the Christian has hope where there is hopelessness and joy in the face of despair.  The aim of this short series is to introduce the reader to the wonderful strengthening comforter - the Holy Spirit. May you and I avail ourselves of His desire to strengthen us for the journey to being more and more like Jesus in this life and in preparing for the world to come. 

More tomorrow.....

Endnotes:
1. Michael Horton. The Christian Faith. Zondervan. 2011. Page 560

P1 The Holy Spirit - The Strengthening Comforter

Acts 9:31 "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase."

Introduction:

In past posts we have looked at various portions of the Book of Acts to discern the person and work of the Holy Spirit. We have considered what it means to wait upon and follow the Spirit's leading.  We also have considered how it is the Lord grows His church through preaching, persecution and prayer - all of which entail the Spirit's working in one way or another.  In a post last week we considered how Saul was converted by His dramatic encounter with the risen Christ, and featured in that post the Spirit's work of regeneration and conversion. In today's post we aim to look at another important ministry of the Holy Spirit - namely His work as "The Comforter" of what we are calling "Strengthening Comforter".  It is hoped that you will discover what God's Word has to say, and in the process learn what the Bible truly means by the Spirit's comforting ministry.

1. What the Old Testament has to say about the Lord as the "Comforter" or "Helper" 

Before we consider the Holy Spirit's comforting ministry as stated here in Acts 9:31, we first must realize its significance beginning in the Old Testament. Jesus of course spoke to His disciples of how He was going to send to them the Holy Spirit as the "comforter", or as this term is rendered in other translations "Helper" (John 14:16; 15:26-27; 16:7). This promise from Jesus has in mind all of the references to Yahweh as the "Helper" or "Comforter" of Israel. In one of the first mentions of this title we read in Deuteronomy 33:26 “There is none like the God of Jeshurun,Who rides the heavens to your help, And through the skies in His majesty." Isaiah 49:8 is another example where the LORD identifies Himself as the "Helper" of His people: "Thus says the Lord, 'In a favorable time I have answered You,
And in a day of salvation I have helped You;
And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages.'" Other Old Testament passages repeatedly use this title translated "Helper" to describe the LORD's redeeming work on behalf of and in the lives of His people. (Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalm 115:9; Isaiah 41:14, 44, 49:8; Hosea 13:9).  

It is very clear as one studies the revelation of the Old Testament that the primary attribute of God that is disclosed by this word translated "Helper" is that of God's strength. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament explains this word (Hebrew "ezer") translated helper as referring to how: "God exercises this strength on behalf of His people people against their foes. This is particularly well illustrated in Exodus 13:15. This word is used figuratively to describe the security enjoyed by the righteous....Thus in hymns of praise God's strength shows itself as His overwhelming majesty, and in the laments it appears as His helping protection."1 So in all reality, the LORD as the believer's "Helper" is truly the One who strengthens.2 

2. What Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit as the "Helper" or "paraclete" or "comforter"

Clearly the Lord revealed Himself as the "Helper" or "Strengthener" of His people in the Old Testament.  Such a title was clearly assigned to the God of scripture in the Old Testament, and continues on in Jesus' statements about Himself and the Holy Spirit. When Jesus says in John 14:16 that He will send to the disciples "another comforter" or as rendered in some English translations "another Helper", He is speaking of another who is of like-kind to Himself. The word Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit and Himself has the same meaning as the word we saw earlier in our study of the LORD's self designation in the Old Testament.  Quite clearly the Divine idea of the God of the Bible being the strengthener and source of strength in His peoples' lives is ascribed to all Three Persons of the God head.3 R.C Sproul in his studies on the Holy Spirit suggests that the word translated "comforter" (paraclete) referred to a family lawyer who was always on retainer and could be called upon to come to the aid and support of the family in times of need. 

Without a doubt the Person of the Son, being fully Divine while being a man, promised His disciples that upon his exit from this world in His ascension that He would send them another "Comforter" who would exercise the same level of strengthening ministry as Himself. Case in point consider John 15:26-27  “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning." Similar words are mentioned in John 16:8, with the promise being that the apostles and ultimately every Christian will not be devoid of the power and presence of God as expressed by the Person of the Holy Spirit. 

3. So why the word "comforter"?

When the King James Translators (as well as other Older English Translations, such as the Geneva Bible, 1560 and 1599 translations) were producing Bibles, many of the scholars were learned men who being theologians knew Latin. The Latin term that they knew of that was used in the Bible translation called the Latin Vulgate was the term "comfortis".  This term is made up of two Latin words: "com" meaning "with" and "forte" meaning "to strengthen". Thus you have heard of a "fort" or "fortress" - i.e a place of strength, protection.  In music we will run across the term "forte" which means to make the music "louder" or "stronger". Thus when the English translators were producing those early English Bibles, they simply took the best Latin word they knew and put English letters to it - hence the title "Comforter". In our day and age we often think of a "comforter" as someone who soothes and makes us fell better.  Without a doubt the Holy Spirit can do those things and does by way of His peace for example. (Galatians 5:22) However when considering what the word "comforter" was intended to mean, as well as Jesus' terminology and the Old Testament revelation, we discover that the Person of the Holy Spirit is literally God Himself coming alongside and strengthening us inside.  It is His comforting strength that urges us on to complete the work He has called us to do and to live the Christian life He convicted and converted us to at saving faith. 

4. The Holy Spirit's comforting or strengthening ministry in the early church

In light of the above study it is hoped the reader will understand the significance of Luke's statement in Acts 9:31. Notice the following outcomes in the early church that are attributed to the Holy Spirit's comforting ministry:

a. Peace. Acts 9:31a "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace....".

b. Built up. Acts 9:31a "being built up...."

c. Feared the Lord. Acts 9:31a "and going on in the fear of the Lord." This "fear of God" speaks of a deep reverence and desperate dependance upon God, fearing what life and ministry would be like if He were to remove His hand or if we were to do anything to provoke His Fatherly discipline. 

These first few statements describe for us the effects that were taking place in the life of the church in the wake of Saul of Tarsus' conversion and the temporary repreive from persecution that the church would enjoy as a result (compare Acts 9:1-22 and 9:23-30). But now what is the ultimate Cause or Agent behind the peace, the building up and the increased dependance or fear of the Lord  in the early church? The next part of Acts 9:31 gives us the answer: "and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase."  

The first part of 9:31 views the mighty effects and activities that were taking place, whereas the second part takes us in the walls and behind the scenes and inside the people to see Who the source is - the Holy Spirit, the Mighty Comforter Himself.  He is the One who "comes alongside" and Strengthens the church to do the bidding of the Lord. Peter's healings of Aeneus in Acts 9:32-35 and the raising of the little servant girl Tabitha in 9:36-43 following on the heels of the statement of the Holy Spirit's comforting ministry in 9:31 shows us Who is responsible for any ministry done in and among God's people.  

Were it not for the Holy Spirit, the Great Comforter or "Helper", there would had been no ability for Peter to say to Aeneus to "take up his bed and walk" nor for Aeneus to have such an ability. Also too the same can be said of how the Spirit's worked through Peter to raise the little girl Tabitha from the dead. The Spirit of God is the author of life - both physically and spiritually.  

More tomorrow on the strengthening comfort of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians today.....

Endnotes:

1. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., Bruce K. Waltke. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Moody. 1980. Page 1597.

2.  As an interesting side note, when God tells Adam that Eve is going to be His "helpmeet" in Genesis 2:20, the idea is that without her, Adam would be incomplete.  The same Hebrew word "ezer" is used in Genesis 2:20 as we find throughout the self-revealed title that the Lord uses for Himself in describing the need of His people for His strength and help. The bringing of the woman to the man not only would complete him but actually supply strength - i.e help. 

3. The word translated "comforter" or "helper" in John 14:16 is the word "parakletos" from the verb "parakaleo" from whence comes the sometimes used title for the Holy Spirit "The Paraklete". The word refers to someone who "comes up alongside and offers strength and support". Jesus Himself is described as being our Heavenly "advocate" or "Paraclete" in 1 John 2:1 who ever represents our interests before His Father in Heaven as the believer's Prophet, priest and King. Hence the Holy Spirit then is the believer's "paraclete" or "advocate" here on earth Who works in concert with Jesus, the believer's "Advocate" or "Strengthener" in Heaven. 

The resurrected life - a daily Christian reality

Romans 6:4-5 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not only an objective event that took place 2,000 years ago.  The New Testament repeatedly describes how the resurrection of Jesus Christ forms the fabric of the Christian faith and experience itself. In addition to affirming the "event" of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, we would also equally affirm the "experience" of such resurrection power and life as central to what it means to be a Christian.  In today's post I simply want to list some of the New Testament passages that use Jesus' resurrection from the dead to describe the Christian life.  Though it is the day after Easter, we should never go a day as Christians without praising God and realizing how central Jesus' resurrection from the dead is central to life and spiritual life. The aim today is to simply see why Jesus' resurrection is truly a daily reality for Christians.

1. Romans 6:4-5 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection

2. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

3. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

4. Ephesians 2:1 (NKJV) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

5. Philippians 3:10-11 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

6. Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

7. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

8. 1 Timothy 3:15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

9. Hebrews 7:24-25 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

10. 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

11. 2 Peter 1:3-4 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

12. 1 John 1:1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us

13. Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood

14. Revelation 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

The most awesome news! He is Alive!

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (NASB)

Introduction: 
Paul had just finished demonstrating how central the truth of Christ's resurrection is to Biblical Christianity in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.  Paul puts down the shield of defense and takes up the sword of scripture and proclaims - "But now Christ has been raised from the dead..."!  What follows is a demonstration of why Christ's resurrection from the dead makes the Gospel not only the Biggest and Best News - but moreso the most Awesome news! We will first give the entire text of 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 with key underlined words that will be explained later in this post:

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (20) But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam 1 all die 2, so also in Christ 3 all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming 4, 24 then comes the end 5, when He hands over the kingdom to theGod and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. (NASB)


Christ's resurrection is the Biggest News because it covers every major doctrine and section in the Bible

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 is such an important section of 1 Corinthians 15 because of the scope of material that it covers. In the above text I underlined five words that are significant in this text, since all of them put together provide a basic outline of the entire Bible! The reader is encouraged to look at the endnotes I mentioned earlier to see the further implications of the five terms. We can take those five words above and summarize them accordingly:

a. "Adam" = refers to creation

b. "die" = refers to the curse

c. "Christ" = the focal point of scripture, and the One who raised from the dead

d. "His coming" = This speaks of Christ's Personal, Visible, Physical return at the end of this age

e. "The End" = This refers to the conclusion of all things when Christ hands over everything He has submitted under His reign to God the Father.

So with those five terms: creation, curse, Christ, coming and conclusion, we can see why Christ's resurrection is such big news in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. Christ's resurrection demonstrates that creation will be redeemed, the curse has been reversed for believers in Christ and that Christ is central to understanding history and eternity. Furthermore, Christ's resurrection also demonstrates what Christ will accomplish in His second coming as well as how He will bring all things to their appropriate conclusion.

Why Christ's Resurrection is awesome news!
The more you read and study 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, the more amazed you become at the range of ground touched by the resurrection.  But let's not forget that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is as much personal as it is profound.  1 Corinthians 15:20-28 serves to demonstrate the personal importance of Christ's resurrection to the Gospel asserted in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand. (2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (4) and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (NASB)  


Did you catch how many times the personal pronouns (you, our) were mentioned in the text?  Paul emphasizes the personal pronouns ten times in a span of four verses to communicate how the Gospel is the Best News around.  Personally it gains you access to God, to Jesus, to His forgiveness, to all His rich graces and to the hope of an eternal home.  Not only that, but since the pronouns in the original Greek are plural, that means you and I who believe on the resurrected Jesus get to enjoy all of His saving benefits together!   

Truly the Resurrection of Jesus Christ makes the Gospel both the Biggest News and the Best News.  "Big" because of all the doctrines and events that it has either affected or will ever affect.  "Best" because you who by grace through faith believe on Him are personally and eternally saved from wrath, saved unto Him and saved to live forever with Him.  Whenever you combine the fact that Christ's resurrection is the biggest and best news - you come away with the most awesome news: He is alive!

Endnotes______________________

1. Creation: We see the historical Adam mentioned in 15:21-22. God created man originally perfect. Adam was not a myth, but a real person.  As we read later on in 1 Corinthians 15:45a "So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.”

2. Curse: This second word summarizes what Paul says when he mentions in 15:22 how all born into Adam "die". We know from Genesis 3 that after Adam and his wife had eaten the forbidden fruit, God consigned both they and their descendants to a curse. Whenever we consider these first two ideas: creation & curse, we begin to see God's aim in redeeming and restoring that which was lost as a result of sin and death. Romans 8:20-21 notes - "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope (21) that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God." 

3. Christ: So the question is: "will creation ever be redeemed and will the curse ever be reversed?" As you read on down through 1 Corinthians 15:23ff, you get the answer to that question in one Person - Christ. Christ's resurrection from the dead demonstrated two vital truths: He has reversed the curse upon all who by grace through faith believe on Him and that the created order will be redeemed. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 presents creation and the curse - the problem, and 15:23 present the solution - Christ. For the remainder of 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, we will see how Christ will accomplish the Father's purposes. Remember, everything that Paul is writing hinges on the reality of Christ's resurrection - its that big! So we have seen creation, curse and Christ. 

4. Coming: 1 Corinthians 15:23b states in the NASB "after that those who are Christ's at His coming". In the above translation I rendered this word "Personal Return" to underscore the nature of Christ's second coming. The Personal Return of Jesus Christ is captured by the Greek word "parousia" that speaks of a King returning to his home city or country after having won a battle or a war. The inhabitants come out to meet the King and to reconnect with their Ruler, and he with them. 

5. Conclusion: 1 Corinthians 15:24 starts out with the simple but profound phrase: "then comes the end..." Christ's resurrection from the dead not only demonstrated the accomplishment of His first coming - redemption, but it also guarantees what He will accomplish when He come again - Rulership. As you go down through the remainder of 1 Corinthians 15:25-28, Paul details what he means by verse 24, as well as showing the relationship between "the coming" and "the end".  We would advocate that there is an implied space of time between "His coming" in verse 23 and "the end" in verse 24.  Furthermore, I personally see the implied "space" being explicitly 1,000 years as detailed in another scripture - Revelation 20.  In 1 Corinthians 15:25 I included the term "to clarify", since verses 25-28 are a clarification of verse 24.  Paul is proposing an actual ordering of major events outlined in Biblical prophecy or eschatology:

Christ's                  Christ's 2nd coming      He must reign   End

Resurrection-------Resurrection of saints--Millennium of--- of

(first fruits)            (those with Christ)         Rev 20 seems    all

                                                                        to fit here         things

                                                                        Resurrection

                                                                        of the wicked

                                                                        will occur at

                                                                        the end of the

                                                                        Millennium or

                                                                        1,000 year reign

                                                                        of Christ.

With that basic order, harmonized with other prophetic texts, we gain a sweeping understanding of history and prophecy.  Following the end, Christ will have handed all things up to the Father, which will then take us into eternity. 

Paul - A Murderer Turned into a Missionary

Acts 9:1 "Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest."

We explored several days ago how the post resurrection appearance of Jesus Christ changed the very first eyewitness of His post-resurrection glory - Mary Magdalene.  We noted how as a result of her encounter with the risen Christ - Mary Magdalene was changed from a mourner to a missionary. Her desperate situation of mourning was altered by a direct encounter with the risen Savior, resulting in a definite change - whereby she was able to proclaim: "I've seen the Lord!" 

In today's post we turn our attention to the eyewitness account of the post-resurrected Jesus by Saul of Tarsus who later became Paul.  We see Paul's testimony of his encounter with the risen Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:8 "and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also."  In three places in the Book of Acts we find Paul's testimony (Acts 9; 22 and 26).  We will confine our study mainly to Acts 9, with Acts 22 and 26 supplying additional details to complete the full picture.  

As we saw in Mary Magdalene's transformation: there was a desperate situation, a direct encounter and a definite change.  We will use these same headings to describe Paul's situation.

1). Desperate Situation: A Murderer persecutes the church

2). Direct Encounter of Paul by Christ

3). Definite Change: A murderer becomes a missionary

In explaining Paul's dramatic change by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, we will note two reasons for noting the significance of this event: Such power is available today and such power is necessary to live effectively for Jesus Christ.

Desparate Situation: A Murderer persecutes the church Acts 9:1-3

Many people tend to nearly forget what Paul's life was like before Jesus.  However by his own testimony the evidence is overwhelming with regards to his desperate situation as a murderer - that is to say - as one who was responsible for the deaths of many Christians. Acts 9:2 begins - "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." As we dig further into the other occassion where Paul testifies about his pre-conversion days - the picture becomes darker.  In Acts 22:4-5 we read - "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons 5 as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished." Acts 26:10-11 paints the darkest picture - "And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. 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."  Make no mistake about it - Saul of Tarsus was the last man anyone would had ever expected to be the greatest missionary for the cause of Christ.  In his spiritually dead, uncoverted state, Saul was the church's public enemy #1.  This man was desparate and in need of a resurrection from tomb of religious rebellion and unbelief. 

Definite Encounter by the risen Christ - Acts 9:4-9

As Saul of Tarsus was on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christians, the suddenness of Jesus' appearance to Him results in Paul being knocked off of his horse onto the ground.  Acts 9:4 records Jesus telling Saul: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Note how He does not say: "Why are you persecuting my church?" Truly its as Jesus said in his days here on the earth in Matthew 25:45 "Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." 

Now in short order we can detail through Acts 9 the elements of Jesus' post-resurrection encounter with Saul that led to him becoming dramatically changed.  These elements also explain what takes place in the conversions of people today who go from being sinners apart from salvation to saints in salvation. Please note the following:

A. Call             Acts 9:4-5 

Like Paul, every sinner must first be engaged by the call of Christ to their hearts. John 5:24-25 spells this out, with Jesus describing salvation as beginning with Him spiritually raising the sinner from the tomb of unbelief by means of His voice. This miracle call is brought to us by the Holy Spirit as described in Romans 8:11 "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

B. Quickening  Acts 9:6

The call of Christ brought by the Holy Spirit leads to the quickening of the human heart by the Spirit. (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3, 23)  If you have ever gotten a splinter in your finger and responded with a quick pulling back of your hand - then you know what it means to be "quickened". Or better still, the word "quickening" is still used today to describe the first movement of a baby in a mother's womb - whereby she feels the "first signs of life" within her - i.e "quickening". If I were to call your name - you would look my way.  If I did not call your name, there would be no response.  The Bible connects the quickening, or the work of regeneration to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 3:18 (KJV) states - "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." Ephesians 2:1 (KJV) "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins."

C. Conversion to faith. Acts 9:7-9

The quickening, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit simulaneously brings about faith - in which the sinner excercises saving faith and repentance.  Paul testifies that when He had been encountered by Jesus in Acts 26:19 "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision." We know Paul is speaking of His response to Christ by faith because from true saving faith proceeds the fruit of obedience as so described in Paul's opening statement about the Gospel in Romans 1:5 in the phrase: "the obedience of faith". 

We know that this call, quickening and conversion was not caused by just a mere vision.  This was a literal, direct encounter with the post-resurrected, post-Pentecost Jesus.  In all three testimony accounts (Acts 9,22,26) wee witness all of Paul's companions seeing the bright light and hearing a voice.  Only Paul of course was able to understand the words. Such physical phenomena, witnessed by others, makes this experience out to be a genuine encounter with Christ. 

Definite Change: A murderer becomes a missionary - Acts 9:10-22

In the whole sequence of events that follow from Paul's dramatic encounter to his eventual preaching of Jesus, the calling of Jesus on his life bore fruit.  Following his time of recovery in Damascus under the watch care of an obedient Ananias (Acts 9:10-16) we see the healing of Saul and his being filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 9:17.  In obedience to what had occured from His conversion to saving faith, Saul is baptized (Acts 9:18) and having been strengthened by the partaking of physical food is ready to serve the Lord. 

Acts 9:20-22 records the outcome - "and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ." As Paul testifies in Acts 26:18, Jesus told Him to proclaim the following message - "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."

Conclusion:

As we have considered yet another person changed by resurrection power - the Apostle Paul - we noticed the following:

1). Desperate Situation: A Murderer persecutes the church

2). Direct Encounter of Paul by Christ

3). Definite Change: A murderer becomes a missionary

In explaining Paul's dramatic change by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, we noted two reasons for noting the significance of this event: Such power is available today and such power is necessary to live effectively for Jesus Christ. It is wonderful to think about how such power and the Person of Jesus is brought to us by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 1:3)  Truly salvation is a miracle that can change any sinner into a saint with a message of hope about how Jesus can change any life at any time.