The Decree of God to Evangelize, Save, and Work Through the Apostle Paul (Acts 9:15-30)

Translation

Acts 9:15-30 reveals the story of the Apostle Paul’s hearing of the Gospel, salvation, and follow-up:

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. ¹⁶ For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ¹⁷ So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; ¹⁹ and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. ²⁰ And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” ²¹ And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” ²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. ²³ When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, ²⁴ but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, ²⁵ but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket. ²⁶ And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. ³⁰ And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.¹

Outline

• I. The Decree of God to Evangelize, Save, and Work Through the Apostle Paul (vv. 15-30)
  • 1. Decree of God (vv. 15-16)
    • a. The Gospel must go to Paul, for he is the “chosen instrument” in carrying the Message to the Gentiles, kings, and Israelites (v. 15).
    • b. Paul will suffer greatly for the cause (v. 16).
  • 2. Evangelism to Paul (vv. 15, 17)
    • a. Jesus tells Ananias to “go,” similarly to the commissioning of the disciples (v. 15).²
    • b. Ananias enters the “house of Judas” (v. 11), lays his hands on Paul, and calls him “brother,” suggesting he has trusted God to save and use him (v. 17a).
    • c. Jesus sent Ananias for Paul’s “sight” and for him to “be filled with the Holy Spirit” (v. 17b).
  • 3. Salvation of Paul (vv. 18-19)
    • a. Scales fell from Paul’s eyes, so he both physically regained his sight and gained spiritual sight (v. 18a)
    • b. Paul Responds to the Gospel and is baptized (v. 18b)
    • c. Paul is strengthened by food, both physically and spiritually, in receiving the Word (v. 19a)
  • 4. Work and follow-Up of Paul (vv. 19b-30)
    • a. Paul’s conversion and preaching is no less than a miracle (vv. 19b-22)
    • b. His preaching is so bold that the Jews decided to kill him, but his followers save him, authenticating God’s decree and purpose (vv. 23-25)
    • c. Initially, the disciples fear Paul, but they notice his conversion in his authentic, bold preaching, and they save his life after the Hellenists desire to kill him (vv. 26-30).

Application

The conversion of Paul found in Acts 9:15-30 has much to teach, considering evangelism, salvation, and an individual’s early response to the Gospel. However, this short essay will not focus on Paul’s point of view but on the disciples and apostles and their initial follow-up with the Apostle Paul, for their actions will demonstrate how Christians today should practice following up after evangelism. This is an important discipline, and follow-ups are necessary because they encourage new confessing Christians “to follow Jesus, stress[ing] that salvation involves a response.”³ While Timothy K. Beougher’s words in this quote are about the response to the Gospel, faith, and repentance, they remain valid for follow-ups, for follow-ups are the subsequent accountability of evangelism that elicits responses of new Christians. Primarily, the passage, although not prescriptive but descriptive, demonstrates four follow-up steps to be embraced by Christians today.

First, Christians must recognize that the Gospel is for all. Despite Paul’s sinful persecution of the church, Ananias heeds the call to evangelize him. Therefore, Christians today need to preach the Gospel to all because they do not know whom God has chosen to save. Furthermore, this impartiality does not end at evangelism. Believers must remain impartial in the follow-up of new Christians.

Second, Ananias follows up on Paul’s conversion by baptizing him in verse 18. This shows that believers who make a profession today must promptly be baptized, as in the case of Paul.

Third, the disciples in Damascus are able to authenticate Paul’s conversion through his Christocentric preaching and the hate that the Jewish people have for him. This persecution of Paul, as ironic as it is for he once was a persecutor, demonstrates Jesus’ words: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”⁴ This persecution allowed the disciples to recognize Paul as a fellow participator, partaker, and sufferer for the sake of the Gospel and Jesus’ name. The Apostles in Jerusalem also recognized the change in Paul through these two aspects. Therefore, both the disciples in Damascus and the apostles saved Paul from his enemies so that he could continue sharing the Good News. Christians today must do the same when following up with new Christians. They must evaluate their preaching, actions, and reception and protect them the best they are able.

Fourth, Follow-up can sometimes involve advocacy, such as Barnabas defending Paul to the apostles in verse 27. That is to say, once the fruit of conversion has manifested in the life of new Christians, such as Paul’s faithful preaching ministry, there is no reason to doubt them, for Jesus says, “[Y]ou will recognize them by their fruits,” both bad and good.⁵ Therefore, those with good fruit must be defended when objections to their conversion arise. Not only is this simply the right thing to do, but it encourages the new Christians to remain steadfast and faithful in the work God has planned for them.

In conclusion, the conversion of Paul, including God’s decree to save and use Paul, evangelism to Paul, Paul’s moment of salvation, and the early follow-up of Paul, has much to offer Christians today. However, in regards to evangelism’s follow-up, the passage teaches four crucial practices: 1) Believers are to be impartial in follow-up, 2) Baptism is administered as a follow-up, 3) fruit, including a reception to it, confirms or dismisses conversions, and 4) advocacy is a necessary form of a follow-up. Christians today should incorporate these into their post-evangelism practices with new Christians.

Footnotes

1. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references in this paper are to the Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Acts 9:15-30. ↩

2. Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15. ↩

3. Timothy K. Beougher, Invitation to Evangelism: Sharing the Gospel with Compassion and Conviction (Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2021), 257. ↩

4. John 15:18-19. ↩

5. Matt. 7:20. ↩