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Monday 9 August 2010

Acts 22:1-21

Paul spoke to them in Aramaic, demonstrating his Jewishness. Paul knew how to deal with people, he spoke in Greek to the Romans to get their attention, and then Aramaic to the Jews to get theirs. We need to speak to people in a language and form that they will listen to.
Paul starts off by telling them of his Jewish ancestry and schooling under Gamaliel, one of the top Jewish scholars of the Law. He was also zealous for the Law and for God. He had even gone as far as persecuting Christians to the point of death.
Next Paul recounts his conversion experience, even though this was now many years ago. How we first got saved can still be relevant today, the problem only arises if nothing else has happened in between!
The Lord confronted Paul on the Damascus road, and tells Paul that it is Jesus Himself who he is persecuting. Now it was probably not a surprise to Paul that he was persecuting Christ, but it would be a surprise that Jesus was alive. Paul seemed to realise at this point that Christ was Lord and repented at once. Note that there is no long reminder of his sins from God, or big to-do at all. Paul just turns right away to Christ.
Ananias, a devout Jew, was used by God to give Paul a message and to restore his sight. God had chosen Paul to be His messenger to the Gentiles, so Paul was baptized.

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