St. Paul and Damascus
Ancient Damascus.
St Paul and Damascus by Dr David Brake
Scripture: acts 9:1-20 and acts 26:10-16.
Damascus is the oldest continually occupied city in the world. It was first settled in the third millennium BC.
Damascus was in existence around 2000 BC when Abraham passed through as he travelled from Ur of the Chaldees to Canaan land, the promised land. His master servant Eliezer was from Damascus. According to one historian it was built by Noah’s grandson (Talmage volume seven page 174).
Damascus is located at the hub of the Fertile Crescent Linking the Tigris Euphrates valleys with the Nile delta. It is along the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range 80 km inland from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The Barada river flows through Damascus.
Damascus was conquered by Alexander the great in 323BC.
Damascus was conquered by the Roman Empire in 64BC.
Paul on the road to Damascus. Acts 9:1-20, Acts 22:6-21 and Acts 26:12-18.
Born Saul of Tarsus. Born to a Jewish family In a Greek culture under the rule of the Roman Empire. This made him a Roman citizen. Became a devout Jew and a zealous Pharisee.
Determined to eliminate Christians. Approved the stoning of Stephen and making havoc and scattering of the church: Acts 8:1-4.
Saul to Damascus: Acts 9:1-20. To round up the Christians that fled to Damascus.
Christ appearing to Saul: blinding light, fell to the earth.
Jesus’s question: Saul why prosecutors thou me?
Sauls question: who art thou Lord?
Jesus’s answer and instruction to Ananias the Damascus disciple vs.10-20.
Ananias reluctance. He is my chosen vessel to bear my name to Gentiles, Kings & Children of Israel. Paul bore witness of Jesus to King Agrippa-Acts 25:12-15.
Ananias places his hands on Saul. Saul’s vision restored & he was filled with The Holy Spirit. He begins to preach Christ in the synagogue: He is the Son of God.
Saul the unique Apostle:
Chosen after Christ’s resurrection.
Vision of the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.
Caught up to the third heaven: 2 Corinthians 12:1-5.
Paul to the Arabian desert-Gal. 1:15-18. After 3 years went to to Apostle Peter in Jerusalem.
Paul replaces Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christ. Judas was the last Apostle chosen:Mk. 3:13-19.
Why did Jesus choose Judas?
To fulfil the Scriptures. Mt. 27:4-10 and Zechariah 11:12-13 …They paid for my hire 30 pieces of silver. And Jehovah said unto me, cast it unto the potter, the goodly price that I was priced at by them…
To open position for Paul to become the 12th apostle. Matthias appointed to replace Judas by the 11 apostles on their own volition.
To be Apostle to the Gentiles. He was a Greek, Latin & Hebrew scholar. He was raised by Jewish parents in a Greek city which made him a Roman citizen. This allowed him to appeal to Caesar when the Jerusalem Jewish leaders accuse him before King Agripa and wanted to kill him (Acts 25:10-15).
Paul was a Prolific New Testament author: He is author of 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament, if book of Hebrews included.
The book of Hebrew does not name it’s author. It was addressed to Hebrew christians some of whom resented that Paul was Apostle to the Gentiles.
Paul founded at least five churches in Asia Minor including Galatia, Philippi, Thessalonika, Corinth and Ephesus.
Below is the message audio
Below is the link to the typed notes pdf
message delivered at King of Glory Church Aug. 18, 2024.
message delivered at Arabic Bible Church, Wichita Aug. 25, 2024.
Posted on Facebook Feb. 28, 2024 & Aug. 18,2024