The Purpose of Christ appearing to Saul

To Make him a minister Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 1 Corinthians 4:1 a. Properly, an under rower, a subordinate rower. (A word used in relation to a superior) b. Anyone who serves with his hands; a servant; in the N.T. c. It is used of the officers and attendants of magistrates as – of the officer who executes penalties, Matthew 5:25; of the attendants of a king, of the servants or officers of the Sanhedrin, Matthew 26:58. d. It is used of anyone ministering or rendering service, Acts 13:5. (At Salamis, John was their minister, or helper.) e. It is used of anyone who aids another in any work; an assistant: of a preacher of the gospel as in our text. I Corinthians 4:1 f. So, the word came to mean anyone acting under another’s direction. Christians work under the direction of Christ. (Matthew 5:16; Mark 16:15; I Corinthians 15:58) Next Slide

To Make him a witness Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 1 Corinthians 9:1 This word means an eyewitness of Jesus Christ. (I Cor. 9:1; Acts 1:21,22) Next Slide

To Make him a witness Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” Acts 1:21-22 a. This word means an eyewitness of Jesus Christ. (I Cor. 9:1; Acts 1:21,22) b. We use the word wrongly when we talk about being witnesses today. c. In the text: 1). To make you a witness of these things which you have seen. 2). And of those things in the which I will appear to you. d. So, the idea is that, in the absence of the written word, Paul will be an eyewitness of the resurrection of Christ, and on this basis preach the gospel to the people. Next Slide

To deliver him from the people But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. Acts 9:15 a. The people would be the Jews. b. Acts 9:15

To deliver him from the people Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. c. One only has to read a passage like II Corinthians 11:23-28, to see the deliverance of the Lord for Paul.

To deliver him from the people Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; c. One only has to read a passage like II Corinthians 11:23-28, to see the deliverance of the Lord for Paul.

To deliver him from the people in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 c. One only has to read a passage like II Corinthians 11:23-28, to see the deliverance of the Lord for Paul.

To deliver him from the Gentiles. a. Wherever the providence of God might send him, God would deliver him. b. Paul came in contact with many Gentiles because he mainly worked with them. Next Slide

To send him to the Gentiles. how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: a. He was to preach the same gospel to the Gentiles that he preached to the Jews. Acts 9:15

To deliver him from the Gentiles. that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, Ephesians 3:3-6 a. He was to preach the same gospel to the Gentiles that he preached to the Jews. Read Acts 9:15 again. b. Ephesians 3:3-6

To open their eyes “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Matthew 23:37 a. Paul is to be the instrument of informing their understanding of the things of God. b. The Jews had closed their eyes to the truth; many of the Gentiles had never heard. Matthew 23:37

To open their eyes For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ Matthew 13:15 c. Matthew 13:15 e. So this means to, "cause them to see" or "to remove their blindness."

To turn men from darkness to light. whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 2 Corinthians 4:4

To turn men from darkness to light. having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; Ephesians 4:18 c. Ephesians 4:18 d. In practical terms Paul wants the Gentiles to “turn from heathenism and superstition to the knowledge and worship of the true God.”

To turn men from darkness to light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Colossians 1:13 c. Ephesians 4:18 d. In practical terms Paul wants the Gentiles to “turn from heathenism and superstition to the knowledge and worship of the true God.” Colossians 1:13.

To turn men from the power of Satan to God. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 a. This means "to cause them to come away from being under Satan's power and to enter into being under God's power" or "to cause them to leave the place where Satan rules and to come to the place where God rules." b. II Corinthians 11:14-15

To turn men from the power of Satan to God. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, a. This means "to cause them to come away from being under Satan's power and to enter into being under God's power" or "to cause them to leave the place where Satan rules and to come to the place where God rules." b. II Corinthians 11:14-15 c. II Thessalonians 2:9-12

To turn men from the power of Satan to God. that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 a. This means "to cause them to come away from being under Satan's power and to enter into being under God's power" or "to cause them to leave the place where Satan rules and to come to the place where God rules." b. II Corinthians 11:14-15 c. II Thessalonians 2:9-12

To enable them to have the forgiveness of sins. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:15-16 a. Today, everyone can have forgiveness of sins. (Mark 16:15,16; Acts 2:38) b. However, they can never have forgiveness, if they remain in ignorance.

To enable them to have an inheritance among those who are sanctified. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, Ephesians 1:11

To enable them to have an inheritance among those who are sanctified. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:18

Conclusion It is because of God’s love for man that we have the ability to have the forgiveness of sins & eternal life. However, we must be willing to do what is necessary to obtain it.