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WEEK 10
TOPIC: MISSION TO THE GENTILES
BIBLICAL REFERENCES: Acts 9: 1-19, 9: 20-30, 9: 32-42, 10: 44-48; 11: 1-8
CONTENTS:
- Saul’s conversion, Acts 9: 1-19
- Damascus and Jerusalem, Acts 9: 20-30.
- Peter’s Ministry: Lydda and Joppa, Acts 9: 32-42.
- Peter and the Gentile converts, Act 10: 44-48; 11: 1-8
SUB-TOPIC 1: SAUL’S CONVERSION ACTS 9: 1-19
Paul was also called Saul. Paul was his Roman name and Saul his Jewish name. At that time the Romans during their rule over Palestine as part of the Roman Empire, allowed foreigners to buy Roman citizens and enjoy certain rights. Paul was born a Roman citizen in Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia and the residence of the governor. Paul, whose father had bought the Roman citizenship, was the ringleader that led the Jews to stone Stephen to death.
SAUL’S PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH
Immediately Stephen died, there was mass persecution against members of the early Church in Jerusalem. Many of the Christians were killed. Paul was at the forefront of the persecution, killing or dragging many Christians from their homes to prison.
Some of those who survived the persecution fled to places in Judea and Samaria. However, the Apostles remained in Jerusalem. After Saul had persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem, he heard that many of them had fled Jerusalem to places like Damascus, in far away Syria. Saul who wanted to stamp out Christianity was not happy with the success of Christianity in Damascus.
Therefore, he went to the high priest and obtained permission to go to Damascus so that he could arrest the Christians there and bring them for punishment. The High Priest gave Paul a letter of introduction to the synagogues in Damascus.
Saul left for Damascus. As he got near to the city of Damascus in the afternoon, something strange happened to him that was to change his entire life for the better. Jesus appeared to him in a form of dazzling light which shown around him. This made him to fall down. He heard a voice, which called his name and asked him why he was persecuting Him. When he asked the voice whom he was, the voice said
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