Paul's Conversion
保罗的转变
(Acts 9: 1~31, New Living Translation, NLT)
(《使徒行传》9：1~31)
扫罗仍然向主的门徒，口吐威吓凶杀的话，去见大祭司，求文书给大马色的各会堂，若是找着信奉这道的人，无论男女，都准他捆绑带到耶路撒冷。
扫罗行路，将到大马色，忽然从天上发光，四面照着他。他就仆倒在地，听见有声音对他说，扫罗，扫罗，你为什么逼迫我。
他说，主阿，你是谁。
主说，我就是你所逼迫的耶稣。起来，进城去，你所当作的事，必有人告诉你。
同行的人，站在那里，说不出话来，听见声音，却看不见人。扫罗从地上起来，睁开眼睛，竟不能看见什么。有人拉他的手，领他进了大马色。三日不能看见，也不吃，也不喝。
当下在大马色，有一个门徒，名叫亚拿尼亚。主在异象中对他说，亚拿尼亚。
他说，主，我在这里。
主对他说，起来，往直街去，在犹大的家里，访问一个大数人名叫扫罗。他正祷告。又看见了一个人，名叫亚拿尼亚，进来按手在他身上，叫他能看见。
亚拿尼亚回答说，主阿，我听见许多人说，这人怎样在耶路撒冷多多苦害你的圣徒。并且他在这里有从祭司长得来的权柄捆绑一切求告你名的人。
主对亚拿尼亚说，你只管去。他是我所拣选的器皿，要在外邦人和君王并以色列人面前，宣扬我的名。我也要指示他，为我的名必须受许多的苦难。
亚拿尼亚就去了，进入那家，把手按在扫罗身上说，兄弟扫罗，在你来的路上，向你显现的主，就是耶稣，打发我来，叫你能看见，又被圣灵充满。扫罗的眼睛上，好像有鳞立刻掉下来，他就能看见，于是起来受了洗。吃过饭就健壮了。
扫罗和大马色的门徒同住了些日子。就在各会堂里宣传耶稣，说他是神的儿子。
凡听见的人，都惊奇说，在耶路撒冷残害求告这名的，不是这人吗？并且他到这里来，特要捆绑他们带到祭司长那里。
但扫罗越发有能力，驳倒住大马色的犹太人，证明耶稣是基督。过了好些日子，犹太人商议要杀扫罗。但他们的计谋，被扫罗知道了。他们又昼夜在城门守候要杀他。他的门徒就在夜间，用筐子把他从城墙上缒下去。
扫罗到了耶路撒冷，想与门徒结交。他们却都怕他，不信他是门徒。惟有巴拿巴接待他，领去见使徒，把他在路上怎么看见主，主怎么向他说话，他在大马色，怎么奉耶稣的名放胆传道，都述说出来。
于是扫罗在耶路撒冷，和门徒出入来往，奉主的名，放胆传道。并与说希利尼话的犹太人，讲论辩驳。他们却想法子要杀他。弟兄们知道了，就送他下该撒利亚，打发他往大数去。
那时犹太，加利利，撒玛利亚，各处的教会都得平安，被建立。凡事敬畏主，蒙圣灵的安慰，人数就增多了。
讨论问题：
在这个故事里，您对哪一些情节感兴趣？
谁是扫罗？在第一段里，故事告诉了您有关他的一些什么事情？
扫罗是怎么改变了的？为什么改变了？
您觉得人们是不是可以像这样的转变？为什么？
您是否遇到过某人就是像保罗那样的转变？
如果您在亚拿尼亚的处境，您会怎么做？
亚拿尼亚对保罗所说的话有什么样至关重要的意义？
在您的心目中，什么样的人是上帝不眷顾的？
这个故事是否改变了您的假设？
Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord!” he replied.
The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”
“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”
But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”
All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”
Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot. So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.
The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.
Discussion questions:
What did you find interesting about this story?
Who is Saul? What does the first paragraph tell you about him?
How did Saul change? And why?
Do you believe people can change like that? Why or why not?
Have you met anyone who has been transformed like Paul?
How would you act if you were in Ananias’ place?
What is significant about the way Ananias addresses Paul?
What types of people have you assumed were out of the reach of God?
How does this story change those assumptions?
