dwight92070
Well-known member
Acts 22:16 "Acts 22:16 — The New King James Version (NKJV) 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Paul tells us that he did not receive or hear the gospel from Ananias, but rather he heard it directly from Christ:
Gal. 1:11-12 " ... the gospel ... I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." So we know that Paul heard and believed in Christ on the road to Damascus, even before Ananias came to him. That was indeed a revelation of Jesus Christ. But listen to Paul's own account on his way to Damacus:
"I saw on the way a light from heaven ... and I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me." Acts 26:13-18
So if Jesus was sending Paul to both Jewish and Gentile people "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Him,
then what are the chances that Paul himself did not have:
1. his eyes opened (spiritually) so that he turned from darkness to light and that
2. he had not been rescued from the power of Satan to God,
3. and that he did not receive forgiveness of sins,
4. and that he did not receive an inheritance among those who had been sanctified by faith in Him?
Answer: The chances are slim to zero. Jesus would not send Paul to facilitate all these things in others, if He had not first accomplished all these things in Paul himself.
So on the road to Damascus, Paul had his eyes opened (spiritually) and he turned from darkness to light, and he was rescued from the power of Satan to God, and his sins were forgiven, and he received an inheritance among those who had been sanctified (saved) by faith in Him.
Paul was saved, delivered, forgiven, given an inheritance with those who were saved by faith (not baptism), and indwelt by the Holy Spirit - all on the road to Damascus, before Ananias even came to him.
How do we know that he received the indwelling Holy Spirit on that road (which happens to every person who gets saved)? Didn't Paul receive the indwelling Holy Spirit three days later, when Ananias laid hands on him?
Actually no, he was already indwelt by the Holy Spirit when he believed, on the road to Damascus. When Ananias laid hands on him, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, just like the 120 people in the upper room. They were already indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but on the Day of Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, or baptized in the Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised in Acts 1:5. When one is saved they are immediately indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Later they may receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, if they desire it - many do not, for whatever reason they don't want it.
So really, the only things that happened when Ananias laid hands on Paul was 1. he regained his sight and 2. he was baptized and 3. Ananias encouraged him.
No salvation or forgiveness of sins or indwelling of the Holy Spirit occurred when Ananias baptized him. They had already happened three days before.
Paul tells us that he did not receive or hear the gospel from Ananias, but rather he heard it directly from Christ:
Gal. 1:11-12 " ... the gospel ... I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." So we know that Paul heard and believed in Christ on the road to Damascus, even before Ananias came to him. That was indeed a revelation of Jesus Christ. But listen to Paul's own account on his way to Damacus:
"I saw on the way a light from heaven ... and I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me." Acts 26:13-18
So if Jesus was sending Paul to both Jewish and Gentile people "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Him,
then what are the chances that Paul himself did not have:
1. his eyes opened (spiritually) so that he turned from darkness to light and that
2. he had not been rescued from the power of Satan to God,
3. and that he did not receive forgiveness of sins,
4. and that he did not receive an inheritance among those who had been sanctified by faith in Him?
Answer: The chances are slim to zero. Jesus would not send Paul to facilitate all these things in others, if He had not first accomplished all these things in Paul himself.
So on the road to Damascus, Paul had his eyes opened (spiritually) and he turned from darkness to light, and he was rescued from the power of Satan to God, and his sins were forgiven, and he received an inheritance among those who had been sanctified (saved) by faith in Him.
Paul was saved, delivered, forgiven, given an inheritance with those who were saved by faith (not baptism), and indwelt by the Holy Spirit - all on the road to Damascus, before Ananias even came to him.
How do we know that he received the indwelling Holy Spirit on that road (which happens to every person who gets saved)? Didn't Paul receive the indwelling Holy Spirit three days later, when Ananias laid hands on him?
Actually no, he was already indwelt by the Holy Spirit when he believed, on the road to Damascus. When Ananias laid hands on him, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, just like the 120 people in the upper room. They were already indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but on the Day of Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, or baptized in the Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised in Acts 1:5. When one is saved they are immediately indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Later they may receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, if they desire it - many do not, for whatever reason they don't want it.
So really, the only things that happened when Ananias laid hands on Paul was 1. he regained his sight and 2. he was baptized and 3. Ananias encouraged him.
No salvation or forgiveness of sins or indwelling of the Holy Spirit occurred when Ananias baptized him. They had already happened three days before.
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