Acts 9:1-20
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Rev. Josephine Yarham.
- Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition & sermons.
- Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
- Comparative texts about Baptism: Water & Spirit from DSS, Josephus, Babylonian Talmud. At (Rutgers University Dept of Religion) Mahlon H. Smith's Into His Own: Perspective on the World of Jesus companion to the historical study of Christian texts.
- Chapter XII, The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110). (Longer version only - 4th cent interpolation.)
- III.XII.9, III.XV.1, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
- Chapter XIII, On Baptism, Tertullian (c. 198)
- V.1, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 212)
- Chapter XIV, On Modesty, Tertullian (c. 217)
- III.II.5, First Principles (De Principiis), Origen. (c.225)
- I.12, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Origen. (c.228)
- Book II, Chapter 1, Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius of Caesarea, (c. 320).
- From the
Geneva Notes.
- "Paul begins immediately to execute the office which was given and commanded to him, never consulting with flesh and blood."
- From
Matthew
Henry's Commentary.
- "A good work was begun in Saul, when he was brought to Christ's feet with those words, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
- Saul's Conversion (John 9:22): sermon by George Whitefield.
- From
Wesley's Notes.
- "And he was three days - An important season! So long he seems to have been in the pangs of the new birth."
- "Paul's First Prayer," Acts 9:11, Charles H. Spurgeon, 1855.
- From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
- From The People's
New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
- "[Paul] was of the tribe of Benjamin (Phil. 3:5); his father, though a Jew, had been admitted to Roman citizenship, and Paul was therefore a "Roman" (Acts 22:28); he was born at Tarsus, a Grecian city, the capital of Cilicia; there he had become familiar with Grecian literature, as well as educated in the law; at what time we know not, but while still young he went to Jerusalem to study in the great Rabbinical schools, and had the celebrated Gamaliel for his teacher (Acts 22:3); he had, according to Jewish custom, learned a trade, being a tent-maker (Acts 18:3); he was a Pharisee after the strictest manner of the sect (Acts 23:6)."
- Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
- " Commentary,
Acts 9:1-6 [7-10], Eric Barreto, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2013.
- "How might the story of this dramatic call on a dusty road to Damascus give us a new imagination?"
- The Truett Pulpit, Jamie McCallum, pastor, Belfair Community Church, Belfair, WA, 2016.
- The Center for Excellence in Preaching, resources from Calvin Theological Seminary: Comments & Observations, Textual Points, Illustration Ideas, 2016.
- Commentary, Acts 9:1-6, Jay Wilson, A Plain Account, 2016
- "The risen Lord confronts Saul with the question, "Why do you persecute me?" And the query shows just how closely God associates himself with his people. From here a sermon could address how God always stands in solidarity with those afflicted and suffering."
- "The risen Lord confronts Saul with the question, "Why do you persecute me?" And the query shows just how closely God associates himself with his people. From here a sermon could address how God always stands in solidarity with those afflicted and suffering."
- "Conversion," Frederick Buechner, Beyond Words.
- "The Cracked Pot, Saul," John C. Holbert, 2013.
- "Rather than argue about which of the accounts of Paul's conversion is 'accurate' in some historical sense, why not pay attention to the wonderful ways that the tale itself is actually told?"
- "Not Just Saul's Story," Beth Scibienski, A Thousand Words of Inspiration, 2103.
- "Oh, to be as bad as Paul," Michael Coffey, 2013.
- Pulpit Fiction, podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2013.
- "Surface, Depth and History," Debbie Blue, The Hardest Question, 2013.
- "Must every bright light have a dark cloud?"
- Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
-
Commentary,
Acts 9:1-6 [7-10], James Boyce, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2010.
- "Where God is leading us? What will be our response when God says to us, 'Get up and Go, because I have chosen you and am commissioning you for the life of a new community?'"
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
-
"First
Thoughts on Year C First Reading Acts Passages
from the Lectionary,"
Easter 3, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
- "Conversion may indeed miss the mark in describing what happened. It certainly does if we reduce it to meaning recruitment or even if we think it just means turning to God so that one will be saved or safe. There is a good case for speaking instead of Paul's call."
- "The Conversion of Paul," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
- Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Discussion, Acts 9:1-6, (7-20), Wesley White. "A place of conversation regarding Progressive Christianity.
- "The
Conversion of Saul/Paul," exegetical notes by Peter L. Haynes,
Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren.
- "When someone is headed in the wrong direction, it may take a blinding light to expose his own blindness."
- "The
Conversion of Saul (Acts 9:1-31)," by Robert Deffinbaugh at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
- "What can you say about Christianity when its most outspoken and zealous opponent suddenly claims to have seen the risen Christ, and to have trusted in Him as the Messiah?"
- "Paul on the Damascus Road," James T. Dennison, Jr., in Kerux: The Online Journal of Biblical Theology (Reformed).
-
"The Meaning of Vocation," A.J. Conyers, (other resources at)
"Vocation," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2004.
- "'Vocation' is distorted by two disastrous misunderstandings: a secularized idea of 'career' and a monastic concept of the religious life."
- " Commentary,
Acts 9:1-6 [7-10], Eric Barreto, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2013.
- Recommended articles
from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are
linked below.
ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of
selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
- Adkins, Vincent,
"The Road to Damascus," The Christian Century, 1987. (Poetry)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Dost, Timothy P., "Homiletical
Helps on LW Series C.," Concordia Journal, 2007. (Section on this
text begins on p. 78.)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Gans, Eric,
"Christian Morality and the Pauline Revelation," Semeia, 1985.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - "Homiletical Helps," Concordia Journal, 2010. (Section on this text begins on page 58)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - "Homiletical Helps on LW Series C - Old Testament," Concordia Journal, 2004. (Section on this text begins on page 74.)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Koyama, Kosuke,
"'I Am Jesus, Whom You Persecute,'" The Christian Century, 1989.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Lee, Mark,
"An Evangelical Dialogue on Luke, Salvation, and Spirit Baptism,"
Pneuma, 2004.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Peterson, Heidi A.,
"Saving Saul," The Christian Century, 2001.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Rordorf, Willy,
"Paul's Conversion in the Canonical Acts and in the Acts of Paul,"
Semeia, 1997.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Schertz, Mary,
"Turn in the Road," The Christian Century, 2004.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Volf, Miroslav, "The Social Meaning of Reconciliation," Interpretation, 2000.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Walker, William O.,
Jr.,
"Acts and the Pauline Corpus Reconsidered," Journal for the Study of
the New Testament, 1985.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Adkins, Vincent,
"The Road to Damascus," The Christian Century, 1987. (Poetry)
- Sermons:
- With Children:
- Worshiping with Children, Easter 3C, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2013.
- "The Big Change," Linda Edwards, The Children's Chapel.
- "Saul Is Converted," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
- Crossword on Acts 9, Don Crownover's Bible Puzzles.
- Drama:
- Graphics, Multimedia & Bulletin Materials:
- Paul's Vision, Clip Art, Anglican Diocese of Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Commercial Site: "Saul's Conversion," visual liturgy, The Work of the People.
- Hymns and Music:
- Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Acts 9:3, 4, 6. The Cyber Hymnal.
- Hymnal Scripture References, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
- Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Movies Linked at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance, with the following themes:
- Study Links and Resources for the Book of Acts
