Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
Jesus Himself spoke these words to Saul when He stopped him on the road to Damascus as the crucified and risen Son of God, appointing the penitent believer a minister and witness and sending him to the Gentiles and to the Jews with the promise to rescue and protect him from his own people and from those to whom he was sent. He was sent to proclaim a risen Saviour to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the sanctified through faith. Paul obeyed by witnessing in Damascus, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and in regions afar off to small and great of every class, preaching Jesus as the foretold Messiah who suffered and rose to bring salvation, and calling all to repent and turn to God in faith in Christ and live in works fit for repentance. By God's help he was kept to that day when the Jews seized him in the temple to kill him, and his bonds and trials before rulers and nobles and his journeys by sea only spread his testimony further and led many to believe. The same charge still rests on every minister sent to the church, to open eyes to spiritual need and lead souls to repentance, confession, forgiveness and sanctification by faith in Jesus.
Christ's Commission and Promise
This is part of the solemn charge Jesus Himself gave when He arrested Saul on the journey to Damascus. At the gate of Damascus Jesus appeared to him in person as the crucified and risen Christ, the Son of God. It belongs to Paul's own account of his conversion and calling, where after the vision of Christ he became a penitent believer called to be Christ's apostle, commissioned to preach. His bold preaching and teaching after his conversion convinced many that Jesus was the Son of God.
In that appearing Jesus appointed him a minister and a witness, defining the work he was to carry out. He sent him to the Gentiles, and also to the Jews, to both Jews and Gentiles, to proclaim the gospel of a risen Saviour. This sending to carry the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles marked an era in the progress of the gospel.
With the sending Jesus promised to deliver, rescue, and protect him from the people and from the Gentiles to whom He sent him. By the people is meant his own people and opponents, and by the Gentiles those to whom he was sent. The promise was deliverance from their opposition and from danger and other dangers.
The sending was to open their eyes and to call them from darkness and Satan's power to God. It was to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, preaching repentance toward God and faith in Christ. Its end was that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the sanctified through faith.
The words agree with the inspired message spoken to Paul by Ananias. That charge rested with increasing weight on Paul's heart.
Paul's Obedience and Witness
Paul obeyed the commission by bearing witness in Damascus, in Jerusalem, throughout all Judea, and in regions afar off and distant regions. In doing so he witnessed to small and great, to people of every class and rank.
He carried out the commission by preaching repentance toward God and faith in Christ. He called all to repent and turn to God and do works fit for repentance, to turn to God and live in keeping with repentance. He also called people to turn from darkness and Satan's power to God.
His witness was about Jesus as the Messiah foretold by Scripture, who suffered, rose from the dead, and brought salvation to the world. His bold preaching and teaching convinced many that Jesus was the Son of God. God's help and protection enabled him to continue, so that when the Jews caught him in the temple and sought to kill him he was kept to that day.
His imprisonment and trials for that gospel did not stop the work but spread it. Though imprisoned he brought it before rulers and nobles where it was publicly proclaimed and heard. As he was brought before rulers and traveled by sea Gentiles and others heard his testimony, so his bonds and the events around him helped spread knowledge of Christ and led many to believe. The same work given to Paul is given to every minister, so messengers sent to a church are sent for the same purpose to open eyes to spiritual need and bring repentance, confession, forgiveness, and sanctification by faith in Jesus.
Jesus Himself spoke these words to Saul when He stopped him on the road to Damascus as the crucified and risen Son of God, appointing the penitent believer a minister and witness and sending him to the Gentiles and to the Jews with the promise to rescue and protect him from his own people and from those to whom he was sent.
He was sent to proclaim a risen Saviour to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the sanctified through faith.
Paul obeyed by witnessing in Damascus, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and in regions afar off to small and great of every class, preaching Jesus as the foretold Messiah who suffered and rose to bring salvation, and calling all to repent and turn to God in faith in Christ and live in works fit for repentance.
By God's help he was kept to that day when the Jews seized him in the temple to kill him, and his bonds and trials before rulers and nobles and his journeys by sea only spread his testimony further and led many to believe.
The same charge still rests on every minister sent to the church, to open eyes to spiritual need and lead souls to repentance, confession, forgiveness and sanctification by faith in Jesus.
Christ's Commission and Promise
This is part of the solemn charge Jesus Himself gave when He arrested Saul on the journey to Damascus. At the gate of Damascus Jesus appeared to him in person as the crucified and risen Christ, the Son of God. It belongs to Paul's own account of his conversion and calling, where after the vision of Christ he became a penitent believer called to be Christ's apostle, commissioned to preach. His bold preaching and teaching after his conversion convinced many that Jesus was the Son of God.
In that appearing Jesus appointed him a minister and a witness, defining the work he was to carry out. He sent him to the Gentiles, and also to the Jews, to both Jews and Gentiles, to proclaim the gospel of a risen Saviour. This sending to carry the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles marked an era in the progress of the gospel.
With the sending Jesus promised to deliver, rescue, and protect him from the people and from the Gentiles to whom He sent him. By the people is meant his own people and opponents, and by the Gentiles those to whom he was sent. The promise was deliverance from their opposition and from danger and other dangers.
The sending was to open their eyes and to call them from darkness and Satan's power to God. It was to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, preaching repentance toward God and faith in Christ. Its end was that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the sanctified through faith.
The words agree with the inspired message spoken to Paul by Ananias. That charge rested with increasing weight on Paul's heart.
Paul's Obedience and Witness
Paul obeyed the commission by bearing witness in Damascus, in Jerusalem, throughout all Judea, and in regions afar off and distant regions. In doing so he witnessed to small and great, to people of every class and rank.
He carried out the commission by preaching repentance toward God and faith in Christ. He called all to repent and turn to God and do works fit for repentance, to turn to God and live in keeping with repentance. He also called people to turn from darkness and Satan's power to God.
His witness was about Jesus as the Messiah foretold by Scripture, who suffered, rose from the dead, and brought salvation to the world. His bold preaching and teaching convinced many that Jesus was the Son of God. God's help and protection enabled him to continue, so that when the Jews caught him in the temple and sought to kill him he was kept to that day.
His imprisonment and trials for that gospel did not stop the work but spread it. Though imprisoned he brought it before rulers and nobles where it was publicly proclaimed and heard. As he was brought before rulers and traveled by sea Gentiles and others heard his testimony, so his bonds and the events around him helped spread knowledge of Christ and led many to believe. The same work given to Paul is given to every minister, so messengers sent to a church are sent for the same purpose to open eyes to spiritual need and bring repentance, confession, forgiveness, and sanctification by faith in Jesus.