Acts 9:1-22

ACTS STUDY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What did you learn from our study of Acts 9:1-22 on Sunday?

2. What hope and encouragement do you glean from the story of Saul’s salvation?

3. What does Luke want us to know about the attitudes and actions of Saul when Jesus confronts him on the road to Damascus (e.g., Acts 8:3, 9:1, 22:4, 19; 26:10-11)?

4. Saul is on his way to persecute the Way, but The Way finds him (Acts 9:1-4). What does Saul’s salvation say about the immensity of God’s grace (e.g., Rom 5:8)? What does Saul’s salvation teach us about how we are saved (e.g., John 15:16, Eph 2:1-8, Gal 2:16)? Based on 1 Timothy 1:14-16, what does Paul hope we see in his salvation?

5. How are Jesus’ holiness, authority, and power displayed in his encounter with Saul? How are Jesus’ mercy, patience, and grace seen in his encounter with Saul? What does the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch and now Saul teach us about how good and powerful the gospel is?

6. How is it that Jesus can say to Saul, “Why are you persecuting me?” What does this teach us about our union with Christ and, therefore, our protection and provision (e.g., Lk 10:16, Matt 25:35-45)?

7. What similarities and dissimilarities do you see between Philip and Ananias (cf. Acts 8:26-27, 29-30 and Acts 9:11-15)? What hesitation and fears might Ananias have felt in going to Saul? Though we might not worry about arrest or death in sharing the gospel, what fears do we have? Despite his fears, what does Ananias ultimately do, who does he trust, how does he address Saul, and what encouragement or conviction do you receive from his actions (Acts 9:17)?

8. What are some of the initial indicators of Saul’s conversion in Acts 9:9-11 and 17-18? Just like the Ethiopian eunuch, what is Saul confessing in baptism? What remarkable evidence do we have in Acts 9:19-22 that Saul’s confession is true?

9. Are there any limitations you might be placing on the gospel (i.e. who it is for or who or how they will respond)? What attitudes, actions, or affections need to change as a result of studying these verses?