I Appeal To Caesar!

In 64 BC Damascus was captured by the Romans, who declared Syria a Roman Province, and the Nabataeans were allowed to re-occupy the city in 37 AD. It was during this period that Saul came to Damascus. Two large communities had a wide measure of self-government: the Arabs who owed allegiance to the Nabatean king in his rock capital of Petra, and the Jews whose allegiance was to the High Priest in Jerusalem. * * * * * The Language Spoken. “The language of the streets was Greek, but there was a large Jewish community of perhaps twenty thousand who spoke Aramaic, the language of the Semitic desert dwellers to the East.” The Christians, A. D. 30 to A. D. 70, p. 100. P. 1 “The Time of day was high noon when Paul and his companions were approaching Damascus. All of them saw a brilliant light flash around them, which caused Paul but not his companions to be blinded.” Simon J. Kistemaker, Acts, p. 331. P. 7 Water Baptism. A new believer, of course, believes in Jesus with his heart. Jesus, instructed his ministers also to baptize these new converts publicly by submersion in water, using the triune signature of God—that is, “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:36 and 38). Water baptism unites new believers with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but it also can be the dynamic beginning of the Spirit-filled lifestyle for a follower of Jesus. P. 7 Scripture locations for record of actual tongues occurring: Jerusalem (Acts 2), Caesarea (Acts 10), Ephesus (Chapter 19). Paul makes an interesting statement in 1 Corinthians 14:18, “I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all [apparently referring to private prayer];” but then makes it clear that understandable speech is more essential for public edification. For a more complete explanation see the author’s book, The Glorious Disturbance. P. 6 Three days of blindness. Acts 9:9, Saul was actually on a “forced fast.” P. 6 The Lord commissions Ananias. Acts 9:10-16.