Chapter 5: Love
Changes People
This chapter has caused the most confusion and maybe
uncomfortableness. Not because we don’t
know the power of love, but sometimes it seems it does take a bit of a shock to
get people to listen, maybe cause some fear.
One of the most vivid conversions stories is that of
Paul. Read Acts 9:1-22.
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against
the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters
to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way,
men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he was going
along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around
him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why
do you persecute me?” 5He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am
Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But get up and enter the city, and you will
be told what you are to do.” 7The men who were traveling with him stood
speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8Saul got up from the
ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by
the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9For three days he was without sight,
and neither ate nor drank.
10Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The
Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11The
Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the
house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is
praying, 12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his
hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13But Ananias answered, “Lord,
I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints
in Jerusalem; 14and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all
who invoke your name.” 15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument
whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the
people of Israel; 16I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake
of my name.” 17So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul
and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here,
has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy
Spirit.” 18And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his
sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some
food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in
Damascus, 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,
saying, “He is the Son of God.”
21All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the
man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he
not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”
22Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in
Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.
How is this an example of how God always comes down to us in
love?
What was Paul’s reaction?
Do you think Paul or Ananias was changed more? Why?
Have you ever had what you might call a conversion
experience?
Have you ever had an experience where someone whacked you
upside the head with a Bible? What was
it like? Were you changed? What was your response?
Describe a time your life was changed by love, or a time
when someone else’s life was changed by an experience of love.
Do you think a community is changed by love or by fear? Is there differing results?
