Good question Bahira,... Dennis is there a law or a sin against asking questions? Isn not knowledge and understanding and wisdom gained by asking question?... I think so... Ialso think that is the problem today even on this forum no one ask questions even when they quick read on the internet to give a response to something they know nothing about. They only read just enough to response to a post, but can't take it to the next level, becasue they really don't know what the topic is all about... nor does anyone ask question for explanation in the things others say for a cleaere understanding of what is being posted, instead of asking question and then going in search. Even Jesus aksed questions...
And with many who think they know the truth and facts of God's word, and becasue no one ask questions when they don't know the answers out of pride of not knowing and not wanting anyone to know they don't know, much error in the truth of God;s word occurs. Nor does anyone ask question to furtherence thier spiritual knowledge into the word of God, and things of God thus, there is no spiritual maturity or growth from milk to meat in the word....
Are not told that the Berearns and others who did not know the answers, asked many questions and then searhced the scriptures for themselves to see if what the apostles told them was indeed in God's word of truth...and the apostles explained the scriptures and the things of God to them and their understanding was open to them? Ddi nto the disciples ask Jesus many question and He explained and they were able to understand things becasue their eyes of understanding was opened to them?...
Anywayzzzzz, just to name a few things in the book of Acts, of the apostle Paul... we are told the Holy Spirit worked many miracles through the hands of Paul, he healed people, rasied a dead man, rebuked an unclean spirit out of a woman and otehrs, and shook off a serpent from his hand. And the greatest of all his miracle work was the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles to come to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philipi, Colossae, Thessolionia, and even the conversion of Timotthy and Titus... and the miracle work of Paul's hands continue to this day, through the 1writings of 3 letters he wrote in the Holy Bible.
So Dennis, see... had she not asked the question many would not know these things, now they can go and read for themself the book of Acts to find all that Paul did through the power of the Holy Spirit.:yay:
Side Bar: Paul never had the pleasure of meeting Jesus in person outside of Paul's up close and personal conversion experience with Jesus in the spiritual, it was the Holy Spirit of God who worked through and in Paul according to those things God had planned for the minsirty, and those things that happen during his missions journeys...
Paul was not a prophet. He was just a disciple of Jesus...just a christian who was also a first missionary in the Arab world.
This is exactly what Saul/Paul of Tarsus was, a religious terrorist. Acts 8:3 states, �He began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.�
In Acts 20:9-20 Paul raised a man from the dead.
But he raised him by the power of God.
Hebrews 2:3�4 says, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord [Jesus], it was confirmed to us by those who heard [the apostles], God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."
Acts 13:6-12. Elymas was a sorcerer who opposed Paul's effort to convert a proconsul. Paul struck him blind temporarily, resulting in the proconsul's conversion.
11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, �We[a] exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.� 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, �Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?�
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered[b] them, and prevailed against them,[c] so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. 19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
Acts 19
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother�s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, �Stand up straight on your feet!� And he leaped and walked. 11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, �The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!� 12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out 15 and saying, �Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, 16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.� 18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
Acts 14
Paul�s early life was marked by religious zeal, brutal violence, and the relentless persecution of the early church. Fortunately, the latter years of Paul�s life show a marked difference as he lived his life for Christ and the advancement of His kingdom.
Paul was actually born as Saul. He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia around A.D. 1�5 in a province in the southeastern corner of modern day Tersous, Turkey. He was of Benjaminite lineage and Hebrew ancestry. His parents were Pharisees�fervent Jewish nationalists who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses�who sought to protect their children from �contamination� from the Gentiles.
At age thirteen Saul was sent to Palestine to learn from a rabbi named Gamaliel, under whom Saul mastered Jewish history, the Psalms and the works of the prophets. His education would continue for five or six years where Saul learned such things as dissecting Scripture. It was during this time that he developed a question and answer style known in ancient times as �diatribe.� This method of articulation helped rabbis debate the finer points of Jewish law to either defend or prosecute those who broke the law. Saul went on to become a lawyer, and all signs pointed to his becoming a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of 71 men who ruled over Jewish life and religion. Saul was zealous for his faith and this faith did not allow for compromise. It is this zeal that led Saul down the path of religious extremism.
In Acts 9:1-22 which recounts Paul�s meeting with Jesus Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, a journey of about 150 miles. Saul was angered by what he had seen and filled with murderous rage against the Christians. Before departing on his journey he asked the high priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus asking for permission to bring any Christians (followers of �the Way� as they were known) back to Jerusalem to imprison them. On the road, Saul was caught up in a bright light from heaven which caused him to fall face down on the ground. He heard the words, �Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?� He utters, �Who are you Lord?� Jesus answers very directly and clearly, �I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting� (vv. 4-5). As an aside, this might not have been Saul�s first encounter with Jesus as some scholars suggest that young Saul might have known of Jesus and that he might have actually witnessed His death.
From this moment on, Saul�s life was turned upside down. The light of the Lord blinded him and as he traveled on he had to rely on his companions. As instructed by Jesus, Saul continued to Damascus to make contact with a man named Ananias who was hesitant at first because he knew Saul�s reputation as an evil man. But the Lord told him that Saul was a �chosen instrument� to carry His name before the Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel (v.15) and would suffer for doing so (v.16). Ananias followed the Lord�s instructions and found Saul, on whom he laid hands and told him of his vision of Jesus Christ. Through prayer Saul received the Holy Spirit (v.17), regained his sight and was baptized (v.18). Saul immediately went into the synagogues proclaiming Jesus and saying He is the Son of God (v.20). The people were amazed and skeptical, as Saul�s reputation was well known. Even the Jews thought he had come to take away the Christians (v.21). Saul�s boldness increased as the Jews living in Damascus were confounded by Saul proving that Jesus was the Christ (v.22).
As a result of this miraculous transformation Saul became know as Paul (Acts 13:9). He took his first of three missionary journeys in the late 40�s A.D. Paul spent time in Arabia, Damascus, Jerusalem, Syria and his native Cilicia,
Acts 9:15-16
But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man (Paul) is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
