WEEK 2 — DAY 3
Morning Nourishment
Acts 9:4-6. "And he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. But rise up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do".
Acts 9 shows us two characteristics of the revelation that Paul received at the time of his conversion. When the Lord appeared to Paul on the way to Damascus, He showed him that persecuting the believers was the same as persecuting Him (vv. 3-5). The Lord asked, "Why are you persecuting Me?" He did not ask, "Why are you persecuting those who believe in Me?" Paul asked, "Who are You, Lord?" The Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you persecute." The Lord showed Paul that he was persecuting the Head when he was persecuting the members of the Body. When you damage any member of the Body, you damage the Head. Every sin that offends the Body offends the Head. Every believer of the Lord is one with the Lord. This is the oneness of the Head with the Body. Paul was the first one who saw the Body of Christ. The day that the Lord revealed Himself was the day that Paul saw the Body. (CWWN, vol. 44, pp. 833-834)
Today's Reading
[Acts 9:4 refers to] a corporate "Me," comprising Jesus the Lord and all His believers. Saul did not have this revelation. He thought that he was persecuting Stephen and other Jesus-followers, who were in the Way, which he considered heresy (24:14). He did not know that when he persecuted these he persecuted Jesus, for they were one with Him by being united to Him through their faith in Him. He considered that he was persecuting people on earth, never thinking that he touched anyone in heaven. To his great surprise a voice from heaven told him that He was the One whom he was persecuting and that His name was Jesus. To him this was a unique revelation in the universe! By this he began to see that the Lord Jesus and His believers are one great person—the wonderful "Me." This must have impressed and affected him for his future ministry concerning Christ and the church as the great mystery of God (Eph. 5:32) and laid a solid foundation
for his unique ministry. (Acts 9:4, footnote 1)
The Lord would not directly tell Saul immediately after his conversion what He wanted him to do. This was because he needed a member of His Body to initiate him into identification with the Body, for he had been saved and brought to the Lord directly by Him, not indirectly through any channel. Unless a member of His Body had been sent by the Lord to contact him, it would have been difficult for any member of the Body to receive Saul (cf. Acts 9:26). This is related to Saul's knowledge concerning the Body of Christ and to his ministry for the Body of Christ later (Col. 1:24). (Acts 9:6, footnote 1)
After this high revelation, the Lord charged him to go into the city, and there it would be told to him what he must do (Acts 9:6). This was also a revelation of the Body. After such a high revelation, the Lord did not speak to him directly; rather, He committed him to the Body. On the day Paul was saved, the Lord showed him the principle of the Body. Three days later the Lord sent a small disciple by the name of Ananias to lay hands on him, and Ananias said to him, "Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road on which you were coming—so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 17). Ananias was just an ordinary brother. We know nothing about his history before or after this event. When he was sent by the Lord to Saul, he said, "Saul, brother." This ushered Saul into the Body of Christ, filled him with the Holy Spirit, and brought him under the anointing. (CWWN, vol. 44, p. 834)
The Lord sent Ananias, one member of His Body, to Saul that Saul might be initiated into identification with the Body of Christ. This too must have impressed Saul with the importance of the Body of Christ, helping him to realize that a saved believer needs the members of the Body of Christ. (Acts 9:11, footnote 1)
Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 44, "The Mystery of Christ," ch. 104
Morning Nourishment
Acts 9:4-6. "And he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. But rise up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do".
Acts 9 shows us two characteristics of the revelation that Paul received at the time of his conversion. When the Lord appeared to Paul on the way to Damascus, He showed him that persecuting the believers was the same as persecuting Him (vv. 3-5). The Lord asked, "Why are you persecuting Me?" He did not ask, "Why are you persecuting those who believe in Me?" Paul asked, "Who are You, Lord?" The Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you persecute." The Lord showed Paul that he was persecuting the Head when he was persecuting the members of the Body. When you damage any member of the Body, you damage the Head. Every sin that offends the Body offends the Head. Every believer of the Lord is one with the Lord. This is the oneness of the Head with the Body. Paul was the first one who saw the Body of Christ. The day that the Lord revealed Himself was the day that Paul saw the Body. (CWWN, vol. 44, pp. 833-834)
Today's Reading
[Acts 9:4 refers to] a corporate "Me," comprising Jesus the Lord and all His believers. Saul did not have this revelation. He thought that he was persecuting Stephen and other Jesus-followers, who were in the Way, which he considered heresy (24:14). He did not know that when he persecuted these he persecuted Jesus, for they were one with Him by being united to Him through their faith in Him. He considered that he was persecuting people on earth, never thinking that he touched anyone in heaven. To his great surprise a voice from heaven told him that He was the One whom he was persecuting and that His name was Jesus. To him this was a unique revelation in the universe! By this he began to see that the Lord Jesus and His believers are one great person—the wonderful "Me." This must have impressed and affected him for his future ministry concerning Christ and the church as the great mystery of God (Eph. 5:32) and laid a solid foundation
for his unique ministry. (Acts 9:4, footnote 1)
The Lord would not directly tell Saul immediately after his conversion what He wanted him to do. This was because he needed a member of His Body to initiate him into identification with the Body, for he had been saved and brought to the Lord directly by Him, not indirectly through any channel. Unless a member of His Body had been sent by the Lord to contact him, it would have been difficult for any member of the Body to receive Saul (cf. Acts 9:26). This is related to Saul's knowledge concerning the Body of Christ and to his ministry for the Body of Christ later (Col. 1:24). (Acts 9:6, footnote 1)
After this high revelation, the Lord charged him to go into the city, and there it would be told to him what he must do (Acts 9:6). This was also a revelation of the Body. After such a high revelation, the Lord did not speak to him directly; rather, He committed him to the Body. On the day Paul was saved, the Lord showed him the principle of the Body. Three days later the Lord sent a small disciple by the name of Ananias to lay hands on him, and Ananias said to him, "Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road on which you were coming—so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 17). Ananias was just an ordinary brother. We know nothing about his history before or after this event. When he was sent by the Lord to Saul, he said, "Saul, brother." This ushered Saul into the Body of Christ, filled him with the Holy Spirit, and brought him under the anointing. (CWWN, vol. 44, p. 834)
The Lord sent Ananias, one member of His Body, to Saul that Saul might be initiated into identification with the Body of Christ. This too must have impressed Saul with the importance of the Body of Christ, helping him to realize that a saved believer needs the members of the Body of Christ. (Acts 9:11, footnote 1)
Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 44, "The Mystery of Christ," ch. 104
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