PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH BY SAUL: ACTS 8: 1- 3; 9: 1 – 6
SUBJECT :
CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
CLASS :
JSS 3 / BASIC 9
TERM :
FIRST TERM
WEEK :
Week 8
REFERENCE MATERIALS : .
- ONLINE MATERIALS
- SCHEME OF WORK
- TEXTBOOKS
- THE HOLY BIBLE
TOPIC:
PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH BY SAUL: ACTS 8: 1- 3; 9: 1 – 6
PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE :
The pupils have previous knowledge of
THE ARREST AND MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN
BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVES : At the end of the lesson, the pupils should be able to
- Explain meaning of persecution
- say the reasons why Saul had decided to be persecuting the church
- list the significance of the event that happened to Saul on his way to Damascus
CONTENT :
WEEK 8
DATE: ……………………………………………………
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
TOPIC: OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL MESSAGE (Part C)
CONTENT:
- Persecution of the Church by Saul. Acts 8: 1- 3; 9: 1 – 6
- Martyrdom of James. Acts 12: 1- 3
Sub-Topic 1: PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH BY SAUL: ACTS 8: 1- 3; 9: 1 – 6
PAUL’S EARLY LIFE
Paul was also called Saul. Paul was his Roman name and Saul his Jewish name. At that time the Romans who ruled over Palestine as part of the Roman Empire, allowed foreigners to buy Roman citizens and enjoy certain rights. Paul was born a Roman citizen in Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia and the residence of the governor. Paul who had bought the Roman citizenship, was the ringleader that led the Jews to stone Stephen to death.
PAUL’S PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH
Immediately Stephen died, there was mass persecution against members of the early Church in Jerusalem. Many of the Christians were killed. Paul was at the forefront of the persecution, killing or dragging many Christians from their homes to prison.
Some of those who survived the persecution fled to places in Judea and Samaria. However, the apostles remained in Jerusalem. After Paul had persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem, he heard that many of them had fled Jerusalem to places like Damascus, in far away Syria. Paul who wanted to stamp out Christianity was not happy with the success of Christianity in Damascus.
Therefore, he went to the high priest and obtained permission to go to Damascus so that he could arrest the Christians there and bring them for punishment. The high priest gave Paul a letter of introduction to the synagogues in Damascus.
THE CONVERSION OF SAUL (ACTS 9: 1 -19)
Paul left for Damascus. As he got near to the city of Damascus in the afternoon, something strange happened to him that was to change his entire life for the better. Jesus appeared to him in a form of dazzling light which shown around him. This made him to fall down. He heard a voice, which called his name and asked him why he was persecuting him. When he asked the voice whom he was, the voice said that he was Jesus whom Paul was persecuting, adding that he should go into the city, where he would be told what told what to do next.
His companions stood speechless with surprise because they heard the voice but did not see any body. When Paul rose up, he found that he was totally blind. His companions then led him by hand into Damascus where he stayed for three days without sight.
The Lord appeared to one of the Christians in Damascus called Ananias to go to a street called Straight, and ask for the house of a man called Judas. There he will find a man of Tarsus named Saul; praying.
So, Ananias went to the house of Judas and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and prayed for him. Immediately Saul, something like scales fell from his eyes and Saul regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, and he took food and he was strengthened.
Immediately Saul was converted to Christianity, he started preaching to the Jews in Damascus about Jesus Christ that He is the Son of God.
Conversion of Paul
Sub-Topic 2: THE MARTYRDOM OF JAMES ACTS 12: 1 – 3
James the apostle was the brother of John, the sons of Zebedee. He was among the first four disciples to be called by Jesus. He was very active in the early Church. The Jews did not like the progress that James was making towards the growth of the Church. They hated him and wanted to kill him. The Romans had made Herod Agrippa 1, a nephew of Herod Antipas, the king of the Jews. But the Jews did not like Agrippa’s rule. They hate him. In order to please the Jews and make them like him, Agrippa arrested James when he got to know that the Jews hated the apostle. King Herod killed James; and the Jews were very pleased that King Herod had killed their enemy. When Herod saw that his action pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter. However, God delivered Peter from his hand.
OPPOSITION IN THE CHURCH TODAY
Christians have been opposed in the Church for:
- Standing up for Christ by telling the truth.
- Exposing evil practices in the Church such as the pastor sleeping or going to bed with female members of the Church.
- Criticizing the emphasis on materialism at the expense of the full gospel.
- Preaching prosperity without responsibility.
- Calling on the leadership of the Church to live exemplary lives.
OPPOSITION IN THE COMMUNITY
Christians have been opposed in the community for:
- Exposing fraud, bribery and corruption in their places of work.
- Condemning examination malpractices.
- Preaching against sexual immorality.
- Condemning tribalism, nepotism and favouritism.
- Condemning religious discrimination.
RELIGIOUS AND MORAL LESSONS
- You must learn to pray to God through Jesus to give you spiritual courage to defend your faith in spite of all opposition.
- You must learn to pray to Jesus to give you spiritual love to pray for enemies, like Stephen did.
- You must learn not to condemn what you do not understand, but rather seek to understand it. Paul persecuted the Christians because he did not understand the Gospel Message.
- You must learn to learn to listen to the voice of the Lord when he calls you from your sinful ways to change for the better.
EVALUATION
- Who supervised the stoning of Stephen to death?
- Why did Saul obtain permission from Herod to do?
- Saul was converted on his way to …………….
- Why did Herod Agrippa kill James?———————————-
1. The persecution of the church by Saul: Acts 8: 1- 3; 9: 1 – 6
2. The conversion of Saul: Acts 9: 7- 22
3. The ministry of Saul to the Gentiles: Acts 9: 23 – 31
4. The return of Saul to Jerusalem: Acts
PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH BY SAUL: ACTS 8: 1- 3; 9: 1 – 6
1. The persecution of the church by Saul: Acts 8: 1- 3; 9: 1 – 6
Saul was a zealous Pharisee who persecuting the early Christians. He was present at the stoning of Stephen and began to drag off men and women to prison (Acts 8:1-3). He then obtained permission from the high priest to go to Damascus and arrest any followers of the Way he found there, so that he could bring them back to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2).
2. The conversion of Saul: Acts 9: 7- 22
On the road to Damascus, Saul was suddenly confronted by a blinding light and a voice asking him why he was persecuting Jesus. He then fell to the ground and was blinded. When his companions led him into Damascus, he was praying and fasting for three days (Acts 9:7-9).
Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, was instructed by God to go to Saul and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. When Ananias did as he was told, Saul’s sight was restored and he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:10-19).
Saul then began to preach boldly in the name of Jesus and many people were converted (Acts 9:20-22).
3. The ministry of Saul to the Gentiles: Acts 9: 23 – 31
Saul’s ministry among the Gentiles was so successful that the Jews in Damascus plotted to kill him. When they learned of this plot, Saul was let down over the city wall in a basket and escaped to Jerusalem (Acts 9:23-25).
While in Jerusalem, Saul met with the apostle Peter and was welcomed by the other disciples (Acts 9:26-30). However, when the Jews learned that he was still preaching about Jesus, they tried to kill him again. So Saul left Jerusalem and went back to his hometown of Tarsus in Syria (Acts 9:31).
4. The return of Saul to Jerusalem: Acts
Saul continued his ministry in Syria and Cilicia for a number of years (Acts 9:32). He then returned to Jerusalem, where he helped the believers who were being persecuted by the Jews (Acts 9:33-34).
Objectives Questions
1. What was Saul’s profession before his conversion?
a. fisherman
b. carpenter
c. tent maker
d. Pharisee
2. Why was Saul traveling to Damascus?
a. to visit family
b. on business
c. to persecute Christians
d. to study
3. Who was with Saul when he was confronted by the blinding light?
a. his wife
b. his children
c. his disciples
d. no one
4. What did the voice from heaven say to Saul?
a. “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting”
b. “Why are you persecuting me?”
c. “Repent and be baptized”
d. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel”
5. How long was Saul blinded for?
a. 3 days
b. 9 days
c. 12 days
d. unknown
6. Who was Ananias instructed by God to go and lay his hands on?
a. Peter
b. John
c. Saul
d. Judas
7. When Ananias laid his hands on Saul, what happened?
a. he was filled with the Holy Spirit
b. he had a vision of Jesus
c. he was healed of his blindness
d. all of the above
8. After his conversion, where did Saul go?
a. Damascus
b. Jerusalem
c. Tarsus
d. Antioch
9. What was Saul’s new profession after his conversion?
a. fisherman
b. carpenter
c. tent maker
d. preacher
10. What did the Jews do when they found out Saul was still preaching about Jesus?
a. they welcomed him
b. they stoned him
c. they tried to kill him
d. they excommunicated him
PRESENTATION
The topic is presented step by step
Step 1:
The class teacher revises the previous topics
Step 2.
He introduces the new topic
Step 3:
The class teacher allows the pupils to give their own examples and he corrects them when the needs arise
CONCLUSION :
The class teacher wraps up or conclude the lesson by giving out short note to summarize the topic that he or she has just taught.
The class teacher also goes round to make sure that the notes are well copied or well written. He or she does the necessary corrections when the need arises.
