9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

All right, Acts chapter 9. Now, Acts 7, 8 and 9 are all crucial places in the New Testament. In Acts chapter 7, the Lord’s all through with Jerusalem, and they’ve had their last chance as a nation before this age ends. And He moves on. And in Acts chapter 8 the first man that’s saved just the way you’re saved is saved. And in Acts chapter 9 the man is saved who writes nearly half the New Testament. In Acts chapter 9 the man is saved that God revealed the gospel of the grace of God to and the mystery of the Body and all the rest of it. And this is the apostle of the Gentiles.

In Acts chapter 8 a Hamite gets saved. In Acts chapter 9 a Shemite gets saved. In Acts chapter 10 Japheth gets saved.

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” Threatened to kill them.

“Went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way,...” That is, where the angel said, “Go, show the, give the people all the words of this life, meaning this way, the Christian way, believing in Christ.”

“...whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” Now this fellow is not commissioned just with killing Christians in Jerusalem or disciples, he’s going on a trip to Damascus. Got a letter from a priest up there to get ‘em all there and bring ‘em back to Jerusalem and prosecute ‘em in Jerusalem. He’s a rascal.

“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus.” Damascus is up north of Palestine, and it won’t appear on this map here. On this scale, it would be about there. About right in there. Now, he’s going from there to there, chasing down the believers and trying to kill them.

“And suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.” In other places this light is said to be brighter than the sun. Which a lot of folks didn’t believe, and then they got a cobalt bomb and had to change their opinion on that. When that hydrogen bomb went off in Takini, there were guys in flagships there five miles away from that thing, had their back toward it, and had their hands over their eyes. When that thing went off, they could see the shadow of their hands through their closed eyes with their back to the blast — in broad daylight. Now, they had some light then.

“And suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.” God is light. And he’s running into the Lord.

“And he fell to the earth.” The modernistic interpretation is, he had an epileptic fit. And over there in Mercer University in Georgia the liberal was given that class, you know, and saying, “Paul wasn’t really converted; he just had an epileptic fit.”

And an old colored boy there in the class said, “My Lawd, give us mo’ epileptics!”

Funny how they never considered the fruit of it, you know.

That old colored boy sat in that class. Steve was telling me about him. He’s some old farm boy, felt called to preach, and just dumb as a post, you know, but loved the Lord and had a lot of common sense. And now these smooth, slick, educated liberals in class, all giving the latest stuff, you know. And he spent half the class trying to prove the Pharisees weren’t Jesus’ enemies, and Judas didn’t betray Him, you know. “And the Pharisees were really Jesus’ friends. Well, they were trying to help Him,” you know.

And after about thirty minutes out, that old colored boy raised his hand, and he said, “What is it, Mr. Roosevelt?”

That colored fellow said, “Yassuh,” he said, “Well, then, how come they done crucified Him?”

And he said, “Well, yes, that is a problem.”

And then went thirty more minutes trying to figure that out.

“There shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” One of the funniest things that ever happened to me happened to me as an unsaved fellow. When I think about it now, I remember it — although at the time I didn’t think anything of it. When I first went off to Kansas State College, I was going to be a radio announcer, and I majored in radio arts. And they had these Sunday school plays on Sunday afternoon, and I acted in some of those plays, and had to read a part. And I remember we had a play there Sunday afternoon, acting out a Sunday school story, and out of Acts chapter 9. And we had some farm boy there from western Kansas reading those parts. And he had to read, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” And he got all messed up. In the middle of that play, he said, “Saul, Saul, why persecus, cuss, cuse, cuse, cuse —” he had the worst trouble with that thing, and I got laughing on that broadcast. And that guy directing that program, he liked to — if he could have killed me, he would have done it, man!

“Saul, Saul, why persecuss, cas, cuse, cuse, cuse, coos —”

“And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Now those are the pricks of conscience, and that’s like a needle pricking you, like a needle sticking you. Paul always bragged about his conscience. You read the Pauline Epistles. He mentions the “defiled conscience” in Titus. He mentions the Holy Spirit bearing witness with your conscience in the Book of Romans. When he testifies before Agrippa, he said, “I serve God with a pure conscience.” He says over there in one of those places in the New Testament, he says, “Their mind, their conscience is defiled, and they have a conscience seared with a hot iron.”

Paul is a great one for conscience. And his conscience here is killing him, sticking him, bothering him. He’s thinking about Stephen. Got him bothered.

“It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Other people make it the prick of an ox goad; they make it a picture of an ox, see, he’s driven up the hill with an ox goad, which is a pointed thing like a spear, and he kicks back at it with his hooves, going up.

“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Now that’s one of the three questions in the Book of Acts. The three questions are, “Men and brethren what shall we do?” “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” “What must I do to be saved?” Those three questions are in Acts 2, Acts 9, Acts 16.

All right, the first question is an unsaved Jew. “Men and brethren, what must we do?” Acts 2. Answer: “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Second question. Unsaved Gentile, Acts 16: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

Third question, by a man who has just been saved, Acts 9: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

See, three questions and three different answers.

And Saul has just been saved. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15, and notice he dates his conversion from the moment he saw Christ. First Corinthians 15. And that knocks that Campbellite baptism in the head. First Corinthians 15:8. Paul wasn’t baptized till three days after he saw Christ. Three days. First Corinthians 15:8: “Last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” He dates his new birth from when he saw Christ, three days before he was baptized. So baptism has nothing to do with the new birth.

Acts chapter 9, verse 5: “And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Notice, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” Was he really persecuting Jesus? Who was he persecuting? Christians. Disciples. Well, the only way the Lord could say, “You’re persecuting me,” would be if those people were part of Him. So, obviously, they’re in the Body before Paul is saved.

Verse 6: “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.” Now in this place it says they heard a voice, and a little later in the Bible it says they didn’t hear the voice of the One that spoke to Paul, that’s an apparent contradiction. We might as well get it settled right now. It’s an apparent contradiction with 26:4. Or 14. 26:14. And we’ll give you a little time to look at it and see if you can work it out. It isn’t 26:14; where is it? What is it? That must be it. I gave you the wrong reference. It’s 22:9. It’s 22:9.

All right, in 22:9, it says, “”And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.” Acts 9:7 says, “Hearing a voice.”

QUESTION: Doesn’t it also say in Scripture that, when people heard the voice of God they heard a thundering, and said, “It must be a voice from God.” They didn’t hear the voice, they just took it for what it was, because of the action that took place.

ANSWER: Well, even then they thought it was a voice. Others said an angel spoke to him.

The verse itself defines it for you exactly. Notice in 9, “They heard not the voice of him that spake to me.” Verse 9:7, they heard “a voice.” They heard “a voice” but they didn’t hear the voice of the One that spoke to Paul.

Chapter 9, verse 7: “But seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man.” He was blind.

“But they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.”

9:10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?

22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

“And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias.” Now, notice there was a certain disciple, and this fellow here is obviously some kind of a convert to Judaism. Come back to Acts 22, and look at verse 12. And this is very important to notice dispensationally, because it explains why Ananias said what he said to Paul about baptism, which all the Campbellites use. Acts 22:12: “And one Ananias, a devout man —” watch it! “— according to the...” what? “...the law,” see, that’s a Jewish proselyte.

“Having a good report of all the Jews.” See that? That fellow is a believer on Christ, but he’s still obedient to the law, like the rest of them were down at Jerusalem. He’s a proselyte to Judaism and a believer. But obviously, being a proselyte to Judaism, he naturally remembers water as purification.

So he says to Paul in verse 16, “Why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins.” See that old Campbellite verse?

Now, you can’t explain that to a Campbellite dispensationally, because he doesn’t know enough Bible to know what you’re talking about. But that’s the truth of it.

QUESTION: How do you it’s talking about Judaism, because it says “a devout man”?

ANSWER: It says, “A devout man according to the law.”

QUESTION: But doesn’t “devout” make him a Jew?

ANSWER: Yeah, but he says, “Having a good report of all the Jews.” Which indicates he was not a Jew himself. Let me show you another place like it. Turn to Acts chapter 10, and, oh, Acts chapter 10, verse 22: “And of good report among all the nation of the Jews.” Now, that’s Cornelius. And he’s a Gentile.

QUESTION: Don’t they say you wash away your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord?

ANSWER: That’s the way they explain it to them. They explain it as, you get your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord; that’s the only way you can explain it to them. But doctrinally, he has purification in mind. Ananias has got purification in mind.

QUESTION: Did you say they heard a voice, but they didn’t hear “the” voice.

ANSWER: They heard a voice, but they didn’t hear the voice of the One that spoke to Paul.

QUESTION: How is it written?

ANSWER: How is it written? Well, that’s explained. How it was written.

All right, Acts chapter 9, verse 10: “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight.” And it’s called Straight because it’s the only straight street in Damascus. And it’s still there today. Damascus today, the streets there look like a suburb of Pensacola. And then there’s this one straight street running right through.

These new housing sections — boy, if they can’t get the stuff going in them, man! You try to take a shortcut, you don’t know where in the world you’re going to wind up.

“And inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth.” Now Paul has prayed. He is a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee — you know he said his prayers. That’s just the trouble; he said them. And now he’s no longer saying his prayer; he doesn’t say, “Behold, he says prayers.” It’s, “Behold, he prayeth.” I mean, this is real prayer.

“Behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.” Notice how visions are used before the New Testament is complete. The Lord appears to Paul in a vision in Acts 27, Peter in a vision in Acts chapter 10, Peter in a vision in Acts chapter 12, to Ananias in a vision in Acts chapter 9. And those visions and things that come along, they always precede a written revelation. Those visions back then that Abraham had, all that stuff up to the time of Moses. And the Lord said, “If any are a prophet, I’ll appear to a him in a vision or a dream. Moses is not so.” Whenever you have that kind of stuff, a vision and that stuff appearing, it’s right before a written revelation. And the New Testament begins in Luke with John going in to the Temple to offer incense, and there comes the angel standing at the altar. Here comes the angel to Mary. All that stuff is a prelude to a written revelation. And when that revelation is complete, then the visions stop.

All right, verse 12: “And putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.” He’s not too anxious to go down and get ahold of Saul.

“But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way.” Now watch it carefully: “For he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles.” And that’s where Stam and Baker and O’Hair stop. And you can’t stop there. Comma: “, and kings” — comma — underline it — “and the children of Israel.” Any dispensational teaching that makes Paul only the apostle to the Gentiles is a phony system. He’s commissioned to both—Gentiles first.

Now, let’s come to Romans chapter 15. That’s what is known as wrongly dividing the word of truth. All right, Romans chapter 15. In Romans chapter 15, begin at verse 8. And notice that although Jesus Christ is primarily a minister of the circumcision, His ministry doesn’t end there. There’s an overlap. When you cut the word of God so close that you make Jesus’ ministry only to earthly Israel and Paul’s ministry only to the Gentiles, you cut the word where it’s not cut. Romans 15:8: “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: —” COLON — “And that the Gentiles might glorify God.” See that? There’s a double commission. A double commission.

All right, back to Acts chapter 9, verse 15. Now, if Paul was commissioned to preach to the children of Israel as well as to the Gentiles, why did God tell him, why did God get mad at him and mess him up when he went down to Jerusalem to preach to the Jews? If he was called to preach to them, why did the Lord get mad at him and tell him he was out of the will of God in going down there to preach to them?

QUESTION: Well, he was told by the Holy Spirit he would be bound if he went up there?

ANSWER: Well, why would he want to do that, if he was told to bear His name before the children of Israel?

QUESTION: Wrong direction?

ANSWER: Yeah, that’s kind of half of it.

QUESTION: He was going to the Gentiles first.

ANSWER: Yeah, and Paul hadn’t gone to the Gentiles though first. He was going in Acts chapter 13, 14, 15 to Gentiles.

QUESTION: He went there to go preach?

ANSWER: But he wasn’t told that. He said he wanted to do that. But he went right back to Lystra and Iconium and Derbe and Berea after he preached there; he made three tours of the same place. So that couldn’t be it.

QUESTION: That they wouldn’t receive his testimony?

ANSWER: That they wouldn’t receive his testimony? Then how can he preach to the children of Israel if they don’t receive His testimony.

QUESTION: He was preaching to the dispersion.

ANSWER: That’s the answer. The answer is, when he says, “the children of Israel,” he’s talking about those in the dispersion. In plainer words, Paul’s ministry could extend to any Jews in the dispersion — Asia Minor, Rome, Europe, around there — but not in Jerusalem. And the reason why is, they wouldn’t receive his testimony. Jerusalem was still going by the old orthodox ways, and they wouldn’t take a man that was having fellowship with Gentiles.

All right, Acts chapter 9:15. Now, these “children of Israel” are the dispersion. “For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” Now, notice in that commission, that commission doesn’t just, it isn’t just “bear my name.” Verse 16 is part of a commission. Paul had a special ministry. He was called to be tortured. And that’s your example.

Turn to 2 Corinthians 11 in one hand. Get 2 Corinthians 11 in one hand. In the other hand get 1 Timothy 1. First Timothy 1 and 2 Corinthians 11. Part of the Pauline commission is to suffer. I’ll bet you never heard Baker talk about that one! I heard Ballinger on the radio for ten years; he never mentioned it. Amazing how they omit the Pauline commission. The Pauline commission is to suffer.

All right, 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 15. Watch the wording carefully: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” That’s you. Your pattern is Paul.

All right, 2 Corinthians 11. Second Corinthians 11, verse 23. Second Corinthians 11, verse 23: “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more.” What are the qualifications for the ministry, Paul? One: “labours.” Two: “stripes.” Three: “prison.” Four: “death.” Five: “whipping.” Six: “beating.” Seven: “stoned.” Eight: “shipwrecked.” That’s the qualifications for the ministry. That’s the curriculum.

Verse 23: “In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent.” When he wants to boast about his calling, he says, “I’ve been in jail more times than any of you.”

“In deaths often.” “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.” That’s 195 lashes with a whip. One hundred and ninety-five lashes with a whip. That would just about leave you nothing but a skeleton. What did that do? Scar tissue on you? I don’t know. That fellow must have looked like a walking ghoul. A hundred and ninety-five lashes with a whip! That’s getting all that scar tissue and new flesh torn open three times in a row.

“Thrice was I beaten with rods.” That’s on top of the scar tissue. “Once was I stoned.” There’s bones busted. “Thrice I suffered shipwreck.” Three shipwrecks! Like three automobile collisions. “A night and a day I have been in the deep.” The guy had been floating out in the Mediterranean twenty-four hours.

“In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ... weariness ... painfulness ... watchings ... hunger ... thirst ... fastings ... cold ... nakedness” — beside the care of the churches.

That’s the call to the ministry. Anybody feel called to preach? That’ll pull a lot of them out. You leave a lot of them on the way there.

Look at 2 Corinthians 1. Second Corinthians 1. We modern ministers have it easy. We have it easy, now. We have it easy. Now, I’ve been in a few of those things, but, boy, when I say a few, I mean few. Second Corinthians 1:4. Second Corinthians 1:4. Of course, if the Lord tarries, you know, business will pick up. Second Corinthians 1:4. Can you imagine Paul coming to a ministerial association on Monday morning? Let him come there, you know, and see all those preachers sitting around in those white shirts, you know, and handkerchiefs and tie, you know, and shoes all shined, you know. The congregation won’t have them any other way, you know. And starched shirts and pressed pants, you know, all that business. Fingernails all nice and clean, you know. Right Guard in under their arms, you know. Clorets in the breath, or, so, whatever it is, Comet cleanser.

And imagine him coming through that door, you know, blood running off him, bruise all over face, you know, a pair of handcuffs on his hands, busted loose from the jail, come there saying, “Where’d you fellows preach yesterday?”

Boy, he preached, and he got whipped.

Second Corinthians 1:4: “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us,...” Now what Christ went through, they were going through. “The sufferings of Christ abound in us.”

QUESTION: Did you mention about last year about this preacher guy named Herbie, and every time he got on the street, he’d just get up and stand up, and get all his bones broken.

ANSWER: Who was this?

QUESTION: Herbie. His name was called Herbie. Red-headed, real short crew cut.

ANSWER: I don’t know him. I don’t know him. I’ll tell you one of the fellows that really had it was a bishop in New Orleans who got saved, a Roman Catholic bishop, and he left the Catholic church, and be began to preach on the street in New Orleans. And they shot him through the jaw with a .22 rifle. And then took him to a Catholic hospital, and wired that jaw back so it healed wrong, and it would hurt his jaw every time he spoke. And that guy is still speaking today. That’s been twenty years back somewhere. Most of us have it here.

All right, 9 now, 9 verse 16: “For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul,...” That’ll knock the Campbellite out. “Brother.” He’s saved! And he’s not baptized! You wouldn’t call him “brother” if he wasn’t saved.

QUESTION: Maybe because he spoke to Jesus?

ANSWER: A Campbellite can’t think that close dispensationally. That might be a good way out, but a Campbellite would never think of it.

QUESTION: How come “Brother” is capitalized?

ANSWER: Oh, just the beginning of the quotation. “And said,” quote. See, the King James uses the capital at the beginning instead of quotation marks.

“Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.” “And immediately he spoke in an unknown tongue.” Heh heh! No, he didn’t! He had his hand laid on him, and was filled with the Holy Ghost, and did not speak with another tongue.

“And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.” He was saved three days before he was baptized; he’s a brother in Christ before he’s baptized.

“And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” Boy, don’t you know that was astir! Boy, you talk about a roar! You imagine a thing like that really happening? I mean, suppose some guy like Teddy Kennedy, you know — you know, boy, just or Bobby Kennedy or one of those guys, just some guy got on the radio or the airwaves, and said, “Folks, I just want to tell you that Jesus Christ is the virgin born Son of God and was buried and rose from the dead and He’s coming again, and I’ve been saved, born again, and washed in the blood, and blam, blam, blam, blam.”

And, just something even worse. I think of Bloody Mary. What if Bloody Mary in England had suddenly just reversed, completely around, and said, “I believe the Bible is the word of God from cover to cover, and the Roman Catholic Church is wrong; I’ll never go to a sacrament again!” Well, don’t you know they’d think she’s crazy?

QUESTION: You know Teddy Kennedy just recently was supposed to have a private audience with the Pope.”

ANSWER: He did? Recently? Well, his days are numbered.

21: “But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he.” Did you know what Carter did when he got in? First thing Carter did was take the federal government and force the Baptist church to go by his decision. You know that’s very significant, brother? That’s the first time since the days of the Puritans that the federal government has threatened to close a Baptist church if it didn’t vote the way the government voted. In a Baptist church, the majority rules. Now, Carter went down and said, “I’m just coming as one of the members.” Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! Who’s trying to kid who? He’s the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. And he brought the Justice Department with him when he came. Now, that’s — I’ll tell you, brother, no Catholic has yet brought that pressure to bear on a Baptist church in America. That’s the strongest pressure that’s ever been brought in a Baptist since the days that Roger Williams was run out of town, brother. That’s the conniving chief of the armed forces coming down to a local church with the Justice Department to enforce his political belief on the church. That’s a wild shot, man! That’s a wild one.

QUESTION: Carter was supposed to go to a Baptist church, and they hadn’t voted because they wanted to take out a black member, the pastor or something like that?

ANSWER: No, pastor’s wife. They finally voted to retain him. The vote was 66, 433 against. The church split into two-thirds. Carter is going down there for political reasons to get the colored vote. He has no religious convictions at all. Carter wants the colored vote, and he tells all the colored people who voted for him, “You see there? I’m gonna fulfill my promises. I’m gonna let you in all these white churches.”

QUESTION: What’s their stand on that?

ANSWER: They can’t take a stand; they’re the Southern Baptist Convention. That’s a convention church.

QUESTION: Did they ever have the vote that they’re going to let the niggers come in?

ANSWER: Yeah, they’re gonna let them come in. One-third against, two-thirds for. Now, what will happen is, in one year the whole congregation will be black. There isn’t going to be a white man left anywhere around there — except visitors who are coming down there, sightseers and tourists. When they come in, the Associated Press photographer will run in and take a quick picture, everybody smiling, shaking hands, consoling, and say, “See how nice it worked out?” That’s how the Associated Press sells newspapers. The biggest lying, corrupt outfit. I’ll tell you, they’d make girdles in Germany blush with shame.

Carter will set a precedent. Carter will show the federal government will back up any colored man that wants to get into a white church. He set the precedent.

There’s no excuse for a Baptist church thinking anybody would get away with it. In the first place, no pastor has to give an invitation for church membership. Why give an invitation for church membership, if there’s somebody there you see is going to tear up your church? Just don’t give an invitation. When they come down and say, “We want to join,” say, “We didn’t give an invitation this morning for church membership. We might next week; we do like we feel led.” I’d always done that, give an invitation to get saved, or called to preach. I don’t give a church membership invitation every time I get up and preach. Sometimes I won’t give one for four or five months. Just make them come every Sunday for four or five months; preach on “Cursed be Cain; a servant of servants shall he be to his master.”

{ Laughter.}

And then, if you give an invitation, and somebody comes forward, then vote. Vote. You don’t have to have a federal government ram in on you. Vote. All those in favor? All those abstaining? All those... see, vote. It’s supposed to be a democratic body, man! Not a Justice Department telling you who you can have for members.

You know where that’s going to go, don’t you? It’s going to mean the church will lose its tax-exempt status if they don’t take the membership the federal government wants them to take. That’s federal control of the churches. They get the school first, and the church next, and the family next. And the next one is, if you don’t board colored people at your house and feed ‘em, you lose your land.

All right, 21: “But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?” What happened to this fellow? Turn around backwards. You know, some of your old buddies wonder what happened to you, some of you. Did you know that? I don’t know that from knowing you personally, but I know it from my own case. I’ve been in Pensacola for twenty-nine years. I came here back in the service and got a job here as a radio announcer in 1947. How long’s that? Twenty-nine years? Well, you think those people, some of these people in this town — I mean, they’re stuck right here with it, man. You talk about a prophet not being honored in his own country. I stuck right here unsaved, and stuck right here saved, and stuck right here through the family trouble, and stuck right here when it was all over — and still here! And I have people in this town, I imagine when they go to bed at night they say, “Lord, please kill Pete Ruckman; get him out of here. We can’t breathe till he gets out!” Well, there are people in this town who don’t know what happened to me yet. They can’t figure it out. Ol’ Pete Chakiti and Leroy Morris, big ol’ fat boy, and what’s his name — who’s the fellow that takes care of Lynn and Tony in the church over there at Calvary Baptist Church — what’s his name? Lynn Erwin. What did he tell you the other day? He says it didn’t take on him, huh? He said, “He’s got something I didn’t get.” And he can’t understand that.

I go to the radio station, oh, once in a while, very rarely now. But I’ll go in there sometime where Russell Hirsh and Ed Lake still work; I used to work for them in 1947. Now, twenty-nine years have gone by, man! Twenty-nine years! Twenty-nine years! That’s a long time, you know that? Some of you ain’t that old yet! And I come flying here in that DC-7 and hit the ground, then eating up there in the air, first-class cabin, stretch out there reading my Bible, and come off and get in there, and come home, the wife’s got a good meal for me, and go down there at the radio station and look behind that glass, there’s ol Russell Hirsh and Ed Lake sitting back there, those old hands, shaking like, them cigarette butts coming off like that, hair is white, most of those fellow’s hair is white as snow. Shaking, trembling, forty-six pounds overweight. Going there, “Now here’s Brenda Lee to sing...” you know. They’re still pushing that stuff out just like twenty-nine years ago, trying to act like they’re young. Sixty and seventy years old.

I’ll tell you, when I got saved, they thought I had lost my mind, thought I was crazy. “What you doing, quittin’ a good job like this, go up there and go to school on a G.I. bill, thirty dollars a week? Wife and children, thirty dollars a week, leaving a good job down here, eighty, seventy or eighty dollars a week?” Seventy or eighty dollars a week, brother, back in 1949 was some money, man! That was some money.

I left off there and went up there, and those guys said, “Aww, yeah, you know, he’ll die, so-and-so...” Twenty-nine years. Twenty-nine years. I passed by them and smiled and waved at them; they haven’t got it figured out yet. They don’t know what happened. Ol’ Richard Keeney said to me one time, he said, “You gettin’ religion, Ruckman, you gettin’ religion.”

I said, “I am not. I got saved! I got saved!” Boy, he turned around and shot out of that record room and never came back. Never saw or heard from him again.

All right, Acts chapter 9, verse 22: “But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.” That is, this — verse 20 — this one, that one is truly the Christ — he’s very Christ. They say, “Very God of God, very man of man,” truly, honestly, really — “very.” He’s “very.” Our word is “verily.” And from “verily” comes “very.”

“That this is very Christ.”

9:23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.

30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

“And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him.” There’s a response to the message.

“But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.” Now that basket is like a clothes hamper or laundry basket. And the nearest thing you’ve ever seen to it is a big wicker hamper that you put clothes in. A fellow could get in it easy.

“And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed...” means “to attempt” ...”to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.” You couldn’t blame them. He’d been torturing them. He’d been killing them, throwing them in jail. And he comes around and says, “I’m a Christian!”

“Yeaah, hey, ha, a Christian. Yeah, a Christian!”

“But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.” That convinces them.

“And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly...” see that thing? Verse 27: “boldly.” Verse 29: “boldly.” “He spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.” He’s getting off to a flying start, isn’t he?

“Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria.” Now, it looks like they had rest because they had no rest till he left. See, the way it’s worded, it looks like as long as he’s around, they had trouble; when he left, the persecution stopped. But that isn’t what that thing is. That thing there is saying, the reason why the churches had rest in Judaea and Galilee and Samaria is because Saul was converted. He was not killing any more.

“And walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.” What time is it, brother? Time about up? OK, we’ll stop here at the paragraph mark. Verse 32. Any questions on this, the material we covered?

QUESTION: Was Paul baptized in the Holy Ghost?

ANSWER: He was definitely baptized by the Holy Spirit when he’s saved.

QUESTION: In 9:15, when the Lord said, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles,” what does that “chosen vessel” mean?

ANSWER: It’s a calling to the ministry.

QUESTION: What about the scales that came off his eyes? Does that suggest an eye disease?

ANSWER: I’ve got notes somewhere about an eye disease called ophthalmia or something, and a pus that comes in the eye and it forms a crust across the eyes, it’s an Oriental disease. And the best thing to do is get a Bible dictionary and look that thing up. I can’t make application; but those scales there are, back in the Old Testament are mentioned in connection with the devil, and has something to do with the manna, and has something to do with the Jew being blinded until he believes on Christ, then his eyes being opened.

All right, that’s all for tonight.

All right, Acts chapter 9, beginning at verse 32. Father, we ask your blessing now upon the word of God; we pray the Holy Spirit might guide and lead us into all truth. We’re thankful for this Book; we’re thankful for what it means to us, what it’s done for us; we pray it might continue to work in our lives and bring forth truth to life eternal, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

9:32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.

33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.

34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

All right, Acts chapter 9, verse 32. Acts 9:32: “And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.” Now, he’s going along the coast. And this Lydda is on the coast west of Jerusalem.

“And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.” Now, Saron is sometimes spelled “S-H-A-R-O-N” — Sharon — and that’s the, see, you’re learning your maps, you’ll remember your maps, well, this area here was Judaea, this area here was Ephraim. On up in here was Galilee; and this area was the Philistine plain, and this was Sharon, or Esralom, this plain going down in there. So Peter is going across here this way, and is working up the coast this way. And pretty soon in the next chapter he gets to a place called Caesarea, which is along the coast.

9:36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.

42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

All right, then he says in 36, “Now there was at Joppa...” that’s a seaport “...a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.” Now the Lord is recording these miracles that Simon Peter brings to pass because a little bit later, when he gives the ministry of Paul, you’ll find that Paul has one miracle that matches one that Peter does. And it shows that Paul has replaced Peter as the central character in the Book of Acts.

All right, then it says, “And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.” This is an example of a working saint, good works, works all her life, has them even after she’s dead; her works do follow her.

“But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.” All right, apostles can raise dead people. Apostolic signs; they raise the dead. There’s a case right there. If a man has the apostolic signs and wonders, professes to have them, he can raise dead people. They’re just talking dumb. If you have the apostolic signs given to you, you can raise dead people and you can walk on the water. Did Simon Peter walk on the water? All right, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever, right? OK, get out and start walking!

Isn’t that funny how Kuhlman and Oral Roberts and Osborne and Ewing never tried to walk on the water? It’s a strange thing, isn’t it? I mean, if Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, you ought to be able to do it now like you did then, see? You see how foolish that business is?

All right, verse 41: “And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.” Those are signs that follow the apostles and the apostolic ministry.

“And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.” I went through that rather hurriedly, because there’s not a great deal in there, doctrinally, although there are some good spiritual lessons in there, there are not a great deal in there doctrinally. Now, you get to chapter 10, and chapter 10 is one of the main places in the Book of Acts. Now, so far, it’s going to come in Acts 2, and Acts 7, and Acts 10. Those are the stopping-off places. And Acts 10 is a crucial place in the Book of Acts. Acts 10 is the second use of Peter’s keys to the kingdom, and Acts 10 is the second time anybody talks in tongues. They talk in tongues in Acts 2 when Simon Peter preaches; they talk in tongues in Acts 10 when Simon Peter preaches, and both times it’s Simon Peter preaching. In Acts chapter 2, his audience is all Jewish, or Jewish proselytes. And in Acts 10 his audience is all Gentile. And Acts