Acts 9:22 Archives - Word of Grace Studies

Knit-together (συμβιβάζω)

Knit-together (συμβιβάζω) expresses closely connecting things together in a logical way.

When we go back to the root of this word, without the concept of close together, it is used of prisoners being put onto a ship, Acts 27:6. It is not the same as embarking, which is articulated by ἐμβαίνω as seen in Matthew 8:23. Therefore while putting the prisoners in the ship, the centurion did this in such a way as to ensure they are not mixed with anyone else, not just causing them to get onto the ship. Therefore, it predominantly relates to connecting things together in a logical manner based upon the facts.

After Saul’s encounter with the resurrected Christ on the Damascus road and his time in the desert training to understand what new thing God was doing, he returned to the city. However, this time, rather than seeking to imprison those who followed the way, he returned proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ and was confounding the Jews by knitting together the facts in the Old Testament that prove Jesus is the Messiah, Acts 9:22. Therefore, Paul was properly and logically closely connecting the revelations in the Old Testament concerning Christ to reveal that, in fact, Jesus is the Messiah.

As Paul traveled around spreading the Gospel of the Christ, the Holy Spirit forbade them from entering Asia. Arriving at Troas, Paul is given a vision in the night of a man of Macedonia. Through all of this, Paul logically closely associated what had happened and his vision in the night, concluding that the Lord wanted them to go to Macedonia and proclaim the gospel to them, Acts 16:10.

In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul asks a question concerning who has known the mind […]

To be strengthened (ἐνδυναμόω)

To be strengthened (ἐνδυναμόω) is giving a person the ability or function to do something.

Because Christ manifested Himself to Paul and corrected his path, after spending three years in the desert learning, he returns to Damascus and immediately begins preaching the Messiah is the Son of God. The Jews were astonished that Saul was proclaiming Christ because he was known to be the one who had come to Damascus with orders from the Chief Priests so that he could destroy those who called on the name of Christ. However, Paul was strengthened against their astonishment and confounded them, proving that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, and therefore God in the flesh, Acts 9:20-22. Paul did this through the evidence provided in the Old Testament.

Abraham was strengthened in his faith concerning God’s promise of a son, not counting the condition of his own body or the deadness of Sarah’s womb but was fully convinced that God would do what He said He would perform, Romans 4:19-21. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. God strengthened his faith when He rejected Ishmael and informed him that the promise of his seed would come through Sarah.

When it comes to defeating an attack from Satan, we are to be strengthened in the Lord. We are not to try and take him on by our own means or through the traditions of men. Rather, our victory over Satan is in Christ and therefore we need to be strengthened in the Lord as we go into battle against him, Ephesians 6:10. This means we are recognizing the fact that our defense against Satan is because God has taken us out of Adam and placed […]