Ananias was a devout Jew (Acts 22:12) who was a believer in Jesus Christ. He knew what kind of reputation Saul had and that he was coming to Damascus to arrest believers. It was up to a week’s journey from Jerusalem to Damascus, but some of the Jerusalem Christians had gotten to the city first in order to warn the saints.
It is interesting to note in Acts 9 the different names used for God’s people: disciples (Acts 9:1, 10, 19, 25–26, 36, 38), those of the way (Acts 9:2), saints (Acts 9:13, 32, 41), all that call on God’s name (Acts 9:14, 21), and brethren (Acts 9:17, 30). We use the word Christian most frequently, and yet that name did not appear on the scene until later (Acts 11:26). “Disciples” is the name that is used most in the book of Acts, but you do not find it used in the Epistles. There the name “saints” is the most frequently used title for God’s people.
Ananias was available to do God’s will, but he certainly was not anxious to obey! The fact that Saul was “praying” instead of “preying” should have encouraged Ananias. “Prayer is the autograph of the Holy Ghost upon the renewed heart,” said Charles Spurgeon (Rom. 8:9, 14–16). Instead of trusting himself, Saul was now trusting the Lord and waiting for Him to show him what to do. In fact, Saul had already seen a vision of a man named Ananias (Hananiah = “the Lord is gracious”) coming to minister to him; so, how could Ananias refuse to obey?
Acts 9: is a good summary of Paul’s life and ministry. It was all of grace, for he did not choose God; it was God who chose him (1 Tim. 1:14). He was God’s vessel (2 Tim. 2:20–21), and God would work in and through him to accomplish His purposes (Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:12–13). God’s name would be glorified as His servant would take the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, kings and commoners, and as he would suffer for Christ’s sake. This is the first reference in the book of Acts to the gospel going to the Gentiles (see also Acts 22:21; 26:17).
Once convinced, Ananias lost no time going to the house of Judas and ministering to the waiting Saul. The fact that he called him “brother” must have brought joy to the heart of the blinded Pharisee. Saul not only heard Ananias’s voice, but he felt his hands (Acts 9:12, 17). By the power of God, his eyes were opened and he could see! He was also filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized, and then he ate some food.
The King James Version of Acts 22: conveys the impression that it was necessary for Saul to be baptized in order to be saved, but that was not the case. Saul washed away his sins by “calling on the Lord” (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13). Kenneth Wuest translates Acts 22:16, “Having arisen, be baptized and wash away your sins, having previously called upon His name.” In the Greek, it is not a present participle (“calling”), but an aorist participle (“having called”). His calling on the Lord preceded his baptism.
Saul tarried with the believers in Damascus and no doubt learned from them. Imagine what it would be like to disciple the great apostle Paul! He discovered that they were loving people, undeserving of the persecution he had inflicted on them, and that they knew the truth of God’s Word and only wanted to share it with others.
Before we leave this section, we should emphasize some practical lessons that all believers ought to learn.
To begin with, God can use even the most obscure saint. Were it not for the conversion of Saul, we would never have heard of Ananias, and yet Ananias had an important part to play in the ongoing work of the church. Behind many well-known servants of God are lesser-known believers who have influenced them. God keeps the books and will see to it that each servant will get a just reward. The important thing is not fame but faithfulness (1 Cor. 4:1–5).
The experience of Ananias also reminds us that we should never be afraid to obey God’s will. Ananias at first argued with the Lord and gave some good reasons why he should not visit Saul. But the Lord had everything under control, and Ananias obeyed by faith. When God commands, we must remember that He is working “at both ends of the line,” and that His perfect will is always the best.
There is a third encouragement: God’s works are always balanced. God balanced a great public miracle with a quiet meeting in the house of Judas. The bright light and the voice from heaven were dramatic events, but the visit of Ananias was somewhat ordinary. The hand of God pushed Saul from his “high horse,” but God used the hand of a man to bring Saul what he most needed. God spoke from heaven, but He also spoke through an obedient disciple who gave the message to Saul. The “ordinary” events were just as much a part of the miracle as were the extraordinary.
Finally, we must never underestimate the value of one person brought to Christ. Peter was ministering to thousands in Jerusalem, and Philip had seen a great harvest among the Samaritan people, but Ananias was sent to only one man. Yet what a man! Saul of Tarsus became Paul the apostle, and his life and ministry have influenced people and nations ever since. Even secular historians confess that Paul is one of the significant figures in world history.
On April 21, 1855, Edward Kimball led one of the young men in his Sunday school to faith in Christ. Little did he realize that Dwight L. Moody would one day become the world’s leading evangelist. The ministry of Norman B. Harrison in an obscure Bible conference was used of God to bring Theodore Epp to faith in Christ, and God used Theodore Epp to build the Back to the Bible ministry around the world. Our task is to lead men and women to Christ; God’s task is to use them for His glory; and every person is important to God.