The rendezvous (Acts 9:10-19)
Saul is still blind and fasting. God now comes to the one with whom Saul is to rendezvous—one Ananias of Damascus. Barclay calls Ananias “one of the forgotten heroes of the Christian Church.”[1] He was a devout believing Jew (Acts 22:12). The Lord speaks to him in a vision. His name means Jehovah is gracious. There was no greater display of grace than the conversion of Saul. Ananias is the man who will be the fulfillment of verse 6. Ananias’ response was immediate, “Here I am, Lord” (9:10). These words denote availability (cf. 1 Sam. 3:4, 10; Isa. 6:8). Here is a man who is a learner (disciple) of God and one who is available for His service. It has often been said that God wants our availability instead of our ability.
This vision to Ananias had three direct functions:
· To direct Ananias to Saul. “Get up and go to the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying” (9:1l). It is a vision of preparation and direction. It is very specific, giving who, where, and when to Ananias. For the first time it is revealed that Saul’s hometown was Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia (now a part of Turkey). It is referred to five times in Acts (cf. 9:30; 11:25; 21:39; 22:3). There can be no doubt that Saul was a Jew of the Diaspora. The where he is staying in the city is the house of Judas on the street named Straight. To this day the street remains. We have no knowledge of Judas. His life is lost in the halls of history, but not to God. Ananias is even told that Saul is praying. Prayer plays an important role in Acts (1:14, 24; 2:42; 3:1; 6:4, 6; 8:15; 10:2, 4, 9, 32; 12:5; 13:2-3; 14:23; 16:13, 16, 25; 20:36; 21:5; 22:17-21; 27:35; 28:8). It demonstrates the vital role it plays in the life of a believer. Prayer and power go together. Saul is given a vision that this Ananias would come to him to give him sight (9:12).
· To put his fear of Saul to rest. Ananias knew Saul by reputation (cf. 9:13-14). Notice the but of objection—“But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Thy saints at Jerusalem’” (9:13). I am sure Ananias could not believe his ears. He had heard from the saints[2] of Saul’s purpose, and it was no secret to the believers in Damascus. Now God is asking him to go to this one who is the great enemy and who has the authority to arrest and drag them back to Jerusalem for torture or even death. His fear was natural. Harrison notes that this is “a testimony to the courage of Ananias that despite the threat of persecution he did not panic and resort to flight.”[3]
Notice, however, the but of objection is answered by the but of reason—“But the Lord said to him.” (9:15). The revealing of the reason, God is answering Ananias’ fear, as well as answering his objection. He tells Ananias to “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake” (9:15-16). To boost Ananias’ courage, God reveals His purpose in choosing Saul. He was a chosen vessel by God’s grace. The words chosen instrument (okeuov eklognv / ekeuos ekloges) is a genitive of quality, which is stronger than an adjective would be;[4] thus, an instrument that is selected. This places the emphasis on God’s election. The word instrument or vessel indicates one with a special purpose or task to carry out for God. Ananias need not fear going to Saul. The inquisitor is now an instrument. He has had a change in purpose and vocation. His role has reversed, now instead of being the inquisitor, Saul will be the object of inquisition. At this event Saul’s life made a complete turn, which was immediate. Becker captures this well:
Paul knew…that with his calling everything had changed for him from now on and for all time (1Cor. 9:16; Gal. 1:16). He himself had become someone else, and with him his entire experience of reality and his interpretation of world and history.[5]
His ministry was to be among all men. He was sent to the Gentiles, becoming the Apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13; Gal. 2:2, 7-8; Eph. 3:1-10). He would testify to both Jew and Gentile kings (Felix, Festus, Herod Agrippa, and the Emperor), and to Israel (Acts 9:20; 13:5, 14:1, 26:17-20; Rom. 1:16). Suffering for His name sake will become common to this man (cf. 2 Cor. Chapters 10-12). By giving this revelation to Ananias, God is revealing the foretaste of what will be theologically and historically portrayed in the rest of Acts. The Lord apparently revealed this mission to Saul on the road approaching Damascus (cf. Acts 26:15-18). This was reaffirmed to Paul by Ananias (cf. Acts 22:14-17).
· To be the instrument of Saul’s healing and filling with the Holy Spirit (9:17). At first reluctant, Ananias came to Saul in obedience to the Word. The man of doubt becomes the man of duty. He greeted Saul as brother. He is the first to call Saul a Christian brother. It denotes he believed God that Saul was now one of His. Laying his hands on and declaring to Saul his purpose in coming to him. The Lord sent him so that Saul may have his sight regained and be filled with the Holy Spirit. His purpose was not to commission Saul, for that came directly from the Lord (Gal. 1:1), although Ananias reaffirmed it (Acts 22:14-16). This event makes clear that Saul was not dependent upon the Twelve; either in conversion or his commission (cf. Gal. 1:1). These events happened outside the land of Israel. It is an indication that Paul is the chosen one to take the message of grace to the Gentiles and preach outside the land of Israel. It “is a mirror of the worldwide focus of Saul’s ministry.”[6]
The results of the rendezvous are immediate (9:18-19). First, the effects of the Damascus experience are reversed. Saul’s sight is restored: “there fell from his eyes something like scales.” Based on recent medical reports of those who had similar conditions caused being struck by lightning, it has been suggested that this may have been scar tissue caused by being struck down by the great light on the road to Damascus.[7] While sight was restored, it may well be that this experience had lasting effects on Saul. From Gal. 4:15, 6:11, we see he reports poor eyesight, and it may have been his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7). Second, he was baptized. Bachand holds that this is not water baptism, but spiritual baptism. He says the verse should be translated, “he arose baptized,” arguing that the subject is spiritual baptism. Paul received this baptism at the time of his standing.[8] This view does not seem to hold water. This baptism was done at the instruction of Ananias (cf. Acts 22:16). No matter how Bachand tries to explain away water baptism, even in Acts 22,[9] however, the act is identified with the water baptism of Acts 2:38—for the remission of sins. This connection indicates the same type and matter of baptism. Saul was saved under the prevailing message of being baptized for the remission of sins. As Baker notes:
Baptism under the Kingdom gospel was a washing or cleansing ceremony, the same as the many baptisms of the Old Testament (Heb. 9:10). But we never read of Paul telling his Gentile converts to be baptized in order to wash away their sins, even while he was practicing baptism during the Transition period. Baptism was not a part of his commission (1 Cor. 1:17). After the Transition, Paul recognized only one baptism, that done by the Spirit (Eph. 4:5; 1 Cor. 12:13).[10]
Third, it ends his fast. Now “he took food and was strengthened” (9:19).
The theological significance of this event cannot be overstated. Included are:
· The exaltation of the earthly Jesus. The truth is dynamic and clear: The earthly Jesus is the exalted Christ. The crucified Jesus was the resurrected Christ. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the gospel. It cannot be denied. Paul experienced the Resurrected One, the vision revealed the uniqueness and deity of the One whom he doing everything to erase from human history. Now he is converted to established that person and name throughout the world.
· The reality of divine grace apart from the Law. His conversion came not by the Law, which he was serving, but in spite of it. It was an act of divine grace upon one who deserved divine judgment. His testimony becomes that God called him through His grace alone, apart from the Law (cf. Gal. 1:15). Becker remarks: “The zealot for the law becomes an apostle who, more consistently than any other, champions the cause of law-free Gentile Christianity.”[11] It is because this experience had taught him in a living and vital way that the deeds of the Law could not bring salvation, only grace could be the channel of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 2:11; 3:4-7).
· The commission to the Gentiles. The call and commission of Paul as the Apostle of the Gentiles cannot be denied in this event. Even the picture of the conversion points to that fact. On this road, Saul the Jew was struck down and blinded, to rise and be given a new vision of God’s message of grace to the Gentiles. His commission is given personally by the person of Christ (Acts 26:16-18) and confirmed by Ananias (9:15-16; 22:15). Paul now becomes the transitional figure from the gospel of the circumcision, the message and apostleship of the Twelve, to the gospel and apostleship of the uncircumcision for the Gentiles (Gal. 2:7). Paul would established this call on the basis of his distinctive “mystery” of inclusion of Jew and Gentile into one body of which Christ is the head (Eph. 2:11-3:12). This is his mission as an instrument of Christ, for it had been hid in God until revealed to him (Eph. 3:8-9). Ralston correctly observes: “The Damascus Road experience constituted the Apostle Paul’s theological center pin.”[12]
· The conversion of Saul marks the beginning of a radical change or transition in the administration of God. The nation of Israel will now be set aside temporarily, and a new administration of the mystery program will be revealed (Rom. 11:25 cf. Eph. 3:8-10). However, this change of doctrine, tradition, and practice would take time. This time is known as the transition period. It begins with Saul’s conversion and lasted until the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD when it is impossible to carry out the old traditions. It is not simply a conflict between Jews and Gentiles, but a conflict between two programs and practices. Aldrich observes that this transition was necessary because of “the ever-present natural inertia and resistance to change. It was not an easy transition from the traditions and doctrines of Judaism to the new light and glory of grace.”[13] DeWitt correctly observes that a dispensation covers “a distinctive era of salvation history created and sustained by a newly revealed phrase of the plan of God.”[14] The conversion of Paul and the revelation given to him marks a new phrase in the plan of God. It is a new dispensation based on new revelation of what Paul calls the mystery. In point of fact, Paul calls this new development a dispensation (Eph. 3:2-3). The program now changes from a “Jews only” message (Acts 11:19) to a message of “no difference” between Jew and Gentile message (Acts 15:9; Rom. 10:12). However, the gospel continued to be preached to the Jew “first” during this period. The call of repentance will continue to be to the Jews throughout this time, as it was when they preached to the Jews only (cf. Acts 3:19; 10:43; 11:18; 17:30; 26:18, 20). Even in Paul’s ministry this is evident by the fact that in every place visited the message was begun in the synagogues, to the Jew first, only when forced did he withdraw from the synagogue.
The message of grace as the message to all caused a conflict that arose instantly and is evidenced in the first epistle of Paul—Galatians. In this epistle we see it is a conflict between the circumcision and the believing uncircumcision—their message, traditions and practices (Gal. 2:1-21). It is a conflict between a law/ritual system based on the Old Testament and a free grace system based upon the new revelation given to Paul for us today. Freedom from the Mosaic Law system was at the heart of Paul’s mission from the inception of his work and ministry. This transition from one system to the other would continue in conflict through the rest of the book of Acts. The existence of a transition period is vital for a correct understanding of the book of Acts. The transitional period is marked by three turning points in the rest of Acts:
1. The Conversion of Paul (Acts 9) marking its beginning.
2. The outbreak against Paul (Acts 22:22) showing the Jews rejecting Paul’s message.
3. The final outgoing to the Gentiles (Acts 28:28) indicating the coming final judgment upon the nation (not individual Jews).
[1] Barclay, ACTS, 74.
[2] This is the first time Luke uses the word saints for believers.
[3] Harrison, ACTS, 162.
[4] Wallace, BEYOND THE BASICS, 87.
[5] Becker, Jurgen, PAUL: APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES, 72.
[6] Bock, ACTS, 362.
[7] Larkin, ACTS, 140.
[8] Bechand, RESTORING THE KINGDOM, 176-177
[9] Ibid, 177-178.
[10] Baker, ACTS, 53.
[11] Becker, 69.
[12] Ralston, The Theological Significance of Paul’s Conversion,” BIB-SAC, 214.
[13] Aldrich, Roy L., ”The Transition Problem in Acts,” BIB-SAC, July 1957, 236.
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