Acts 9:15, commentary and pictures

Christ commanded Ananias to go to Saul in Damascus, because Saul praying blind at the house of Judas had been shown Ananias coming to restore his sight despite Ananias protesting his persecution and authority to bind believers. Though Saul was hunting, binding and killing believers in mistaken zeal under the chief priests, the Lord declared this persecutor His chosen vessel appointed to serve Him. His appointment was to carry Christ's name and the gospel before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel in a wide public missionary work specially given by God. With that calling he was shown he must suffer greatly for Christ's name, which he later fulfilled in trials before rulers and kings, imprisonments and travels that spread the gospel. Yet Christ would not teach him apart from the church, but placed him under its direction and sent Ananias as His representative to instruct, baptize and lay hands on him for the Holy Spirit.

Saul's Past and Encounter

The verse belongs to the account of Saul's conversion, when Saul as a Jewish leader, Pharisee and zealous defender of the faith was setting out with mistaken zeal to find, hunt, seize, bind, imprison and kill believers in Jesus under authority from the chief priests. Used by Satan, he hunted up souls to be persecuted, showing what unconverted opposition does when the converting power of God has not come to the soul. That history of self-exaltation like Lucifer's and persecution like Saul's, as when satanic agencies crucified Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, will be repeated in present and future experience by unconverted men working with all their power to oppose and persecute.

Stephen's martyrdom preceded the verse, and Stephen's faith, constancy, words, testimony and the sign of God upon him remained in Saul's memory and helped bring about his conversion. God permitted the stoning of faithful Stephen by the enemies of Christ even when it did not appear that God was strengthening His cause in the earth but looked like wicked men were triumphing. Through that very circumstance Paul was converted to the faith, and was chosen to take Stephen's place as a witness for Christ to labor and suffer for His name.

The words were Christ's imperative command spoken to Ananias in Christ's name, directing him to go to Saul in Damascus. Saul was blind, fasting and praying for three days at the house of Judas after the heavenly light, and had been shown in vision Ananias coming to lay hands on him that he might receive his sight. Ananias had protested Saul's much evil to the saints at Jerusalem and his authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Christ's name, and feared the danger, while Saul was praying.

Saul was conscientiously serving God in his own view while breathing threatenings and slaughter, binding men and women and persecuting Christians and sending them to prison and death. He did so because he wrongly believed faith in Jesus opposed God's law and sacrificial service, hailing saints before judges and seeking to wipe them from the earth as doing God service. His zeal was not according to knowledge.

Chosen Vessel and Audiences

Despite his persecution of the disciples and believers, Saul of Tarsus was declared by the Lord to be a chosen vessel and instrument appointed to serve Christ and to carry His name. His past as a persecutor did not prevent the appointment, and the commission was certain even while Ananias protested from fear of Saul's evil against the saints and authority to bind all who call on Christ's name. For that reason the command to Ananias to go to him in Damascus was imperative, because Saul had been appointed to this work. The appointment also declared that he would suffer greatly for the Lord's name.

The appointment was to bear Christ's name and the gospel and truth before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. It was a wide public mission that gave Paul his commission to enter the broad missionary field with a special and plainly appointed work for the Gentile world. He was chosen by God and not by men, and Jesus revealed Himself to stop his persecution and turn him into a messenger of the gospel. His labors at Antioch with Barnabas strengthened his conviction of this calling, and to prepare him for this extensive and difficult work God brought him into close connection with Himself and opened before him views of the beauty and glory of heaven. The commission first revealed to him was later more fully carried out through the Holy Spirit's witness and the church's setting him apart for service, turning people from darkness and Satan's power to God so they could receive forgiveness and a share in the inheritance of those made holy by faith in Christ.

He was selected to take the place of the martyred Stephen and more than fill that important place. The educated and zealous persecutor could be freed from Satan's influence and have his abilities turned to Christ's service to strengthen the disciples in their work. He who had been tearing down the church was to help build up the church he had persecuted. He was appointed to preach Christ's name and to labor and suffer for Christ, spreading the message of salvation through Christ's blood.

Conversion and New Understanding

Christ arrested Saul in his course and convicted him of sin, and the Saviour did not at once tell him the important work for which he was chosen but directed the penitent man to learn God's will through the church. He was made physically blind by Christ's glory so that he might receive spiritual sight, and during days and nights of blindness he reflected and no longer saw himself as righteous and blameless in the law but as sinful, with his thoughts, words and actions condemned by its far-reaching claims. He recognized that prejudice and unbelief had blinded him, gave up confidence in his own good works and supposed righteousness, died to sin, and in hopeless helplessness cast himself on Jesus as the only one who could pardon him, clothe him with righteousness and grant acceptance through the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. From a proud Pharisee he was changed to a humble suppliant for mercy, and after seeing his own unworthiness he received assurance of full and free forgiveness.

His understanding was opened to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, Redeemer and Son of God who vindicates His Father's law, originated and upholds the Jewish sacrificial system, and fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of Israel's Redeemer, including His first coming, suffering, death and resurrection. He came to see Jesus, whom in blindness he had counted an imposter, as indeed the Author and foundation of all the religion of God's people from Adam's day and the Finisher of the faith now clear to his enlightened vision, the vindicator of truth and fulfiller of all prophecies. He had regarded Christ as making of none effect the law of God, but he learned that Christ was the originator and foundation of the entire Jewish system of sacrifices, that in the death of Christ type met antitype, and that Christ came for the express purpose of vindicating His Father's law. He remained a child of Abraham faithfully keeping the Ten Commandments, but knew that the ceremonial rites and sacrifices had pointed forward to Christ's death and would cease now that their meaning had been fulfilled, and the Holy Spirit enabled him to explain the Scriptures clearly to that effect.

Though a blasphemer and persecutor who acted ignorantly in unbelief, he obtained abundant mercy and was counted faithful and put into the ministry. After being convicted by the law, repenting, trusting Christ, being filled with the Holy Ghost and being baptized, he forsook his former ways, joined the very people and sect he had despised and hated, and preached Jesus as the Son of God as earnestly and zealously as he once condemned Him. His changed faith rested on compelling evidence rather than impulse or fanaticism, his faculties were brought into harmony with God's purposes, and Christ became supreme and altogether lovely to him. For love of Christ he afterward suffered the same cruel treatment he had once helped others inflict, and counted suffering for Christ's name an honor.

The change from a determined enemy and most unpromising subject to a devoted minister, chief apostle and Christian shows Christ's miraculous power and mercy to transform even a persecutor. It proves that beneath hatred and contempt, even crime and degradation, a soul may be rescued by grace and made a servant of the gospel. His former hostility toward Christ's followers gave way to pity for his countrymen and gratitude that his eyes had been opened to the gospel and that he had been privileged to preach it, though he faced intense opposition and little support even from fellow believers.

Mission Through the Church

The Lord assigned Saul a wide public work yet would not tell him that work directly or give him lessons of truth and an experience independent of the newly organized church. Though Saul was brought directly into the presence of Christ as Friend of sinners with all power in heaven and on earth, Christ only arrested him in his course and convicted him of sin, and when Saul asked what he should do placed him in connection with and under direction of the church and the very disciples he had purposed to destroy to obtain knowledge of his duty. The command to go to Saul in Damascus was Christ's imperative spoken in Christ's name to Ananias, directing him to the house where Saul was blind and fasting and praying for three days after the heavenly light, because Saul had been shown in vision Ananias coming to lay hands on him that he might receive his sight. Christ so respects the means He ordained that He gives authority and sanction to His organized and acknowledged body as His representative on earth and appointed channel of light, communication and salvation, and works through its appointed agencies and ministers to teach, restore and direct the convicted sinner rather than teaching him everything apart from them.

Ananias, acting in Christ's stead as Christ's representative and like His ministers on earth by Christ's name and authority, was to go in obedience to instruct this learned teacher though still in blind error and prejudice. He was to touch his eyes that they might receive sight, lay hands on him and pray for him to receive the Holy Ghost, and baptize him, all done in Christ's name and by His authority through the church. Saul on his part had to confess to men whose destruction he had planned, become a learner of the disciples, unite with the people he had persecuted, and see that his sincere intentions while persecuting did not excuse him once the Spirit showed his wrong. Those authorized to act in Christ's stead had a responsible part in the work, and those boasting of personal independence must come into closer communion with the church which serves as a channel of light and of His blessings to the world.

The calling revealed at conversion was later more fully carried out and reaffirmed rather than replaced. It gave Paul his commission to enter the broad missionary field with a special and plainly appointed work for the Gentile world, and his labors at Antioch with Barnabas strengthened his conviction of this Gentile calling. To prepare him for this extensive and difficult work God brought him into close connection with Himself and opened before him views of the beauty and glory of heaven. The Holy Spirit's witness and the church's formal setting apart recognized the appointment first revealed by the Saviour instead of giving a new commission or qualification, and from this formal ordination Paul dated the beginning of his apostleship in the Christian church.

Suffering and Fulfillment in Ministry

The appointment carried with it the showing that suffering greatly for the Lord's name would be part of the work, and that suffering was counted an honor and borne with rejoicing. He was set apart to preach Christ's name and to suffer for it, taking Stephen's place to build up the church he had torn down and to spread salvation through Christ's blood. God guarded him from those who sought to kill him so that the mission could be fulfilled. His later imprisonment, trials before rulers, governors and kings, being taken from city to city, journey by sea, testimony about Jesus and his own conversion, preaching and miracles served that purpose by bringing the gospel to rulers, Gentiles and ships' crews, so that many believed and rejoiced in Christ.

Because the work appeared too great and too important to undertake at once, he withdrew for a time from Damascus into Arabia into comparative solitude to be alone with God. There he searched his heart, deepened his repentance, and prepared by earnest prayer and study without at first communicating with the apostles. He sought God earnestly until he knew for certain that his repentance was accepted, his great sin pardoned, and Jesus would be with him in his coming ministry, and would not give up the conflict until he had that assurance. Jesus communed with him, established him in faith, and bestowed wisdom and grace, while his eyes blinded by the heavenly light remained as bodily marks of Christ's glory and constant assurance of sustaining grace.

A later vision in the Jerusalem temple confirmed the commission to leave Jerusalem and be sent far to the Gentiles because the people there would not accept his testimony about Jesus. He had thought his former persecution and changed life would persuade the Jews, but the Lord directed otherwise. When the brethren learned of the vision and saw God's care over him they recognized he was indeed a chosen vessel to bear the truth to the Gentiles. Their anxiety for him increased for fear the Jews would assassinate him, and they hastened his secret escape from Jerusalem. His conversion, temple vision and success among the Gentiles prepared him to recognize and carry out the duty to preach Christ to the Gentiles.

The call began a new era in the gospel's progress after Jewish leaders rejected the gospel and Stephen was martyred, so salvation was no longer confined to the chosen people. He was given a ministry of making known the mystery kept secret since the world began, turning people from darkness and Satan's power to God for forgiveness and inheritance among those made holy by faith. His commission made him responsible to work for people of every class and background, Jews and Gentiles, learned and unlearned, high and low, with love for the Lord he had persecuted as the chief concern of life. He fulfilled it with steadfast singleness to win souls by relating his conversion, sound exposition worked out in life, working with his hands for a living, traveling from place to place, establishing churches and writing letters, so that through his word thousands were brought to gospel light and neither Jewish nor Gentile opposition turned him aside.

Pattern for Believers Today

The same mercy shown to Saul reaches others who are buried in error yet honest at heart, for even a persecutor's heart can be reached by divine impressions and transformed rather than condemned. Christians in every church who do not know the truth and in error worship an idol sabbath, yet live up to the best light they have, can have Jesus reveal Himself to them and be saved. Though Saul was conscientiously serving God in his own mind while breathing threatenings and slaughter, binding men and women and sending them to prison and death, a blasphemer acting ignorantly in unbelief obtained abundant mercy, was counted faithful and put into the ministry, then filled with the Holy Ghost, baptized, and set to preach Christ as the Son of God with great suffering appointed for His name. Christ revealed Himself to Saul, made him physically blind by His glory that he might receive spiritual sight, and during days and nights of blindness Saul reflected, no longer saw himself righteous and blameless in the law but sinful with thoughts, words and actions condemned, felt bitter remorse for his zeal in persecuting God's people, struggled hard to give up supposed righteousness and trust the One he had despised, and in hopeless helplessness cast himself on Jesus alone for pardon and righteousness as the far-reaching claims of the law took hold. From a proud Pharisee ready to blaspheme he became a humble suppliant whose tongue grew eloquent in praise of Him who brought him into light, and the same softening power, repentance and open confession is needed today to be saved, exchanging popularity, honor and preferment for service with trials and humiliation even to martyrdom.

Paul's change from zealous service to tradition to a life given to Jesus is the pattern for later reformers. Farel's conversion is compared with Paul's, showing how accepting the truth turns a persecuting, violent heart into a meek one devoted to Christ and brings a convert from religious tradition into the liberty of the sons of God. Like Saul, Martin Luther was called when buried in error to be a chosen vessel for truth, to raise his voice against the sins of those professing to serve God, to stand against a fallen church and its opposition and to strengthen the faithful.

To be God's chosen vessel now is to be honored as a depositary of His truth and sacred light for these last times, selected as His agent to carry His name, diffuse its light to those in darkness, and carry and send forth the last message of mercy to perishing souls, a perishing world, and all nations. The image applies to workers great and small, for each may bring the water of life to thirsty souls in the work he can do in his own sphere, without being forced into one channel or prevented from working. God's chosen vessels of salvation are His sincere, pious followers even when poor and ignorant, scorned and neglected by the world and scarcely known to it, yet beloved of God and acknowledged as His peculiar people, whose steadfast piety and unwavering faith shine as the light of a true Christian, prove the power of a living Saviour, and reveal Christ in them as a well of water springing up into everlasting life whose influence, though esteemed of little worth, will be felt through time and rightly revealed in the day of reward. A chosen vessel is precious and beloved of God, able to do good in His cause, and is to be left free from shackles to devote himself fully to the work. This includes young men called to the harvest field and examples like Josiah, grafted from a wild olive into a good olive despite a wicked background.

Continuing as such a vessel and being fit for the Master's use and qualified to open Scripture so many are saved requires thorough conversion like Paul's, with humility, teachableness and prayer rather than wealth, education or spiritual advantage. It requires decided wholeness and consecration of heart, mind and being, with the strong will submerged in God's will and self hid in Christ, through self-examination, subduing self-will and submitting thought, word and action to Christ, having Jesus in the work with His Spirit controlling actions as rule and law of life guided by the Word rather than impulses. It requires seeking teaching from God through the Holy Spirit, prayer and diligent study of Scripture, hiding in God and clinging to Jesus, letting melting love, pity and tenderness dwell in the heart, being ready to be counseled by experienced brethren, going forth not in one's own name but in the might of God, enduring hardness as a good soldier ever looking to the Captain, keeping the heart fixed on the Author and Finisher of faith and the hand in Christ's hand, with living abiding faith cultivated by a sense of Christ's presence and strength received in prayer, speaking intelligently from experience and personal knowledge. Then God makes the calling evident and gives words and strength to speak to the people, leaves workers free from shackles instead of forcing all into one channel or making them machines grinding out dictated subjects, and makes them a power for good to reach hearts, lead others to glorify God and advance Christ's kingdom, so that no piled-up obstacles make the work seem impossible. But self, unbelief, and interposing one's own spirit hinder the work, leave souls to perish and give Satan triumph.