Acts 9:18, commentary and pictures

Immediately after Ananias laid hands on him in the name of Jesus, what looked like scales fell from Saul's eyes, his sight was restored, and he arose and was baptized in Damascus. The blindness had come from the glory of Christ's revelation on the way to Damascus to arrest him while he thought persecuting the disciples was doing God service, and after three days blind without food he was healed in answer to Ananias' prayer. The falling of the scales was God opening his eyes to spiritual truth, so that in the light of the law he saw himself a sinner and turned from proud trust in works to cast himself on Jesus for pardon and righteousness. Jesus deliberately did not heal him directly or teach him apart from the church, but worked through Ananias and the very disciples Saul had sought to destroy, that repentant sinners should learn God's will and be baptized into the organized church. Thus restored and filled with the Holy Ghost, he was made a chosen vessel to bear Christ's name before Gentiles and kings and Israel, and at once began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

Healing and Baptism Described

Immediately after Ananias laid hands on him in the name of Jesus, what looked like scales fell from Saul's eyes, his sight was restored forthwith, and he arose and was baptized. The restoration came at once when Ananias came to him as Jesus had directed, and with the regaining of sight he received the Holy Ghost. Ananias came as the agent sent by Jesus, called him Brother Saul, and declared that Jesus who had appeared to him on the way had sent him that he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Laying hands on him and praying in Christ's name as he ministered, in Christ's stead and by His name and authority, Ananias touched his eyes that they might receive sight.

For three days after Jesus stopped him on the way to Damascus he had been totally blind without eating or drinking, fasting and praying in uncertainty and darkness of mind. He lay at the house of Judas in Damascus on the street called Straight, humbled to the dust in penitence and distress, crying earnestly to God about what was required of him. There he had been shown in vision Ananias coming in and putting hands on him that he might receive his sight, while Ananias was directed by the Lord in vision to go to that street despite fear of Saul's persecution, and came in obedience. After his healing Saul took food and was strengthened and stayed with the disciples.

The blindness that took his sight was caused by the heavenly glory and light of Christ's own revelation. It was given to arrest him in his persecuting career while he thought he was doing God service, convicting him that in opposing Jesus of Nazareth he had arrayed himself against the Redeemer of the world, that he might receive spiritual sight. His baptism was performed by Ananias in Damascus, in the river of Damascus. His recovery of sight came in answer to Ananias's prayers, and his baptism followed his conversion and connection with the church.

Christ Working Through Church

Jesus could have given back sight with His own hand and taught the blinded persecutor directly, yet He deliberately withheld direct healing and independent instruction and experience, choosing instead to work through the very disciples Saul had hunted and meant to destroy. His plan is that blessing comes through agencies He has ordained, so Saul was restored, instructed, and received through Ananias as the agent sent by Jesus. Though Christ Himself arrested Saul on his course, convicted him, and chose him as a chosen vessel for a most important work, He did not personally impart the lessons of truth but placed him in connection with His organized and acknowledged church and left its ministers to direct him what to do.

Saul himself had something to do in taking the necessary steps of conversion. He was to confess to those whose destruction he had meditated, to join himself to the people he had persecuted, to learn his duty and the Christian religion from them, and to be baptized into the organized church through which Christ's blessings flow. Christ thereby connected man to Himself through ordained channels and required union with the people of God rather than a solitary experience apart from them.

The church with its appointed ministers is the ordained channel of light, communication, and blessing by which Christ enlightens sinners and the world, guides repentant sinners in the way of life, and directs them to learn God's will and their duty. Christ respects the means He has ordained for the enlightenment and salvation of men, identifies Himself with the office and authority of His organized church, and does not sanction religious light and experience independent of His recognized followers on earth. Saul was therefore sent to Christ's disciples for instruction and brought into connection with the church to be taught, showing that restoration takes place through Christ's appointed church and its ministers.

In Christ's stead and by His name and authority Ananias touched Saul's eyes that they might receive sight, laid hands upon him and prayed as he ministered, calling him Brother Saul and declaring that Jesus who had appeared on the way had sent him that he might receive sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Praying in Christ's name, Saul received the Holy Ghost and his sight returned with the falling of what looked like scales, followed immediately by baptism. All was done in the name and by the authority of Christ, proving that Jesus works through His organized and acknowledged church as His channel of light and communication and through ministers appointed to act in His stead.

Conviction Repentance and Faith

The falling of the scales was the touching of his spiritual vision by God and the opening of his eyes to spiritual truth. In the light of the far-reaching law reaching to the thoughts and emotions of the heart he no longer saw himself as righteous but as sinful, condemned in thought and word and action. By the light of the moral law he had thought himself to be zealously keeping, he saw himself a sinner, even a sinner of sinners. With eyes anointed by the grace of God he saw the mistakes of his life and his supposed goodness swept away. He was changed from a proud Pharisee trusting in good works and supposed righteousness to a humble suppliant who, hopeless and helpless with abhorrence of himself and bitter remorse, cast himself on Jesus as the only one who could pardon him and clothe him with righteousness and mercy, yielding to the convictions of the Spirit.

With enlightened vision he learned from the disciples that Jesus whom in ignorance and blindness he had counted an impostor making of none effect the law of God is indeed the Author and foundation of all the religion of God's chosen people from Adam's day and the Finisher of the faith. He saw Christ as the vindicator of the truth and the fulfiller of all prophecies about Israel's Redeemer. He learned that Christ is the originator and foundation of the entire Jewish system of sacrifices, who came into the world for the express purpose of vindicating His Father's law. In the death of Christ type met antitype, and the sacrificial system reached its appointed fulfillment at the cross. He continued to keep the Ten Commandments, but knew that the sacrificial ceremonies had pointed forward to Christ's death and would cease now that their meaning had been fulfilled.

His conscientiousness in persecuting the saints did not leave him guiltless once the Spirit of God impressed his cruel work upon him. He repented, that is died to sin and to self, became obedient to the claims of God's law, exercised faith in Jesus Christ as his Saviour, was baptized, and preached Jesus as earnestly and zealously as he had once condemned and denounced Him. Strict religious zeal does not make a man a Christian, for Paul was very strict in his religion but was not a Christian until Christ revealed Himself and spoke with him. He became a Christian only when Christ showed him that in persecuting the saints he was persecuting his Master Himself.

His conversion made him join himself to Christ and become one of the sect he had despised and hated, and for love of Christ he suffered the same cruel treatment he had once helped inflict on others. His baptism was real because self died. Many are baptized but are buried alive because self did not die, so they do not rise to newness of life in Christ, do not experience the new birth, and do not reveal the virtues that are the fruits of the Spirit, which proves that joining the church and profession of the Christian name is not proof of joining Christ and is valueless without Christ brought into the life and character to turn a carnal mind at enmity with God into a mind subject to God's holy law. After Christ revealed Himself to him the scales fell, his sight returned, he arose and was baptized, and Christ became supreme and altogether lovely to him.

His recovery marked his miraculous conversion, which convinced many that Jesus was the Son of God. It demonstrates Christ's miraculous power and the Holy Spirit's miraculous power to convict the human mind and heart of sin. It transformed a blasphemer, persecutor, and injurious man and zealous persecutor into a sincere penitent and fervent believer, called to be an apostle by God's will. It brought abundant mercy, grace, forgiveness, and divine grace transforming the heart, and the whole chapter stands as a lesson to all to wake up and receive that converting power, because unconverted men will be used by Satan as Saul was, doing the work of satanic agencies who crucified Christ.

Paul's Calling and Preaching

He was made a chosen vessel to bear Christ's name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel though suffering for it, won to faith in Christ and commissioned to carry the gospel to the Gentiles, and called to be an apostle by God's will. The change was from a blasphemer and persecutor and injurious man in ignorance and unbelief to one healed, forgiven, filled with the Spirit, baptized, and wholly devoted to the Crucified One, taking up Stephen's work and strengthening the disciples. His conversion together with his temple vision and the success of his work among the Gentiles helped make clear his call to turn to them, and his life henceforth had one great purpose to be faithful, to serve and honor Him whose name had once filled him with contempt, and to win souls, which Jew and Gentile opposition could not turn aside.

After being strengthened with food he immediately began preaching Jesus to the very believers he had set out from Jerusalem to destroy and teaching in the synagogues that Jesus who had been put to death is indeed the Son of God. He used arguments from prophecy so conclusive and so attended by the power of God that the opposing Jews were confounded and unable to answer him. After repenting, believing in Jesus, and receiving his sight, he arose and was baptized and became a preacher of Jesus, and his changed life and testimony convinced many that Jesus was the Son of God.

His former rabbinical and Pharisaic education was put to good use for the gospel he had once tried to destroy. His change of faith rested on overwhelming compelling evidence and not on impulse or fanaticism. His eyes had been opened to see the glorious truths of the gospel he had once despised, and his heart opened to feel their power, so that the former persecutor gratefully preached the doctrine he had once despised and rejoiced in the change while remembering how he had persecuted Christ's disciples.

His miraculous conversion showed the power of God, and his changed life and testimony about Jesus were evidence of it that convinced many that Jesus was the Son of God. Afterward he related the way he had been converted in the power of the Spirit with words so impressive that only those filled with the bitterest hatred against the Christian religion could withstand them. His conversion became a testimony about Jesus before kings and governors that helped lead many to believe, though the people he preached to in Jerusalem would not accept his testimony.

Stephen's faith, steadfastness, constancy, and glorification at his martyrdom remained in Saul's memory and helped bring about his conversion. God used that suffering of the true and faithful Stephen stoned by the enemies of Christ to convert Paul, so that through his word thousands were brought to the light of the gospel. He recovered his sight in answer to the prayers of Ananias after Jesus had personally appeared to him and talked with him on the way to Damascus. Barnabas heard his testimony of this miraculous appearing and of his maintaining in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God, and repeated it to Peter and James, the only apostles then in Jerusalem, who on that testimony gave the once fierce persecutor the right hand of fellowship, receiving him as beloved and respected instead of feared and avoided.

He was given a view of the Saviour and of his own unworthiness, humbled, assured of full and free forgiveness, and arose a changed man wholly devoted to the Crucified One. His conversion gave him enduring assurance and personal knowledge of Jesus that shaped his later ministry and encouraged him as he worked for Christ, to be traced out through his later life together with the studied life of Jesus Christ and the shame of Christ crucified as a criminal, glorying only in the cross by which the world is crucified to him and he to the world. Though his heart while still a persecutor had been open to divine impressions, after his conversion he understood the work he had done in persecuting the church and when he visited Jerusalem memories of it filled him with remorse.

Scales Falling for Others

The falling of scales pictures souls who are beginning to understand truth and lose prejudice yet still see only indistinctly, as people seen like trees walking, and such partial sight calls for patient, loving instruction that does not stir prejudice and shut hearts against further light. It is God's work of mercy removing spiritual blindness when people humble themselves and his grace illuminates their darkness, so that they see their true condition and spiritual poverty, that the heart is not reconciled to God and his will is not done in them, and recognize their need for faith, love, a pure and spotless character, and clear discernment of spiritual things. The same falling of scales means release from blinding by the enemy, so that a person views a case very differently than for years before, clings to faith instead of painful conscientious distrust of self, and comes into harmony in views and feelings with others while trusting God as helper and strength. It also means spiritual blindness removed so a person sees a wrong course of the past few months, confesses it and turns from it, which is cause to praise God, as seen in Uriah Smith's recognition after confession.

At the judgment the image shows sinners who refused to see Christ at last seeing their guilt, the opportunities they rejected, what they might have become by receiving him, and God's law exalted with the recognition that God himself honors it. Saul's bitter prejudice was no greater than the bitter prejudice still met in hard cases, and God can work mightily for such people and break down strong iron walls of prejudice. That mighty work comes when his servant is humble and teachable and molded by his Spirit, hidden in God with softened spirit, filled with melting love and pity and tenderness, clinging to Jesus Christ, ready to be counseled by more experienced brethren, not getting in the way, not easily discouraged by difficulties or fiercest opposition, but going forth in the might and power of Israel's God and enduring hardness as a good soldier of the cross.

Even beneath hatred and contempt a determined enemy of the gospel may be ready to receive heaven's truth and be rescued by grace, as Saul's blindness fell away and he arose and was baptized and became a devoted minister. Farel's turning from bondage of religious tradition and violent zeal against opponents to the liberty of God's children with heart given to Jesus Christ follows the same pattern of Paul receiving sight and baptism. So Christians in every church who do not know truth but live up to the best light they have, even while living in error worshipping an idol sabbath as conscientiously as Paul served while sending men and women to prison and death, can have Jesus reveal himself to them, obtain abundant mercy and grace, be healed, forgiven, filled with the Spirit, baptized, made a chosen vessel to bear his name before Gentiles and kings and Israel though suffering for it, and be saved by methods that do not pile condemnation on them.

The whole chapter is a lesson to all to wake up and receive converting power, because unconverted men of great experience will be used by Satan as Saul was in hunting souls to persecute them, doing the work of satanic agencies who crucified Christ, repeating the history of Lucifer exalting himself instead of exalting God and Christ. Strict religious zeal does not make a man a Christian, for Paul was very strict yet was not a Christian until Christ revealed himself and showed him that persecuting the saints was persecuting his Master, and then he was converted, joined himself to Christ and to the sect he had despised and hated, and for love of Christ suffered the same cruel treatment he had once helped inflict. His baptism was real because self died, whereas many are baptized but buried alive because self did not die, so they do not rise to newness of life, do not experience the new birth, do not reveal the virtues that are the fruits of the Spirit, which proves joining the church is not proof of joining Christ. Paul's thorough conversion is the example of what ministers need before they are fitted for God's work. The mercy that changed persecuting Saul into a chief apostle cleanses from all sin by Christ's blood, so a naked helpless sinner can cast himself upon it and stand complete in him with grace sufficient for joyful endurance of tribulation, the same mercy that saved the thief on the cross, received denying Peter, and honored Mary Magdalene as first witness of the resurrection.