Commentary on Acts 9:8-19

By Bob Myhan

⁸Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Upon hearing Jesus’ command,”Arise and go into the city,” Saul does just that, though, having been literally “blinded by the light,” he had to be “led…by the hand.”

Being convinced for the first time in a long time that his actions were wrong, his heart has been changed for the good ethically, as well as intellectually and emotionally. And, though his heart has begun a volitional change, such has not yet been completed because he has yet to be told what he “must do.”

Under conviction, he prays and fasts while awaiting further instructions. It should be noticed that neither Jesus nor Luke has said anything that would indicate that Saul is saved at this point. He is a sinner and he is praying but no one has told him to pray. He has been told only to “go into the city.” He knows he is to soon be told what he “must do.” But it is only the voice of his conscience that is telling him to fast and pray.

¹⁰Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." ¹¹So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. ¹²And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight." ¹³Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. ¹⁶For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."

At some point during this three-day period the Lord speaks to one Ananias and instructs him to go to the home of Judas where Saul is staying. We are told nothing about Saul’s host other than is house being on Straight Street.

The Lord has given Saul a vision of a man named Ananias restoring his sight. The restoration of sight will serve as proof to Saul that the man was indeed sent by the Lord. During this period of revelation and inspiration, there was a need for divine credentials, as there was in the time of Moses, the time of Elijah and the time of Isaiah. Whenever God has a new message He sends men with miraculous powers so as to confirm the message as His.

Ananias understandably fears Saul, having heard of his reputation as the persecutor, and does not want to go near him. Jesus assures Ananias that he will be in no danger for He has chosen Saul to be the apostle to the Gentiles.

¹⁷And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

Having his fear assuaged by the reassuring words of the Lord, Ananias obeys. He calls Saul “Brother” not because they are brethren “in Christ” (they are not) but because they are brethren “in Abraham” “in the flesh.” One is not “in Christ” until baptized and Saul has not been baptized at this point. More will be said on this later.

There is a two-fold object of this visit. Saul will (1) receive his sight and (2) “be filled with the Holy Spirit,” though the text does not say that both would be immediately realized in this visit. In the vision Saul was given, only the recovering of his sight was related to the laying on of the hands of Ananias. If the filling is to be miraculous, it would not be accomplished by the laying on of non-apostolic hands. If it were non-miraculous, however, it would immediately follow his baptism. Luke never actually details this filling. Thus, the only immediate effect of the laying on of the hands of Ananias mentioned was the recovery of Saul’s sight, as designated in the vision. Luke does not state actual, literal scales “fell from his eyes,” but “something like scales.”

This miraculous restoration of Saul’s sight, which he lost when he beheld the glory of the resurrected and ascended Lord, was the only evidence Saul needed to be assured that what this man commanded him would undeniably be what he “must do.” Luke does not tell us explicitly, at this point, what Saul was commanded to do. But he later allows the apostle himself to relate it in his inspired words.

¹¹”And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. ¹²Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, ¹³came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. ¹⁴Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. ¹⁵For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'”(Acts 22:11-16)

Thus, the only thing Saul was commanded to do, by a man Jesus sent to tell him what he “must do,” was to arise (from prayer, nonetheless) and be baptized. If he was saved on the road to Damascus he was saved in his sins not from his sins, for he was still in them three days later. Furthermore, if he was saved prior to being baptized he was saved prior to calling on the name of the Lord.

¹⁹So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Saul had been fasting, as well as praying, for three days. Being forgiven of his sins, he now sees to the nourishment of which he has been depriving his body. We do not know how long he spent in Damascus but we do know it will be three years before his return to Jerusalem, mentioned by Luke just a few verses below. (Gal. 1:18)

(To be continued)

“The Whole Armor of God”

By Bob Myhan

The Christian is commanded to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Eph. 6:10). But if inspiration had ended the epistle at this point, the Christian would be “at sea without a compass” as far as knowing how to “be strong in the Lord” is concerned. But in His infinite mercy, the Holy Spirit proceeded, by the will of the Father, the direction of the Son and the pen of Paul, to give us the key to being “strong in the Lord.”

Only by putting on “the whole armor of God” will we “be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:14, ESV]. The word translated “schemes” is “methodia,” from which we get the word, “method.” According to Vine, it “denotes craft, deceit … a cunning device.” Unfortunately, the devil has many of these cunning devices with which we might “be outwitted” by him (2 Cor. 2:11, ESV).

First, he approaches indirectly by means of ministers who “are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (2 Cor. 11:13-15); even the Lord’s disciples can be so used (Matt. 16:23).

Second, he appeals through things “in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:15-17; Gen. 3:6).

Third, Satan “takes away the word out of [our] hearts” (Luke 8:12) by way of lies (John 8:44; Gen. 3:4, 5), worldly wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18-25) and the misuse of Scripture (Matt. 4:6).

Fourth, he causes us to offend or stumble (Matt. 13:20, 21) by tribulation and persecution (Matt. 13:21) and temptation (Luke 8:13).

Fifth, he chokes the word (Matt. 13:22) by means of the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches (Matt. 13:22) and pleasures of life (Luke 8:14).

Sixth, he corrupts minds “from the simplicity that is in Christ” by his “craftiness” (2 Cor. 11:3). The word “craftiness” is literally “all-working;” that is, “doing everything … hence, unscrupulous conduct” (Vine). In short, Satan will stoop to anything or stop at nothing in his efforts to outwit us. We must “armor up!”

But, in order to “armor up” we must become familiar with the armor to begin with. When a certain boy was about to face a certain Philistine giant,

“Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, ‘I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.’ So David took them off” (1 Sam. 17:38, 39).

Had David tested Saul’s armor beforehand, he would doubtless have felt more comfortable in it. And, while he was able to defeat the giant without it, he would not have been victorious without the spiritual “armor of God.”

That armor was his faith in the divine providence, as evidenced from the fact he had already

[S]aid to Saul. ‘Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.’ Moreover David said, ‘The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with you’” (1 Sam. 17:34-37).

Faith is also the key to our spiritual armor, as we shall see in future articles. &