Act 9:17 | KingComments | STEP | After the Lord’s explanation of what will happen to Saul, Ananias goes to the house where Saul is. When he has entered, he lays his hands on him, just as the Lord indirectly told him when He told him about the vision Saul had seen ( ). The coming of Ananias confirms Saul’s faith, because Ananias can tell him what happened to him, although he has not left the city. Ananias lives in Damascus and was on Saul’s list as a candidate to be killed. Now he lays his hands on him, calls him “brother”, and thus repays evil with good. He does not lay his hands on him to consecrate him for his service, not even to give him the gift of the Spirit. He lays his hands on him to accept him as a brother and to declare himself one with him in faith. It is also a testimony that being a Christian is not a purely individual matter. Christians visit each other and need fellowship. Here two men meet who have never met before, but they are brought together by the Lord after each of them has been informed about the other by Him. A simple disciple takes care of him who will become the great apostle and lets him experience the first fellowship so characteristic of Christians. Through the hands of this simple disciple – and not of one of the apostles – Saul also regains his sight and is filled with the Holy Spirit. God is sovereign to use whom He wills. In this way, any human presumption in the calling of this special servant is prevented. Saul spends his first days as a Christian with the disciples in Damascus. By joining them, he also openly testifies that he believes what they believe. He will certainly have been cared for by them and thus have enjoyed the first benefits of the new company to which he has joined. He makes grateful use of the food they give him. In this way he regains strength, which he will use from now on to serve another Lord.

‏ Acts 9:17

Ananias With Saul

After the Lord’s explanation of what will happen to Saul, Ananias goes to the house where Saul is. When he has entered, he lays his hands on him, just as the Lord indirectly told him when He told him about the vision Saul had seen (Acts 9:12). The coming of Ananias confirms Saul’s faith, because Ananias can tell him what happened to him, although he has not left the city.

Ananias lives in Damascus and was on Saul’s list as a candidate to be killed. Now he lays his hands on him, calls him “brother”, and thus repays evil with good. He does not lay his hands on him to consecrate him for his service, not even to give him the gift of the Spirit. He lays his hands on him to accept him as a brother and to declare himself one with him in faith.

It is also a testimony that being a Christian is not a purely individual matter. Christians visit each other and need fellowship. Here two men meet who have never met before, but they are brought together by the Lord after each of them has been informed about the other by Him.

A simple disciple takes care of him who will become the great apostle and lets him experience the first fellowship so characteristic of Christians. Through the hands of this simple disciple – and not of one of the apostles – Saul also regains his sight and is filled with the Holy Spirit. God is sovereign to use whom He wills. In this way, any human presumption in the calling of this special servant is prevented.

Saul spends his first days as a Christian with the disciples in Damascus. By joining them, he also openly testifies that he believes what they believe. He will certainly have been cared for by them and thus have enjoyed the first benefits of the new company to which he has joined. He makes grateful use of the food they give him. In this way he regains strength, which he will use from now on to serve another Lord.