From the text we readily discern his spiritual harmony. Ananias was receptive and obedient he doubtless had received this sort of guidance many times. Yet we are told in this text that the Lord appeared to Ananias and talked to him, just as He had appeared and talked to Paul, and there was apparently no difference in the real character of the incidents, except such be found in the mental attitude of the participants. The Lord's appearing to Paul and the conversion of the latter are considered one of the great miracles of the Bible, but the experience of Ananias is seldom referred to. And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight and he arose and was baptized and he took food and was strengthened. And Ananias departed, and entered into the house and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake. But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he did to thy saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name. The Lord said to Ananias in a vision:Īrise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth and he hath seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight. He needed the harmonious, peace-giving power of one who understood the inner life, and this was found in a certain disciple named Ananias.
The brightness, or high potency, of Jesus' glorified presence had confused his intellectual consciousness, and this had brought about blindness. Those who look to the Holy Spirit for guidance find that its instruction is given to all who believe in Christ, and they are often drawn together by direction of the inner voice, or by a dream, or by a vision. And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink. And Saul arose from the earth and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing and they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but beholding no man. Jesus appeared to him in person and rebuked him for his persecution of the Christians, and told him that He had a work for him to do, and gave him explicit directions about his future movements.Īnd as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven: and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: but rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. In fact, a large part of the work of the early church was carried forward by this means. So we find that the simple and universally intelligible avenue of visions and dreams was adopted as an important means by which the believers were instructed and called together. It is possible to impart Truth through direct inspiration, but this requires a student with a development of mind superior to the average, and Jesus sought converts in every walk of life. He did not say how Spirit would guide and teach those who believed in Him we gain this conclusion from their experiences in the new school of life to which He introduced them. Jesus promised that the Spirit of truth would, in His name, come as teacher, guide, and instructor. It is true that the twelve disciples had His personal instruction, but it was apparently preparatory only the thorough training was to follow. There has been much speculation about the method that Jesus used to impart spiritual understanding to His disciples and other early Christians who were wonderfully illumined.
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