Acts 22:11-15

 

Acts 22:11 (KJB)

And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

 

The glory of the light was so bright that it caused Paul to stop seeing and he was literally blinded so that he had to be led physically by the hand. What Paul had experienced was the Shekinah glory which God appeared in the Old Testament. If Paul was not qualified to be in the glory, he would have been consumed and died. So Paul was able to complete his journey to Damascus but not in the way he thought he would. Many times we want to do ministry and God directs our circumstances to be different than the way we anticipated. (Prov 16:9 KJV) A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

 

Acts 22:12 (KJB)

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

 

Paul then speaks about Ananias who was a devout Jew who had lived in Damascus. If you notice that Paul states that he was devout according to the law. Ananias had a good testimony among all the Jews and those would be the unsaved as well as the saved. It gives us something to think about. Do we have a good report among the unbelievers, whether it be home, family, or friends?

 

Acts 22:13 (KJB)

Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

 

Paul here summarizes what happened to him because the major details are given in chapter 9. Ananias, responding to the commands of the Lord, even calls Saul, “brother,” recognizing that he was now a saved individual and a brother in the Lord. It seems the term “brother and sister” were already in use in the Christian community. Ananias commands Paul to receive his sight and the scales came off his eyes and he was now able to see the man whom the Lord sent to him.

 

Acts 22:14 (KJB)

And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

 

Ananias then begins to explain to Saul that it was the God of their Fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who hath chosen thee. He was chosen for the purpose to know God’s will which would have been the sending forth of the Gospel to the Gentiles and the establishing of churches in many areas. It was also God’s will that he write much of the New Testament and to teach that salvation was by grace through Christ and not through the law. It was also God’s will that Saul was to see the Lord Jesus Christ, not from a distance but face to face and to hear his voice. Jesus became real to Saul that day and in a mighty way. Saul wanted to kill or bind all the Christians but the Lord turned him from being a killer into a soul winner.

 

Acts 22:15 (KJB)

For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

 

Paul then tells the crowd that he was to be a witness unto all men, which would include not only the Jews but the Gentiles wherever he was to be sent. He would give a testimony as to what he saw and heard, which means the message Paul would be giving was not his own, but the Lord’s message. (2 Cor 5:20 KJV) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. Ambassadors for a country deliver the message they were told to deliver by their government and do not make up their own messages.

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