Spiritual Vision
Acts 9:10–19 (NKJV)
10 Now 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.” 11 So 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. 12 And 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.” 13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But 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. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 And 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.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
As recap of our previous studies: Saul was commissioned from the highest earthly authority in Israel to stomp out the flames of this newly formed sect referred to as ‘the Way.’ They were known as the Way for declaring to possess sole ownership of the Way to God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth (Jude 3). As Saul was approaching near Damascus, the brightness of Lord’s light stopped Saul’s hot pursuit dead in his tracks, and confronted him with the sin of persecuting the children of God and resisting His will. Saul was told to go into the city and wait for instruction. Saul was partially blinded by the bright glory that had shined upon him and was led into the city by the men who were traveling with him. He could not eat or drink anything for three days as his new nature was throwing up his sin and guilt (2Pet.2:22). The nature of the light and glory of Jesus Christ had changed Saul’s old nature into a new one (2Cor.5:17), but Saul needed to seek for more mercy from the Lord to receive full assurance, not being able to understand what had happened to him. Through the blindness of Saul by the Light of Christ he was enabled to be exposed to his sinful nature, as his appetite was changed to a new nature to vomit up all his previous sins in confession before the Lord in prayer (vs.11). Now he had come to see himself as the Lord sees him; and through the new found gift of the Holy Spirit, he despised himself and his sins to escape his pride. He forsook the old high priest for the Highest Priest and is now in the position to be led into ‘the Way’ of salvation.
10 Now 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.”
Verse 10 transitions the objectivity from Saul to a man named Ananias. He is described as “a certain disciple” at Damascus. The Greek verb transliterated eimi is in the imperfect tense which means that Ananias was becoming a certain disciple. The current English translations don’t do the reader any justice in describing the nature of Ananias’s discipleship. It would be better translated “Now there ‘came to be’ a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias.” The reason for this is because Ananias was not a celebrity disciple in the church; as the apostles, and other prophets, like Stephen and Philip were. He was a simple and ordinary man who was slowly becoming a well-respected leader in the Damascus church. He was also most likely being groomed for eldership in the region of Damascus because of the original implications of the verb eimi and the pronoun tis. The Greek adjectival pronoun tis is an indefinite nominative which gives further evidence that Ananias was among the ordinary disciples in Damascus; but in connection to the imperfect verb, eimi, was becoming someone openly recognized by the majority and among the apostles, as ‘eimi tis’ is used in Acts 5:36.
Ananias was not commissioned at this point by the apostles; but through the Lord Himself in a vision, which was confirmed through his reception and the same vision given to Saul (vs.12). Neither Saul nor Ananias were acting on their own authority apart from the church. Every Word from the Lord was confirmed (fulfilled) and reconcilable to the truth of what was already written. In other words it didn’t contradict the revealed will of God. The vision was not a direct object, as Saul had seen the Lord on his way to Damascus; but merely an indirect vision of the Lord during his prayers and meditations. It was not a dream, for Ananias was en horama (in vision). Luke also uses this term to differentiate between having a dream (enypnion) (Acts2:17) and a vision. The Greek noun horama in this context is in the dative case as opposed to the accusative (Mat.17:9), which means; the vision was indirectly of the Lord, while the transfiguration of Christ was a direct vision of the Lord, even as, Saul had seen him on the way to Damascus. This is important as we delve into understand what is going on in God’s providence between Saul and Ananias.
Both men are seeking the Lord’s will in Damascus. While Saul has dramatically been changed to seek and understand what had just happened to him; Ananias is seeking the Lord’s counsel how to respond to oncoming persecution. Ananias knew that Saul was on his way to destroy the church in Damascus. In verses 13 and 14 he questions the Lord about why he is to seek Saul and pray for him. Therefore in his meditations and prayers he is seeking how to prepare himself and the other disciples to respond to the oncoming persecution. Through the hard labor of meditation and prayer over the given Scriptures (God’s indirect Word) and the providences of God; the Lord calls out Ananias by name. It is important to note that this vision did not come without hard work. Ananias was putting together all the evidential providences that the Lord was working around Damascus. Word was traveling through the city that Saul was on his way to set up shop and put an end to ‘the Way.’ Ananias was seeking wisdom, not only from the Word of God, but through the daily news that was spreading around the city, regarding Saul and the messengers, that were sent ahead of him to deliver the warrants of arrest for all known disciples of the Way (Acts 9:1,2). Therefore this vision is a culmination and consummation of his meditations and prayers over the course of three days upon Saul’s arrival in Damascus. The hired soldiers who were with Saul were also most likely questioning and circulating news about the recent events of Saul’s arrival and intentions. Depending upon who their loyalty was with, is based on, the truthfulness of the news that was spread. They would have either spread news to deter the church from knowing what happened to Saul and to draw them out for capture; or they told the truth and could not make heads or tails of what to do after witnessing what happened to Saul, and continued to spread news that would circulate back to them which would lead to more information about ‘the Way.’ The hired men would have still been under Saul’s command, and until he received further information from the Lord, he would have kept them on a tight leash.
Upon this vision Ananias humbly answers the Lord with a willing heart, as he responds, “Here I am, Lord.” This testifies of Ananias’s readiness to do whatever the Lord asks. Just as the apostle John was ‘in the Spirit’ on the Lord’s Day on the island of Patmos (Rev.1:10), Ananias was ‘in vision’ to discern from the Lord what was to come of the church at Damascus as a result of the arrival of Saul. Upon word of the arrest warrants the church began to fear Saul and stories began to circulate of what Saul might do to them. Ananias who was seeking the welfare and safety of the Damascus ‘believers’ would have been collecting as much of the news concerning Saul, and his intentions, as he could to take to the Lord in prayer. It is upon those facts that he received an indirect vision from the Lord. It will be the Lord who gives Ananias the assurance to trust or disregard any particular news that may have been spun or twisted into a lie to draw him out for arrest. Surely, he needed the Lord to settle and rest a suspicious conscience that may have been created within him under the labor to seek discernment in the city.
11 So 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.
The Lord comforts Ananias by sorting out the truth for him, and commands him to seek for himself what has happened to Saul, as John MacArthur rightly points out in his commentary, that this was ‘a severe test’ for Ananias to pass and trust in the Lord for his safety. Ananias was to zeteo at the house of Judas. The verb zeteo means to seek after what has been lost and demand what is owed. Bankers often do ‘inquiries’ to search out borrowers who forfeited their loan and request payment. This is how the verb is being used here; that Ananias was to seek out Saul to present himself to the Lord for payment.
ζητέω (zēteō). vb. to seek. To seek what is lost, what is due.
This word carries two nuances that should be considered together. First, it means “to seek something that has been lost” (e.g., Matt 18:12), as seen also in the Septuagint’s use of zēteō as the most common translation of Hebrew בָּקַשׁ (bāqaš, “to seek”). Second, it also means “to demand what is due” (e.g., Luke 13:6). The word implies serious effort, and can be used of seeking information (e.g., John 16:19) and of seeking to perform an action (e.g., Luke 6:19).
Merrill, R. (2014). Seeking. D. Mangum, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, & R. Hurst (Eds.), Lexham Theological Wordbook. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Therefore whatever previous information that Ananias received, he was to seek it out further and test it. But it is important to note that the Lord gave him peace and assurance as he sends him out, for the Lord said, “Behold, he is praying.” The Lord is appealing to His own omniscience to grant Ananias the comfort he needs and to be reassured of a successful mission. Also, the Lord appeals to His own sovereign providence, for the street that he would find the house of Judas was called ‘Straight.’ I don’t personally believe that Luke chose to include the name of the street and house because it has no providential significance. I believe Luke is directing the reader to recall to remembrance ‘the Way’ to God. Therefore, both Saul and Ananias, are acting ‘in the providences of God.’ All four of the gospel writers, including Luke, record Isaiah alluding to John the Baptist being the one in the wilderness preparing the ‘straight’ ways of the Lord and who points to the Messiah who makes the crooked paths ‘straight.’
Matthew 3:3 (NKJV)
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
Mark 1:3 (NKJV)
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
Luke 3:4-5 (NKJV)
4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth;
John 1:23 (NKJV)
23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
This was providentially designed to increase, both Saul’s and Ananias’s faith and assurance, and defy the providential odds that were against them to draw them back to unbelief. The house of ‘Judas’ may have filled Ananias’s suspicions further and increased his doubt to disregard the command of the Lord. There is nothing further that is said, in my mind, about the house of Judas and who he was. Most likely since the hired solders led Saul there, it would have been a meeting point of the local Jewish authorities in Damascus; or it could have just been a commoner so that Saul could avoid explaining what happened to him just outside the city. There is not enough information to be dogmatic about the house of Judas other than its providential significance in deterring Ananias from obeying the Lord, and identifying the house with betrayal and suspicions about Saul. Just as the street called ‘Straight’ would have worked remembrance of Christ; the house of Judas would have worked remembrance of betrayal; and nevertheless, Jesus Christ can make the crooked places of betrayal to become a place that leads to the straight and narrow way to God.
Luke 13:23–30 (NKJV)
23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
The Lord also tells Ananias to seek Saul according to his Gentile heritage as opposed to his Jewish heritage, for He said, “ . . . and inquire . . . for one called Saul of Tarsus.” This was to cause Saul to be sympathetic to his future commission and to give further assurance to Ananias that Saul is ready to hear and understand in humility.
12 And 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.”
The facts that led up to this vision are, by all intents and purposes, to assure both parties that no harm is going to come to them; but because of a sinful past and a recurring remembrance of the accounts of persecution, it prevents Ananias to trust not only the facts but the vision. This spiritual perception (vision) even includes a greater comfort to Ananias with the added information that Saul is experiencing the very same vision but from a different vantage point. The Lord assures Ananias, that He is also assuring Saul, in the weakness of his blinded flesh. The Lord has done His part in humbling Saul to a position where he will receive the truth concerning the Son of God and the mission of the church, but fear still remains in the heart of the Damascus church regarding Saul. It is the responsibility of the church to fear God rather than man. The greatest application that we can take from this, is to disregard the odds that the world sets against us, and go in the power of God’s mighty strength, and in the weaknesses of our flesh, for God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2Cor.12:9), as Paul later recognizes.
