Acts 9:13-22

God chooses whom He chooses.

All things are possible when the Holy Spirit arrives!

So far in Acts, Christians have been called “disciples,” “believers,” and those belonging to “the Way”. Here the word saints is used. It means those set apart by God for use in His service. Saul was not dreaming on the road to Damascus but instead had seen the resurrected Lord. 

The people in Damascus were amazed that Saul was preaching, because Saul had come to kill Christians, not defend their faith. Saul’s fame as a persecutor of Christians was well known to the Jews in Damascus. The leaders of the synagogues were probably notified of his coming and instructed by the high priest to welcome this zealous defender of Judaism. They seem to have been unnerved at first, not only by the fact that Saul had become a Christian, but by the strength of his faith and of his argument from Scripture that Jesus was indeed the promised Savior of Israel, the Messiah. So powerful was Saul’s argument from Scripture that Jesus is the Christ that the Jews plotted to kill him. They even enlisted the cooperation of the governor of Damascus under King Aretas IV of Arabia, who reigned from 9 b.c. to a.d. 40. NKJ Bible.

Ananias is concerned; the Lord is sending him to a vicious persecutor of the church. There is irony surrounding the name of Jesus in His dialog with Ananias about Saul. Ananias objects that Saul has persecuted those who call on Jesus’ name. Jesus reveals that He has chosen and transformed Saul precisely so that he will carry that name to the Gentiles—and even suffer for it. Saul now receives the empowering of the Holy Spirit for his mission to the Gentiles. This is an anointing to fulfill a specific calling and mission placed on Saul by God. 

 Saul has been radically transformed; he now uses his extensive training and zeal to build up and defend the gospel rather than to attack it. The Jews in Damascus could not argue against Saul’s powerful preaching and reasoning from the Scriptures, so they sought to kill him. Faithllife Bible.

Acts 9:13-22

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.

20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Acts 4:31

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Acts 8:3

3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

Acts 8:17

Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.