Ananias of Damascus

Seemingly everyone had heard of Saul of Tarsus—the Pharisee who had relentlessly pursued Christians, arresting them and delivering them to the Jewish religious authorities in Jerusalem.

Seeking out this man would have been unthinkable to the earliest believers, and yet that is what God commanded Ananias of Damascus to do (Acts 9:10-12). By God’s direction, Ananias and Saul were to meet.

To understand Ananias’ reluctance to contact Saul, we need to appreciate the events leading up to this pivotal moment in Church history.

The first Christian martyr

After the death of Christ, the disciples had gathered in Jerusalem “to wait for the Promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4). There were approximately 120 of them there (verse 15).

That number changed dramatically on Pentecost, when about 3,000 new believers joined that small group (Acts 2:41). This rapid growth continued (Acts 4:4) as God worked miracles through Peter and the other apostles (Acts 3:1-10).

The Christian calling is a tremendous blessing and a source of joy. At times, however, it can be challenging and even frightening, as it must have been for Ananias. The Jewish religious authorities were alarmed, undoubtedly feeling threatened because the apostles spoke in the name of Jesus, whom they had put to death (Acts 4:1-2, 16-17; 5:30, 33).

Tensions increased, finally reaching a boiling point among Jews of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Acts 6:9). These men were so incensed by the preaching of Stephen that they falsely charged him with blasphemy (verse 11).

The trial before the Sanhedrin ended in Stephen’s stoning (Acts 7:57-58).

“A great persecution”

The book of Acts notes the presence of “a young man named Saul” at the stoning. The witnesses left some of their garments with him, indicating that he had some official role in the stoning.

In the next chapter we read that “a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1). As a result of this persecution, many of the believers fled from Jerusalem, scattering “throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.”

Saul, a zealous Pharisee (Philippians 3:3-6), made it his personal mission to destroy what he perceived to be a threat to the religion of Israel. He sought out Christian believers, seizing and imprisoning them (Acts 8:3).

Saul’s zeal was so great that he was willing to travel to other cities, even foreign cities (Acts 26:11). It was on one such journey that his life and his mission drastically changed.

The road to Damascus

Traveling with letters from the high priest sanctioning his efforts to arrest Christians, Saul left Jerusalem and headed for Damascus in Syria (Acts 9:1-2). He was approaching this foreign city when he found himself confronted by a heavenly light and a voice (verses 3-4).

Consumed by a desire to defend the God of his fathers, this zealous man must have been shocked to hear this accusation: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (verse 4). His encounter with the risen Jesus Christ left Saul blind and helpless for three days (verses 8-9) as he awaited further instructions (verse 6).

It was at this pivotal time in the life of Saul that Ananias came into the picture. He, too, encountered Christ in a vision (verse 10).

Who was Ananias of Damascus?

What we know about Ananias from the Bible is limited to two chapters in the book of Acts. The story itself appears in chapter 9, which relates the conversion of Saul.

Saul, who became known as Paul (Acts 13:9), later related his encounter with Ananias in his defense before the Jews (Acts 22:12-13). Paul’s remark sums up the character and reputation of Ananias.

He was, according to the apostle, “a devout man according to the law” (verse 12). As a result, he had a stellar reputation among the Jews of Damascus.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary points out that the wording of this segment in the book of Acts (22:12-16) seems designed “to emphasize that the commission Paul received from the risen Christ was communicated by a pious Jew who spoke in distinctly Jewish terms” (Vol. 9, p. 526).

Scripture calls Ananias a disciple (Acts 9:10). He had undoubtedly been a follower of Christ for some time.

Fear, faith and obedience

The account in Acts 9 paints a picture of a dedicated servant of God who was perplexed by the job he had been given. Saul was well-known—and feared—among Christians.

That’s why Ananias responded to the vision as he did. “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name” (verses 13-14).

Saul had “made havoc of the church” (Acts 8:3). He was zealous, determined and, as a result, a source of great fear.

Once God made it clear that He had chosen Saul to preach the gospel, particularly to the gentiles (Acts 9:15-16), Ananias no longer objected. He accepted his own role in commissioning Saul (verses 17-18).

Seeing with God’s eyes

Laying aside his fear, Ananias found Saul. It would have been natural for Ananias to view Saul with some suspicion and to perform his duties efficiently so that he could leave as quickly as possible.

What we see, however, is remarkable, as revealed in the first words Ananias spoke: “Brother Saul” (verse 17). Ananias not only obeyed God, but greeted Saul with warmth, accepting him as a brother in the faith.

The only other words of Ananias recorded in this account pertain to Saul’s healing and receiving the Holy Spirit. Verse 17 is clearly a summary. Ananias and Saul undoubtedly had a lengthy conversation, ending in Saul’s baptism (verse 18).

We don’t know for sure, because the account is so brief, but it was probably Ananias who introduced Saul to the disciples living in Damascus. All we know for sure is that “Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus” (verse 19), and Ananias was probably there for much, if not all, of that time.

Three character traits of Ananias

The story of that crucial meeting between Saul and Ananias of Damascus is brief. Even with this limited information, we can glean much about the character of Ananias, suggesting why God chose him to meet with Saul. Here are three important traits.

First, as Paul described him, Ananias was “a devout man according to the law” (Acts 22:12). The zealous Pharisee persecuting the Church would have found it easier to respond to a man whose devotion to God was clear.

To be called devout according to the law meant that Ananias was not a man of compromised principles. His life exemplified complete devotion, and for that reason, fellow Jews in Damascus viewed him quite favorably.

Second, his desire to obey God is clear from the beginning. When the Lord called his name, Ananias responded with words indicating his readiness to obey: “Here I am, Lord” (Acts 9:10).

Many of the faithful have uttered similar words in response to God, including Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Jacob (Genesis 31:11) and Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4).

Third, Ananias trusted God. It must have seemed foolhardy to seek out a man notorious for persecuting God’s people, but once Ananias had voiced his concerns and received God’s response, he simply obeyed.

What this means for today’s Christians

The Christian calling is a tremendous blessing and a source of joy. At times, however, it can be challenging and even frightening, as it must have been for Ananias.

To be useful to God, we must never compromise our beliefs. We must live in such a way that our very lives testify to our devotion to God, just as Ananias had “a good testimony” (Acts 22:12) because of the way he lived.

We must also be prepared to obey God as He speaks to us through His Word, the Bible—even when doing so seems dangerous. Ananias obeyed, not knowing what would happen when he met the man making “havoc of the church” (Acts 8:3).

What many people don’t realize is that how we live our lives and whether we obey God affects our capacity for faith. When we stray from God and His Word, we diminish our relationship with Him.

On the other hand, when we commit ourselves to God wholeheartedly, we can be confident in our relationship with Him. That confidence bolsters our faith.

With a strong relationship with God, and therefore a strong faith in God, we can face our fears just as Ananias did.