Act 9:13-14, 17 | JFB | e4.org | 13. Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, &c.—"The objections of Ananias, and the removal of them by the Lord, display in a very touching manner the childlike relation of the believing soul to its Redeemer. The Saviour speaks with Ananias as a man does with his friend" [OLSHAUSEN ]. how much evil he hath done to thy saints —" Thy saints," says Ananias to Christ; therefore Christ is God [BENGEL ]. So, in , Ananias describes the disciples as "those that called on Christ's name." See on ; and compare .

‏ Acts 9:13-14

13. Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, &c.—"The objections of Ananias, and the removal of them by the Lord, display in a very touching manner the childlike relation of the believing soul to its Redeemer. The Saviour speaks with Ananias as a man does with his friend" [OLSHAUSEN].

how much evil he hath done to thy saints—"Thy saints," says Ananias to Christ; therefore Christ is God [BENGEL]. So, in Ac 9:14, Ananias describes the disciples as "those that called on Christ's name." See on Ac 7:59, 60; and compare 1Co 1:2.

14. here he hath authority, &c.—so that the terror not only of the great persecutor's name, but of this commission to Damascus, had travelled before him from the capital to the doomed spot.

‏ Acts 9:17

17-19. Ananias went his way, and putting his hands on him, said, Brother Saul—How beautifully childlike is the obedience of Ananias to "the heavenly vision!"

the Lord, even Jesus—This clearly shows in what sense the term "Lord" is used in this book. It is JESUS that is meant, as almost invariably in the Epistles also.

who appeared unto thee in the way—This knowledge by an inhabitant of Damascus of what had happened to Saul before entering it, would show him at once that this was the man whom Jesus had already prepared him to expect.

and be filled with the Holy Ghost—which Ananias probably, without any express instructions on that subject, took it for granted would descend upon him; and not necessarily after his baptism [BAUMGARTEN, WEBSTER and WILKINSON]—for Cornelius and his company received it before theirs (Ac 10:44-48) —but perhaps immediately after the recovery of his sight by the laying on of Ananias' hands.