From Persecutor to Proclaimer God's Transforming Power

John R. St John / General Adult

From Persecutor to Proclaimer: God's Transforming Power

Bible Passage: Ac 9:10–19

Summary: This passage recounts Saul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, where God uses Ananias to impart the Holy Spirit and baptize Saul. It highlights God's calling and empowerment for sharing the gospel, even from unlikely candidates.

Application: This sermon encourages Christians to step out in faith and share the gospel with even the most hardened hearts. It reminds us that God's transforming power can change anyone, igniting hope in those who feel unqualified to reach out.

Teaching: The teaching centers on the theme of divine calling and the role of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers to witness for Christ. It illustrates how God can use anyone, regardless of their past, to advance His kingdom.

How this passage  points to Christ: In the broader Biblical context, Saul's conversion serves as a pivotal reminder of Christ's redemptive mission. Jesus came to save sinners and transform lives, illustrating through Saul’s life that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace.

Big Idea: God’s power can transform the most unlikely person into a powerful witness for the gospel, and we are to respond to His call to share this good news with those around us.

Bible Study:

Acts 9:10–11 (NASB95)  Ananias’s Audacious Appointment

10     Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

11     And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,

Who was Ananias in Acts 9?

· Ananias was a disciple living in Damascus who received a divine vision instructing him to visit Saul of Tarsus[1]. He initially feared Saul because of his history persecuting believers[1], but God assured him that Saul would become “a chosen instrument” to carry God’s name before Gentiles, kings, and Israel[1].

· The Lord directed Ananias to the house of Judas on the street called Straight, where Saul was praying and had already seen a vision of Ananias laying hands on him to restore his sight. Ultimately, trusting obedience—rather than fear or hatred—motivated Ananias to obey God’s command, knowing that whatever God asked must have purpose[2].

· Upon entering the house, Ananias placed his hands on Saul and declared, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit”. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight.

· Paul later described Ananias as “a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there” (Acts 22:12–16). Later Christian tradition indicates that Ananias became bishop of Damascus and eventually died as a martyr[3], though the New Testament provides no additional details about his life beyond this pivotal encounter with Paul.

[1] John A. McLean, “Ananias of Damascus,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). [See here, here, here.] [2] Richard Kautz, A Labyrinth Year: Walking the Seasons of the Church(New York; Harrisburg; Denver: Morehouse Publishing, 2005), 78. [3] Allen C. Myers, “ANANIAS,” in The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 54.

· God calls ordinary believers to reach out in faith to those who seem beyond redemption. Ananias followed God's guidance despite his fears, showing us that God's plans often require us to step into challenging situations with trust in His wisdom. We can take comfort in knowing that even our smallest acts of obedience can have profound impacts, just as Ananias's obedience did in Saul's transformation.

Acts 9:12–13 (NASB95) Surprising Salutations

12     and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.”

13     But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem;

· Consider how God's instructions often come with surprising commissions, as seen when Ananias is called to visit Saul. Be ready for unexpected divine assignments because God’s plans extend beyond human limitations and judgments. God sees potential where we see persecution, reminding us to act with compassion and open hearts.

Acts 9:14–16 (NASB95) Perilous Purpose

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 instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;

16     for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

· God's calling often involves risk, but there is a divine purpose in every challenge. Saul's future mission was outlined to Ananias, showing that God’s transformative power not only changes individuals but launches them into missions with global impact. This sermon point could motivate believers to embrace God’s calling as part of a bigger picture.

Acts 9:17–19 (NASB95) Transformative Touch

17     So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

18     And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;

19     and he took food and was strengthened.

What happened to Saul’s sight in Acts 9?

· Saul’s eyes remained physically open, yet he could not see, a condition that persisted for three days, during which he neither ate nor drank (Acts 9:8–9). The blindness resulted from an overwhelming light from heaven that flashed around him (Acts 9:3–4) as he approached Damascus.

· The cause of this blindness remains theologically significant. Saul’s physical blindness may have resulted from the intense glory of Jesus’ appearance, served as an outward manifestation of his spiritual blindness, or functioned as Jesus’ way of humbling him[1]. The blindness may well have been a sign from God—a symbol of the darkness in which Saul had been walking, so that light returning to his eyes would coordinate with light coming to his soul[2].

· The restoration came through divine intervention. Ananias, sent by the Lord, laid hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit”. Immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight, then got up and was baptized (Acts 9:17–18).

· Beyond the literal restoration of vision, the regaining of Saul’s physical sight became significant because it personified a new way of “seeing”—a regenerated means of vision structured by a spiritual-theological awakening[3]. His blindness and recovery thus functioned as both a humbling judgment and a dramatic symbol of his complete transformation from persecutor to apostle.

[1] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016). [See here.] [2] Kenneth O. Gangel, Acts, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 5:140. [3] Hue Woodson, Existential Theology: An Introduction(Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2020). [See here.]

· Note how Ananias’s faithfulness resulted in Saul's life-changing encounter with the Holy Spirit. This passage is a powerful example of how a faithful servant’s obedience can lead to a new beginning for someone else. We are to be agents of transformation, and encourage them to see the Holy Spirit as the enabler of new beginnings in those they reach out to.

Illustrations:

· Think of John Newton, a slave trader who lived a life far from God. After a harrowing experience at sea, he encountered God's grace and became transformed. Newton eventually penned the beloved hymn 'Amazing Grace,' which tells how he was lost but now is found, blind but now can see. His life reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God's mercy, and that each of us can be used to spread His good news, regardless of our past.

· The story of the Samaritan woman at the well exemplifies God's transformative power. After her encounter with Jesus, she was filled with hope and became a powerful evangelist in her own right, sharing the good news of Christ with her entire town. Her past did not disqualify her; rather, it equipped her to testify about the living water that never runs dry. Like her, we are called to share our experiences with others, inviting them to encounter Christ.