Ananias of Damascus

Biblical Account

Ananias first appears in Acts 9:10-19. He was a "disciple" living in Damascus. The Lord appeared to him in a vision and told him to go to the house of Judas on "the street which is called Straight" and to seek Saul of Tarsus, who was praying there. Ananias hesitated, because he had heard reports that Saul had done much harm to the saints in Jerusalem and had come with authority from the chief priests. The Lord answered, "he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15).

Ananias went to the house, laid his hands on Saul, and addressed him as "Brother Saul." He told Saul that the Lord Jesus had sent him so that Saul might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he received his sight. Saul was baptized, and after taking food he regained his strength.

In Acts 22:12-16, Paul recounts this event before a crowd in Jerusalem. There Ananias is described as "a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there." In this account Ananias tells Paul that he will be a witness to all men and urges him, "arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Significance Within Scripture

In the narrative of Paul's conversion, Ananias conveys the Lord's call to Saul and welcomes the former persecutor into the community of the church. He was not an apostle but an ordinary disciple. The text emphasizes that it was through him that Paul's sight was restored, that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, and that he received baptism.

He should be distinguished from others of the same name. The Ananias of Acts 5 and the high priest Ananias who appears in Acts 23 and 24 are different individuals.

Interpretation and Debate

• Baptism and the washing away of sins: Interpretations differ regarding the words "be baptized, and wash away thy sins" in Acts 22:16. The Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the Lutheran churches, and others tend to read the verse as evidence that the grace of forgiveness is actually conferred through baptism. Many Protestant churches, including Presbyterians and Baptists, understand it to mean that baptism is an outward sign of the forgiveness already received through faith.
• Laying on of hands by a layperson: The fact that a disciple who held no church office performed the laying on of hands is frequently cited in discussions of the nature of the practice. The questions raised are whether this was a laying on of hands for healing and for the filling of the Spirit, and how it differs from the laying on of hands in ordination, which confers an office.
• Traditions outside the text: The text does not explicitly state who baptized Saul. Ananias is commonly understood to have done so, but this is not directly recorded. Accounts that he was one of the Seventy disciples of Jesus, or that he became bishop of Damascus and died a martyr, come from later church tradition and are not found in Scripture. In the Old City of Damascus there is a chapel traditionally held to stand on the site of his house.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, Ananias is often presented as an example of someone who obeyed the Word despite his fear. The scene in which he calls Saul, a former persecutor, "brother" is used as a text on welcoming new believers and on forgiveness and reconciliation. As an unsung helper who played a part in raising up Paul, he is sometimes mentioned alongside Barnabas, and his example is also used to illustrate ministries of discipleship and pastoral care.