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Introduction
• His day was much like any other: chores to be done, business to be conducted… But then, a heavenly vision disrupted his plans and life. Jesus, the ascended Savior, told him to go to his most feared enemy, Saul of Tarsus, and lay his hands on Saul to heal him. He overcame his fear and hesitancy and launched the ministry of the most prolific writer and evangelist in the New Testament: the Apostle Paul.
• I’m Brent, and this is episode 51 of The Bible Unplugged. In this episode we take a close look at Ananias of Damascus and the lessons his story has for us about fear, bias, and the courage it takes to obey God.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com under the Podcast tab.
Who Was Ananias?
• There are actually three men in the New Testament named Ananias.
• In Acts 4–5, Ananias and his wife Sapphira lied about the money they gave to the church and died for their deception.
• In Acts 23, Ananias the high priest was known for being corrupt and cruel, and was eventually assassinated by his own people.
• And then there’s our Ananias in Acts 9—a disciple in Damascus described simply as “a certain disciple.”
• His Hebrew name, Chananiah, means “God has given.” That’s fitting, because his role was to give healing, forgiveness, and a new beginning to the man who would later be known as Paul.
• Ananias’ role in the spread of the gospel throughout the known world was pivotal, but as the events unfolded, he had no idea how far his actions would go.
The Story of Ananias and Paul
• The lead in to the story of Ananias begins back in chapter 7. Luke, who wrote the Book of Acts, uses literary foreshadowing by mentioning Saul of Tarsus as a young man who guarded the garments of those who stoned Stephen.
• At the beginning of chapter 8, Saul viciously attacked believers in their own homes and dragged them to prison. Saul’s reputation spread throughout the fledgling community of believers in Christ.
• In chapter 9, Saul was on the road to Damascus to arrest followers of Jesus when the risen Christ appeared to him in blinding light. Jesus said to him, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Jesus viewed the attacks on His followers as an attack on Him. For the next three days Saul was blind, and spent his time praying and fasting.
• Meanwhile, in Damascus, during what seemed like an ordinary day to Ananias, Jesus appeared in a vision. Unlike Saul, who asked “Who are you?” when confronted by Jesus, Ananias recognized him immediately saying, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.”
• Jesus told Ananias to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street, where Saul was praying. Saul had already seen a vision of Ananias coming to heal him.
• But Ananias hesitated. “Lord, I have heard about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints.” He argued with Jesus. Can you blame him? Saul was a very dangerous man.
• Yet Jesus answered, “Go, for he is my chosen instrument to carry my name before nations, kings, and the children of Israel.”
• So, he obeyed. Ananias went to Saul, placed his hands on him, and spoke words of compassion: “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes. He could see again, was baptized, and began his new life as Paul, going by his Greek name.
• And then—the story of Ananias ends. We never hear about him again. But in that one moment, he played a critical role in God’s plan.
What Do We Learn from This?
• When we commit ourselves to the wrong thing, as Saul did, God may use extreme measures to get our attention.
• We find that bias and fear can limit our willingness to follow God’s call. Ananias almost said “no” because of what he believed about Saul.
• Fear is the greatest enemy of discipleship. God would have and could have used any other believer to heal Saul, but Ananias accepted the call.
• Ananias learned that obedience is more valuable than passion or commitment. We need to understand that passion can be misdirected, but obedience keeps us aligned with God’s will.
• And maybe most importantly, Ananias is a more relatable role model to us than the Apostle Paul. Paul became a towering figure of faith—someone we can look up to and respect, but none of us can emulate. Ananias was just a faithful disciple who trusted God and stepped past his fear. We can relate to that and get past our fear to do what God call us to do.
What Do We Do with This?
• Take time in prayer to ask God to reveal your weak spots that might be covered over by fear. What do you feel God leading you to do that you avoid because you are afraid to step out. Ask God to reveal in you the strength you need to step past your hesitancy.
• Are you afraid of what God may ask you to do? Know that what God has in store for you is for your good and His glory. We find joy in following the path God lays out for us.
• Do you recognize your Savior’s voice the way Ananias did. In John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Focus your attention on understanding and following God’s leadership. You will begin to know immediately when God speaks to you and you will have the courage to follow.
The conclusion
• Yes, we have reached the end of this episode, but I’ll be back with a lot more later.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, take a minute to give this podcast a high rating and share it with someone you know.
• In the next episode, we reach a milestone in The Bible Unplugged podcast: one year of weekly episodes.
• My prayer for you is that you will have the courage to step past your fear, the willingness to obey God’s voice, and the strength to embrace the mission that He sets before you.
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening, I might surprise you with something you never knew before.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
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