1132
THE KING’S BUSINESS
which is here emphasized, disapproves one o f the fundamental doctrines o f the “ Latter Day Saints” (a doctrine held also by others), that the laying on o f an " apostle’s hands” is necessary to- receiving the Holy .Spirit, and that only an apostle can baptize, for the one who baptized Saul and laid his hands on Saul, was not an apostle, or office bearer o f any kind, simply “a certain disciple.” Though only a disciple, Ananias was a ready instrument at the Lord’s call, he was ready to answer at once, “Behold, I am here, Lord.” It was a startling com mission that Ananias received, and Ananias was staggered by it. Though he was so •ready an instrument at the Lord’s call, yet when the definite instructions came, he hesi tated. To him Saul o f Tarsus was Saul the Terrible, and the thoiight o f Saul the Terrible fills his whole mind, and he pro tects against' the commission o f going to such an one. He had lost sight entirely o f one thing the Lord had said, “Behold, he prayeth.” It does not seem to have entered his mind that such a thorough transforma tion could be so suddenly wrought in any man as had been wrought in Sanl of Tarsus. He goes on to give the Lord a good deal o f information about Saul that he seemed to think the Lord needed. How often we forget that the Lord neither needs nor desires information from us, but that what He demands is our unquestioning obedience. The Lord entered into no dis cussion with Ananias. “Go thy way,” He says, and then He tells Ananias what Saul really was, “ a chosen vessel unto Me.” O h ; how wonderful are God’s ways, to trans- from the bitter enemy into the “chosen vessel.” He tells Ananias, too, for what purpose Saul was chosen. But this former persecutor must also himself suffer for the sake o f that name that he had on ce 1 so bitterly hated. This,, too, was a gracious act on our Lord’s pari, to permit Saul to suffer for Him, and today the sufferings that Saul once inflicted upon the Lord Jesus are quite forgotten in the sufferings that he endured for Him.
Thursday, December 7 . Acts 9 : 17 - 19 .
Ananias no longer protests: readily, promptly, heartily he obeys. Strange as the commandment appears, the moment he sees Saul he tenderly lays his hands upon him and, exclaims, "Brother Saul.” There was no man on earth that Saul had hitherto hated as he did the disciples o f the Lord, and there was no man on earth that Ananias had dreaded as he did Saul, but this is now all changed; faith in the one Lord had made them both brothers- The Lord had said nothing to Ananias about Saul’s being “filled with the Holy Spirit,” but he had said that ” he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gen tiles,” etc., and Ananias knew that he could not do that properly unless he were endued with power from on high (cf. Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, S; 10:38), so he took it for granted that he was to “be filled with the Holy Spirit.” That Saul’s beholding his Lord was no mere subjective vision appears again from verse 17. The word translated “appears” means literally “was seen,” and is used only o f actual seeing with the eyes; so it is clear that Saul had actually seen the Lord Jesus with his eyes. Ananias knew this because the Lord Himself had told him so, therefore there could be no mistake about it. Saul had not yet told him of what he had seen in the way. Note carefully how Ananias speaks o f Jesus; he speaks o f Him as “the Lord.” This is the title by which Jesus was constantly called in the early church (cf. Acts 16:31 R. V .; Phil. 2:11; Rom. 10:9, 10). W e see in the New Testament nothing o f such mawk ish titles as “the Man o f Galilee,” so com mon nowadays. W e do not even read o f His being called “Jesus” without an accom panying title, except in the Gospel (which depict Him in the flesh in the midst o f His earthly relationships, before He was glorified (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10). W e should never speak o f Him merely as Jesus; we should speak o f Him as the Lord Jesus, or Jesus Christ; we should follow the Bible example. He is not merely our Brother,
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