Acts 22:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Facts are attested by facts, and not by a person only. The witnesses are Ananias, an outside man, and then the fact itself, namely the recovery of sight.

At the entrance to the fortress, on the stairs, the Apostle Paul asked the tribune for permission to speak to the people. He then addressed them and, in defense of himself, recounted the history of his wondrous conversion to Christ; see the interpretations on chapter 9.

At last the storm of his soul found relief in prayer. Then a Christian came to him, Ananias, a man respected by all, even by the Jews. The Lord had appeared to him in a vision and revealed that this merciless persecutor would be a chosen vessel. He would proclaim the name of Christ before the Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel. "And I will show him how much he must suffer for My name," the Lord said. Good Ananias had at first feared to go to the bloodthirsty persecutor known to all, but he delayed no longer. He entered the house of Judas and addressed the sufferer with the precious greeting of a brother. Laying his hands upon his darkened eyes, he commanded him to arise, see, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. "And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes. At once he received his sight, and rising, he was baptized. And taking food, he was strengthened."

The Apostle's further account of the completion of his conversion, namely his dealings with Ananias, agrees in substance completely with the historian's account (Acts 9:10-18). It differs chiefly in this: while omitting almost the entire factual side of the historian's narrative, it gives Ananias's speech to Paul in greater detail. Therefore the difference between the two accounts is only one of mutual completion. There is no disagreement in any detail. The features that Paul especially brings into view in his account are chosen according to the circumstances in which he spoke this speech. They are also measured by the aim of this speech. The Apostle characterizes Ananias more strongly than the historian does.

The Apostle Paul's account of his blindness and recovery of sight is substantially similar to the historian's report of it (see Acts 9:10-18). Yet it has special features. For example, it says of Ananias that he was a great reverer of the law, honored by all the Jews of Damascus. The reference to the gracious, and even miraculous, relation of such a man to Paul could not fail to be favorable in the eyes of Paul's hearers. From this it is clear why he spoke at such length about Ananias's qualities. Saint John Chrysostom says, "Here is yet another witness. And see how trustworthy he presents him. Besides this, Ananias is an outsider. Then there is the event of the recovery of sight. Then there is the great prophecy." "Paul gives only the substance of what was said at his recovery of sight. But afterward he transmits in detail the words spoken by Ananias after Saul's sight was restored, which the historian omitted."