Scene three, in Damascus, expounds, possibly by reverse parallelism, the meaning of Paul's conversion in terms of divine and human initiative (vv. 13, 16) and relates his calling to preach the universal gospel (vv. 14-15). Paul's witness to all this was Ananias, whose piety according to the law was attested by all the Jews of Damascus. He embodies the continuity and discontinuity of Jewish Christianity, for the man of such renowned piety was also the Lord's instrument and mouthpiece for equipping Paul in the first steps of his newfound faith and mission.

The acted parable of the Lord's saving work, moving from blindness to sight, was completed as Ananias stood beside Paul and said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight!" (anablepo, "to see again" or "to look up"; when Luke describes the restoration he uses the same verb with Ananias as the object, so that possibly both meanings are meant here—Paul saw again as he looked up at Ananias). The key role Ananias played in Paul's conversion demonstrates to the audience that being a pious Jew and being a Christian convert are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

As Ananias interpreted to Paul his calling on the Damascus Road, the continuity was emphasized. It was the God of our fathers who had appointed him (3:13; 5:30; 7:32; Ex 3:13). God had chosen Paul to know his will. From the Damascus Road encounter Paul had the haunting realization that his persecution had been actually directed at Jesus of Nazareth, the risen and exalted Messiah. From this he knew that God's will must have something to do with his saving purposes and their implementation through the gathering of a body of believers called followers of the Way. But God had chosen Paul for more. He was privileged like the other apostles, though "as one abnormally born" (1 Cor 15:7-8), to see the risen Lord (Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 4:33).

Ananias used the messianic title the Righteous One (Jer 23:5-6; 33:15; Zech 9:9; Acts 3:14; 7:52). This points to the heart of the gospel: the risen, exalted Jesus of Nazareth, whom Paul sees, is the vindicated victim of an innocent death. And Paul was destined to hear from the voice of his mouth the gospel message, to which he was called to bear lifelong witness. This full-orbed revelation of the gospel would both fulfill and supersede the document of promise, the law.

Paul's responsibility was to be Christ's witness to all men of what [he had] seen and heard (Lk 24:46-48; Acts 1:8; 9:15). The universal scope of the gospel's offer of salvation is stated in general terms here. In the end it will prove to be the stumbling block to those who hear this speech (22:21-22). Note how much of the gospel message (Lk 24:46-48) is stated or implied in Acts 22:7-10, 14. Ananias rightly contended that Paul's gospel was revealed to him from heaven (compare 26:14-18; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 15:1-4; Gal 1:12, 15-16).

Either as a mild rebuke (so the NIV) or possibly as a simple question (Marshall 1980:357), Ananias completed his mission by encouraging Paul in the next step: fulfilling his responsibility in response to his conversion. He was to "get himself baptized," picturing in that outward purification the inward cleansing from his sins that had resulted from his calling on the name of the Lord for salvation (Acts 2:38, 21; 9:14, 21).

Paul is a model for all those who become disciples in answer to the call of those who are fulfilling their Lord's commission (Mt 28:18-20). For identification with the church through public profession of faith and baptism is not only a matter of obedience, it is a matter of spiritual health, now and in eternity (Lk 12:8). We need the outward sign of our salvation applied to us like a stake in the ground.