Rodney Howard Browne

Saul, no doubt with blood stains still on his garment from Christians he had tortured, now stood with arms outstretched saying, “I’m here to testify to you that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Son.” And the folks that heard it were dazzled. The Greek text uses the term from which we get the word euphoric.

They answered with nothing short of glad mystification at the swift reversal of Saul’s life.

Others he had taken into jails, maybe many of them kin and pals. The subsequent statement assures us he did not slow down : “But Saul kept accelerating in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by establishing this Jesus is the Christ” ( Acts 9:22 ).

Not only did Saul evangelise about Christ, he preached with noteworthy ability. The word interpreted establishing comes out of a Greek verb, meaning, “to knit together from many different strands.” Saul’s sermons were elegantly woven together, neatly delivered with compelling logic—all evidence of a talented expositor. Till Saul made his case, most hadn’t made that connection. Before we are going on, let’s pause and remind ourselves, none of these extraordinary events might have been witnessed, or recorded actually, had it not been for Ananias’s bold religion. You could have never thought of that till now. Saul would have stayed blind and shaking had the disciple of Damascus refused to obey and go to Straight Street. All this was set in motion because God exploited the unusual religion of a little-known but unswerving hero. His shaking but loyal obedience modified the destiny of millions, including me and you.