Saul's case was a particular one also because, as the most significant persecutor, he had been saved directly by the Lord from heaven while on his way to persecute the believers. Hence, like the Samaritan believers (Acts 8:14-17 and note Acts 8:17¹) and the twelve disciples in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7), he needed a member of the Body of Christ to initiate him into identification with the Body of Christ by the laying on of hands.

Because of this, Saul had been set apart from his mother's womb and called by the Lord (Gal. 1:15). The Lord is sovereign and able, according to His choosing in eternity, to make the most fierce among His persecutors a vessel, a leading apostle, to carry out His commission in preaching the gospel and taking the way he had opposed and persecuted. Eventually, the opposing Saul became, in his victorious ministry of the gospel, Christ's vanquished captive in the triumphal procession celebrating Christ's victory over all His enemies (2 Cor. 2:14 and note 2 Cor. 2:14¹ and note 2 Cor. 2:14²). The Lord's perfecting of His chosen vessels in such a way is excellent and glorious.

Indicating that in the early days calling upon the Lord's name was a sign of the Lord's followers (1 Cor. 1:2). This calling must have been audible, so that others could hear; thus it became a sign.

Or, regain. The blinded Saul's receiving of sight was his being saved in full. This was exceedingly important to him. It was especially important that his inner eyes were opened to see the things of God concerning His mysteries and His economy.

The Lord sent Ananias, one member of His Body, to Saul that Saul might be initiated into identification with the Body of Christ. This too must have impressed Saul with the importance of the Body of Christ, helping him to realize that a saved believer needs the members of the Body of Christ.

This was the Lord's dealing with Saul. Before this, Saul would have considered himself marvelously knowledgeable, as one who knew all things concerning man and God. Now the Lord made him blind so that he could see nothing until the Lord opened his eyes, especially his inner eyes, and commissioned him to open the eyes of others (Acts 26:18).

The Lord would not directly tell Saul immediately after his conversion what He wanted him to do. This was because he needed a member of His Body to initiate him into identification with the Body, for he had been saved and brought to the Lord directly by Him, not indirectly through any channel. Unless a member of His Body had been sent by the Lord to contact him, it would have been difficult for any member of the Body to receive Saul (cf. v. 26). This is related to Saul's knowledge concerning the Body of Christ and to his ministry for the Body of Christ later (Col. 1:24).

Saul called Him "Lord," even without knowing Him (cf. Rom. 10:13).

A corporate "Me," comprising Jesus the Lord and all His believers. Saul did not have this revelation. He thought that he was persecuting Stephen and other Jesus-followers, who were in the Way, which he considered heresy (Acts 24:14). He did not know that when he persecuted these he persecuted Jesus, for they were one with Him by being united to Him through their faith in Him. He considered that he was persecuting people on earth, never thinking that he touched anyone in heaven. To his great surprise a voice from heaven told him that He was the One whom he was persecuting and that His name was Jesus. To him this was a unique revelation in the universe! By this he began to see that the Lord Jesus and His believers are one great person — the wonderful "Me." This must have impressed and affected him for his future ministry concerning Christ and the church as the great mystery of God (Eph. 5:32) and laid a solid foundation for his unique ministry.

Denoting the Lord's full salvation in God's New Testament economy. It is the way God dispenses Himself into the believers through Christ's redemption and the Spirit's anointing; it is the way the believers partake of God and enjoy God; it is the way the believers worship God in their spirit by enjoying Him and follow the persecuted Jesus by being one with Him; and it is the way the believers are brought into the church and built up into the Body of Christ to bear the testimony of Jesus (cf. note 2 Pet. 2:2², note 2 Pet. 2:15¹ and note 2 Pet. 2:21¹).

Filled outwardly (see note Acts 2:4²). According to the principle of salvation in God's New Testament economy, Saul must have received the Holy Spirit of life essentially at the time of his conversion, prior to Ananias's coming and laying his hands on him. Before Ananias came, Saul was praying to the Lord (v. 11), indicating that he had believed in the Lord and was calling on Him (cf. Rom. 10:13-14) like those believers whom he had ravaged and was going to arrest (14, vv. 21). But since he had not been saved through any member of the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit did not fall upon him economically (Acts 2:17 and note Acts 2:17^2c) until Ananias came as the representative of the Body to identify him with the Body of Christ.

See note Acts 9:12^1c.

By water (see note Acts 8:36¹ and note Mark 16:16^1a).

See note James 2:2¹.

I.e., put in order.

Since at that time the church had spread only to the provinces of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and since the word whole covers all the places where the church existed, church in singular is used here in the universal sense, although there must have been churches in the local sense in a number of the cities of these three provinces.

They had peace inwardly, although there was persecution outwardly. The church is afraid not of being persecuted outwardly but of not having peace inwardly, for only when there is peace can there be the building up.

The building up proceeded after the establishing of the church.

Not in the fear of men, although there were persecutions, but in the fear of the Lord lest the church offend the Lord by being put down or even subdued by the persecution, and lest she offend Him in other things.

Indicating that the church was suffering affliction through the persecutions, in which she feared the Lord and enjoyed the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

A town about eleven miles southeast of Joppa, called Lod in the Old Testament (1 Chron. 8:12; Ezra 2:33).

Meaning gazelle.

Lit., her.

Lit., in it.

A shirt-like undergarment.