Acts 22:12-16 12And a certain person, Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews living there, 13after coming and standing by me, said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive sight.’ And at that very hour I saw him. 14And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15for you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16And now, why do you wait? Rising, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
Paul next summarized his experience in Damascus when he met Ananias. Ananias is introduced differently in this account than in chapter 9 where he is called a disciple. Paul may have purposefully introduced Ananias in a way that would be more acceptable and honorable in the eyes of the mob and further validate Paul’s words. Ananias had two significant traits: he was devoted to the law, which would endear him to any legalists listening to Paul, and he was honored and respected by all the Jews of Damascus. Simply stated, he was the type of person Jews could look up to. This description of Ananias further validated what he said to Paul, thus making Paul’s words and actions more acceptable.
Ananias functioned in a prophetic role. First, he pronounced and administered healing of Paul’s sight. Second, he confirmed Paul’s vision, that it was not just a dream but the authentic words of the God of our Fathers. The angry should have connected the Righteous One mentioned by Ananias to Jesus of Nazareth, the one the Jews had crucified many years before. Paul did not invent his message, but it came directly from God and the Messiah. Third, Ananias connects Paul’s vision to his ministry. Paul was faithfully carrying out the prophetic word given to him to be a witness to everyone of this Righteous One and the good news about him. Fourth, Ananias confirmed the early Christian practice of baptism. The growing number of believers in Jerusalem had been baptized. Any doubters in about early Christianity should have realized that baptism was God’s plan, spoken through a prophet.
Fifth, and most importantly, it is in the name of this Righteous One, Jesus, that sins are forgiven. At this point, the listeners may have begun to squirm, and their anger fume. Paul added additional details about Ananias that were not found in chapter 9, but the reason may have been that he was preaching the gospel through Ananias’ mouth while recounting his own experience in Damascus. One of the most powerful and effective ways to share the gospel is through one’s own testimony. The question in verse 16, Why wait? expresses the urgency of the invitation (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).