17 So Ananias departed and entered the house , and after laying his hands on him said , " Brother Saul , the Lord Jesus , who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming , has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit ." 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales , and he regained his sight , and he got up and was baptized ; 19 and he took food and was strengthened . Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus ,
20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues , saying , "He is the Son of God ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 9:17-20
Commentary on Acts 9:10-22
(Read Acts 9:10-22)
A good work was begun in Saul, when he was brought to Christ's feet with those words, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And never did Christ leave any who were brought to that. Behold, the proud Pharisee, the unmerciful oppressor, the daring blasphemer, prayeth! And thus it is even now, and with the proud infidel, or the abandoned sinner. What happy tidings are these to all who understand the nature and power of prayer, of such prayer as the humbled sinner presents for the blessings of free salvation! Now he began to pray after another manner than he had done; before, he said his prayers, now, he prayed them. Regenerating grace sets people on praying; you may as well find a living man without breath, as a living Christian without prayer. Yet even eminent disciples, like Ananias, sometimes stagger at the commands of the Lord. But it is the Lord's glory to surpass our scanty expectations, and show that those are vessels of his mercy whom we are apt to consider as objects of his vengeance. The teaching of the Holy Spirit takes away the scales of ignorance and pride from the understanding; then the sinner becomes a new creature, and endeavours to recommend the anointed Saviour, the Son of God, to his former companions.