I was discussing with someone, and I said that only the apostles can lay hands on people before they could get the spiritual gift of the Holy Spirit. The person cited Acts 9:17. I am very sure Ananias was not an apostle. Please help me explain this verse.
Acts 9:17-18 reads, “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized” (Acts 9:17-18 NKJV). Obviously, Ananias was instrumental in some way (1) for Saul of Tarsus (later known as the apostle Paul) to receive his sight, and (2) for him to receive miraculous ability, and we know that the miraculous ability that he later demonstrated was that degree afforded to apostles (2 Corinthians 12:12).
However, Ananias stated the reasons for which Jesus sent him to Saul, but he did not attribute to himself the ability to transfer miraculous ability to him. The passage does not stipulate when or how Saul (Paul) received the miraculous ability of an apostle; the first century gift of the Holy Spirit differed in degree from the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which the apostles alone received. All the passage confirms happening at the meeting of Ananias and Saul on that occasion is (1) Saul’s sight was restored (cf., Acts 22:13), and (2) he was baptized (cf., Acts 22:16). Before Saul could receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which he obviously received at some point since he was an apostle, it was necessary that he become a Christian – be “baptized into Christ” (Galatians 3:27). The baptism to which Scripture refers regarding salvation (Acts 2:38; 22:16) is water baptism (1 Peter 3:20-21) or immersion (Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:38-39).
It is quite common to assume that Ananias also conferred the Holy Spirit upon him, by imposition of hands. But this is neither stated nor implied in the text; nor is there any evidence that any besides the apostles ever exercised the power of imparting the Spirit. The fact that this power is not known to have been exercised by any other than the apostles, establishes a strong presumption that it was not exercised by Ananias. (McGarvey)
There is no proof whatever that any spiritual gifts were imparted, nor that any but apostles could confer these gifts, and Paul always asserted that he received his signs of apostleship, not of men, but of Christ. See Gal 1:1, 11, 12. “The being filled with the Holy Spirit” took place after the baptism at the hands of Ananias. (Johnson)
The other apostles of Christ received the baptism of the Holy Spirit after their conversion, and so one would expect that the apostle Paul likewise received the baptism of the Holy Spirit after his conversion. In addition, the other apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit directly from heaven without human intervention, and so one would expect that the apostle Paul likewise received the baptism of the Holy Spirit directly from heaven without human intervention. Furthermore, it is evident from the practices of the apostles, including the apostle Paul later, that non-apostles who could work miracles were not able to transfer miraculous power to others (Acts 8:14; 19:1-7). Therefore, one concludes that Ananias was unable to transfer miraculous power to Saul, and certainly he was unable to confer the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon Saul. Jesus Christ Himself was the administrator of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11).
The apostle essentially denied that Ananias made him an apostle, which apostles exhibited special miraculous powers (2 Corinthians 12:12). “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)” (Galatians 1:1). Again in Galatians 1:11-12, Paul attributed the source of his miraculous knowledge to heaven and not from men, not even the other apostles.
In conclusion, Ananias did not make Saul an apostle by giving him miraculous ability. Nevertheless, the conversion of Saul at the hands of Ananias was a necessary prior act to later at some undisclosed time and place Saul (Paul) receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Works Cited
Johnson, B.W. Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament. Hutto: Wordsearch, 2008.
McGarvey, J.W. A Commentary on Acts of Apostles. Hutto: Wordsearch, 2004.
