Though brothers of the same spiritual family, what a difference there was in the visible realm between Paul and Ananias. Paul’s working field was the Roman Empire while the Bible limits Ananias more or less to Damascus (Acts 9:10).
Paul was called by God as a chosen instrument, he had a massive knowledge of Judaism and he wrote a large part of the New Testament. All these things were not accredited to Ananias.
Paul means ‘little’, but then Ananias comes alongside Paul, because Ananias (the Greek version of the Hebrew name Hananyah) means ‘Jahwè has been gracious’.
When grace rules it’s a non-issue whether we are a Paul or a Ananias, because Christ fills the picture and it’s Christ as me. We don’t compare Christ to Christ. Both men were indwelled by the same Spirit who expresses Himself differently in each unique individual.
Every life has been privileged by God because the full Christ is our Privilege.
When Christ choses to live in us in an unnoticed, hidden, and even misunderstood and rejected way, without brilliant gifts, that is glory of God, because it pleases the Lord to reveal Himself in the depths of our spiritual nothingness (Matt. 5:3), in order to make us aware of His overwhelming fullness.
