For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
While Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus, he immediately went and began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues, specifically that “He is the Son of God”. This became his pattern for ministry. Whenever he entered a new place, he would go to the Jews in the synagogues first (Acts 17:1-2). Everyone who heard him speak was amazed and couldn’t believe that he was the same person who caused such trouble for the believers in Jerusalem. They knew he had come to Damascus for the same purpose, to arrest believers and take them before the chief priests. Saul wasn’t swayed by their doubts. He persisted with reason and evidence to prove to the Jews who lived there that Jesus was the Christ (the Messiah).
After a while, the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Saul but he learned of their plot and how they were watching the city gates day and night to kill him. Saul had begun to grow a fruitful ministry. He was a gifted leader and had disciples following him (1 Cor 11:1). In a beautiful irony, those he had originally come to kill saved his life by lowering him through the wall in a basket so he could escape.
When Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to meet up with the believers there but they were afraid of him. They didn’t believe he was really a disciple. Perhaps they thought he was trying to infiltrate the church to attack it from within. Barnabas, the encourager (Acts 4:36), brought him in and explained how he had seen and heard Jesus on the road to Damascus and how he had made an about-turn and begun boldly preaching in the name of Jesus. So Saul was accepted, he freely moved among them and continued to preach boldly in Jesus’ name. He spoke and debated with the Greek-speaking Jews but they sought to kill him. When their plot was discovered, the brothers took Saul to Caesarea and sent him to Tarsus.
The church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and growth because they lived in awe and obedience to God. As a result, they lived in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Luke has now shown that the church had reached Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria (Acts 1:8). What remained was the end of the earth.
Faith in Jesus is not belief in a story or a fairytale. It is belief in a real God who came to earth as a real man to a particular place at a specific time in history. These are facts that can be explained and reasoned about. You don’t have to be an expert but can you have a reasonable conversation with someone about the validity of Jesus’ truth claims? Perhaps you can equip yourself with some additional reading?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Gospel: 1 Corinthians 15-16