Acts 9:20–31
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Main Idea
God equips the called
Passage
Acts 9:20–31 ESV
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.
Outline
I – Saul sprints out of the gate (vv. 20-22)
II – Saul’s escape from Damascus (vv. 23-25)
III – Saul travels to Jerusalem (vv. 26-30)
IV – Luke’s Summary (v 31)
I – Saul sprints out of the gate (vv. 20-22)
Does it seem almost miraculous that Saul can immediately destroy his opponents in open debate right out of the gate? How on earth did he become so proficient so quickly?
In Damascus for ‘some days’
Believe it or not, scripture has something to say about that. The text here says Saul was in Damascus for ‘some days.’ That is not overly descriptive and sounds like he was there for less than a week or so. In reality, he was in the region for three years, and we know this from his remarks in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 1:11–20 ESV
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)
It is impossible to know how much time he spent in Damascus versus time spent in Arabia, but we can discern from this passage that three years had passed from his conversion (v. 15) to the time he met with Peter in Jerusalem (v. 18).
Here is an approximate timeline from the ESV Study Bible:
30/33 Death, resurrection of Christ
31–34 Present at Stephen’s stoning
33/34 Converted, called, and commissioned on the way to Damascus
33/34–36/37 Stays in Damascus a short time; leaves for “Arabia” ; returns to Damascus; Jews and the governor under King Aretas try to arrest and kill him; Paul escapes through the city wall
36/37 Meets with Peter (and sees James) in Jerusalem
This is important to grasp, mainly for this reason. In the Galatian letter, Paul explains how he became powerful in his witness. No man taught Paul the Christian faith. He gained it via direct revelation from Jesus Christ himself. This would later be verified by the apostles themselves when, after 14 years, Paul would travel back to Jerusalem to compare his theology with that of the apostles. When all was said and done, he confirmed that they “added nothing to me,” meaning Saul was given the fullness of the gospel from Christ, not from the apostles (this account is given in Gal. 2).
Perhaps that is why he would go on to say:
1 Corinthians 15:7–8 ESV
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
In an interesting form of symmetry, Saul had his own wilderness experience where he received revelation from God, much like Moses did in the wilderness at Mount Sinai, where he received the Law directly from God.
Now, let’s shift focus back to Damascus. Undoubtedly, Ananias and other believers would encourage Saul upon his conversion. Still, their fellowship alone does not explain how he became so powerful in speech and persuasive in his argumentation. But, if we factor in his time in Arabia, where he received the complete revelation from Jesus, it makes perfect sense. You take an intelligent man like Saul, who was the premier student of Gamaliel who has the vast Pharisaical knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures and now infuse the Emmaus-eske revelation of who Jesus is throughout the Law and the Prophets, then you have an unstoppable force for the gospel! God equips the called.
So, when we look at this phrase ‘for some days,’ I would see this as the full three-year stent in the region because, as we will soon see, Saul must flee to Jerusalem.
Confounding the Jews
With that in our minds, we can better understand what comes next. Saul wastes no time marching into the synagogues to declare that Jesus is the Son of God.
For the Jews, I imagine this was incredibly confusing. As they watch Saul enter the Synagogue, I bet they were eager to hear an update on how mission: Tag ‘em and Bag ‘em was going. They knew why he was in town. The Destroyer of The Way had come to cleanse their town to arrest and cart off the cult members of this new movement and stand trial before the Chief Priests and thrown in the Jerusalem prisons. Imagine their surprise when Saul removed his coat and revealed he was wearing the other team’s jersey!
And, as he took center stage in his new attire, he boldly and persuasively proclaimed two essential truths about Jesus. He is:
1. The Son of God
2. The Christ (or Messiah)
Again, please don’t lose sight of the amazing reality that Saul confounded them by arguing for the very person he persecuted! Now, we also have symmetry between Saul and Stephen because Saul could not be refuted as he pointed to the Old Testament scriptures and proved these two truths. Saul has become just like the man he had put to death!
The Son of God
This doesn’t simply mean that Jesus was made in God’s image and is a son in the sense that all believers are ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’ of the Most High God. That is a common thought today, but if that were the case, it certainly wouldn’t have made the Jews murderous.
What it does mean is that Jesus is God. He is of the same essence as the Father, whom the Jews worshiped. By calling Jesus the Son of God, Saul equates Jesus with Yahweh, Israel’s One True God. We see this Father-Son language in Psalm 2 (a messianic psalm) when it says this:
Psalm 2:7–8 ESV
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
…and
Psalm 2:12 ESV
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
So, if Jesus is God, He also encompasses all of Yahweh’s attributes. Jesus is: holy, perfect, omniscient, omnipotent, loving, gracious, sovereign, and so on. As you can imagine, this would have been highly offensive to the Jewish mind that rejects Jesus.
The Christ
So, God-in-flesh is the one who would also be Israel’s long-awaited Redeemer. This is also probably part of the confusion with the Jews since their idea of the Messiah was a military ruler who would overthrow the current oppressing superpower, which at that time was Rome. Being that Jesus never conquered the Romans but died by their method of execution, they wouldn’t have given him another thought, but…
If Saul was to prove Jesus as that same Messiah to the degree that they could not refute his claims, then he must have gone back to numerous Old Testament scriptures to do so. As I mentioned last week, Saul would have taken the full weight of his training, knowledge, philosophy, and now revelation (as we have just learned about) and brought it down upon the same scriptures they held in such high regard. Had he just argued from his own perspective, he likely wouldn’t have persuaded anyone, but he used the scriptures… the very words of God that they all agreed on and loved to prove his point.
We don’t know where he pointed them to. Still, I would imagine he took them to passages like Isaiah 53 and the suffering servant, Psalm 2 and the Son, Isaiah 6 and the virgin-born Immanuel conception, Daniel 7 and the Son of Man’s approach to the Ancient of Days, and so on.
What I love about this verse is that the same man who was once blinded to these same truths is now openly proclaiming them among people like him (the Jews)! God equips the called.
Like Saul, we need to know our Bibles. If we are to be able to give a reasonable defense for the hope that is within us, then we need to know the scriptures. We need to be in our Bibles daily and have friends with whom we can discuss it. How can we be effective witnesses to the God who breathed out scripture if we don’t know it? 20% of Americans say they’ve read the entire Bible. 20%! Imagine what quoting just a few scriptures could do!
Saul’s quick 180-degree turnaround should also show us how to live out our faith. If you want to be a biblical Christian, you cannot be a silent Christian. Don’t be inconspicuous with your faith. If you know Jesus, make it known to others! We live in a culture that is loud about everything, and virtually every commodity we can buy- from the case that protects your cell phone to buttons you can wear on your Crocs are designed to communicate something about your personality and identity. If you are to make one thing known about you, make it Christ!
And, as Saul probably anticipated, it brought about a specific response from his Jewish audience.
II – Saul’s escape from Damascus (vv. 23-25)
When Saul had preached for ‘some days,’ the Jewish people there had had their fill of his teaching. Now, after ‘many days had passed,’ they wanted to do something about it.
Another murder plot
As no surprise to any of us, they wanted him dead. This seems to be the standard response by the Jews at this point. They plotted to kill Jesus, discussed ways to silence the apostles, and became so enraged at Stephen that they illegally executed him (at Saul’s approval, I might add), and now we see more of the same here. In their eyes, if Saul isn’t going to remain on their team, he can die with the enemy. And, since they can’t win a debate with the man, I guess it’s best to get the baseball bat and silence him forever. Good grief.
It still amazes me that they can believe that a sinful deed can be schemed and acted upon in the name of a Holy God.
But, fortunately for Saul, their depraved schemes done in the darkness came to light, and he could make plans of his own. Even though the Jews (which at this point becomes a specific title for all Jews in opposition to Christ) were watching all the city’s exits, they could not thwart God’s plan for his servant. This will be the first of many attempts on his life that we will see in the Acts narrative, reinforcing the reality that God is sovereignly watching over His beloved instrument.
A familiar escape
One thing to notice before we get to the method of escape is how popular Saul had become during his three-year stay. Luke doesn’t say that believers of The Way helped Saul escape, though that would have been an appropriate way to describe them. These were Saul’s disciples. The great Persecutor-turned-Pastor had gathered his own following!
And his disciples wanted to ensure that their Rabbi could continue his work, so they found a hole in the city wall and lowered him through it in a basket so he could flee to Jerusalem. As Saul mirrored Moses’ divine instruction in the wilderness, so he mirrors Moses’ divine rescue. When Moses’ mother could no longer conceal him from the Egyptian authorities, she put him in a basket and sent him downstream toward divine protection. Now, Saul is being sent down a breach in the city wall, concealed in a basket in the act of divine protection. Isn’t that fascinating? You can’t make this stuff up!
This reinforces the idea that God cares for His instruments. Saul was His chosen instrument, specially crafted for the task he was created for. The same applies to you and me today. There may come a day when we are called to die for the name of Christ, but until that day comes, God will always provide a way through the trial you are facing.
God’s plan will not be overturned. There is still more for Saul to do.
III – Saul travels to Jerusalem (vv. 26-30)
After fleeing Damascus, Saul returns to Jerusalem. Interestingly, he didn’t return home and shut the blinds. He didn’t hide, nor did he go to the synagogues as he did in Damascus. Instead, he sought out fellowship with his new friend group. The only issue is that they were terrified of him! And who can blame them, really. I’d be skeptical. No doubt. Saul was no dummy. I wouldn’t have put it passed him to fake fellowship to infiltrate the inner ranks of the movement. That would be a brilliant strategy.
An Unlikely Ally
Thankfully, Saul had an ally. We don’t know how or why Barnabas came to Saul’s defense, but in a way, he put his reputation on the line. If you remember from our brief glimpse of Barnabas in Acts 4, his name means ‘son of encouragement,’ and he is certainly living up to the name right now. He was a generous Levite from Cyprus who sold a field and gave the proceeds to the apostles with a joyful and willing heart, as opposed to Ananias and Sapphira, who gave it deceitfully.
For whatever reason, he saw the genuineness of Saul’s faith and conversion. While most believers (and apostles) had not heard the stories from Damascus, Barnabas had. He heard of Saul’s miraculous conversion and how he boldly proclaimed the name he once opposed. Amazingly, it was Barnabas who scheduled the meeting with the apostles. The meeting was his doing! God equips the called.
Assumably, Saul was accepted by the apostles, even though Luke doesn’t expressly mention it. Still, they certainly didn’t reject him because, after the meeting, he continued his bold preaching in the name of Christ in Jerusalem… the very city and among the very people that he ravaged! This would have been enough confirmation that he was accepted. Saul didn’t just talk a good game to the apostles. He backed up his claims with the way he lived and spoke. That is a model of faithful living we can all learn from.
And yet another murder plot
As Saul continued to preach, the Jews grew in distaste for his message. Can you guess how they reacted? I bet you have no idea… They wanted to murder him [gasp]! Saul was arguing with them (assumably over the two truths he proclaimed in Damascus – Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah), and they couldn’t stand up against his wisdom and scriptural insights. I guess it’s time to get the baseball bat! I mean, come on… be original for once!
So, in an act of charity and divine intervention much like his disciples in Damascus, brothers in the faith snuck him out of Jerusalem to the port city of Caesarea and shipped Saul off to his hometown of Tarsus, where he could stay until things cooled down.
Saul would then remain here until the end of chapter eleven.
IV- Luke’s Summary (v 31)
From this point on, the focus will shift back onto Peter until Paul goes on his missionary adventures, but before panning over, Luke gives the third summary statement of the church’s status.
First, he summarized the events through Pentecost in Acts 2:46-47
Acts 2:46–47 ESV
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Then, four chapters later, Luke summarizes the status of the growing church from Pentecost to the choosing of Stephen and the six other deacons in Acts 6:7
Acts 6:7 ESV
7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Now, like a faithful reporter and historian, he summarizes the status and health of the church from the Deacons up through Saul’s conversion and escape to Tarsus:
Acts 9:31 ESV
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.
What is the status of the church?
Luke is happy to report to Theophilus (and all of us) that the church, in its 2nd phase of expansion (to Judea and Samaria and even Galilee):
- has peace
- is being built up
- walking in the fear of the Lord
- comforted in the Holy Spirit
- is multiplying
God equips the called.
Conclusion
Likewise, as we walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, may we experience these same blessings in our church: have peace, be built up, and multiply as we labor to make Christ known in our county!