Acts 9:20-31
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How has your week gone?
What does this text teach us about God?
What does this text teach us about human beings?
Acts 9:20-31
Acts 9:20-31
Acts 9:19–31 (ESV)
19 and taking food, he was strengthened. 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.
What does this text teach us about God?
What does this text teach us about human beings?
Acts 9:19–31 (ESV)
19 and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
New Testament (9:19b–31—Confrontations in Damascus and Jerusalem)
9:19b–21. Although Saul had carried the letters authorizing his mission (9:2) on his own person and presumably not delivered them, word of his mission had gotten around in Damascus’s Jewish community.
The Book of the Acts (6. Saul Preaches in Damascus (9:19b–22))
19b–20 According to the autobiographical outline supplied by Paul in
Galatians 1:15–17 “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.”
he did not confer with any human being after receiving his “revelation of Jesus Christ” but went away to Arabia (the Nabataean kingdom, which lay on the eastern frontier of Syria and stretched south to the Red Sea). This need not exclude a short period of such witness in Damascus as is described here—either before he set out for Arabia (which seems more probable) or after his return to Damascus (“without delay” in v. 20 need not be pressed overmuch, especially since Luke has nothing at all to say of the visit to Arabia).
20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
Two evidences are given of Paul’s conversion: he prayed (v. 11) and he preached (v. 20). Talking to God for men and to men for God are good proofs of conversion. Paul started where he was and preached what he knew, another good policy for new Christians to follow.
His conversion was probably in the year a.d. 37. He spent time in Damascus preaching, then went to Arabia (Gal. 1:15–18), returning to Damascus “after many days” (Acts 9:23). This covered a period of probably three years, during which time Paul was being taught the truths of God’s “mystery of the church.” When back in Damascus, he was attacked by the Jews and had to leave through a window at night (2 Cor. 11:32–33; Acts 9:23–26.)
Wiersbe, Warren W. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Victor Books, 1992, p. 300.
“Son of God” is characteristic of Paul’s style, not Luke’s; writers tried to imitate the style of those whose speeches they reported, and it is not likely that Luke would know Paul’s style this early unless he knows him personally (which he undoubtedly did; see the introduction to Acts).
The Book of the Acts (6. Saul Preaches in Damascus (9:19b–22))
the only occurrence of the title “Son of God” in Acts should be in this report of Saul’s early preaching. It was as the Son of God that Christ was revealed to him on the Damascus road (Gal. 1:16; cf. 2 Cor. 1:19; Rom. 1:4).
The Book of the Acts (6. Saul Preaches in Damascus (9:19b–22))
The SON OF GOD, or its equivalent, is used in the Old Testament
(1) of the people of Israel (Ex. 4:22; Hos. 11:1),
(2) of the anointed king of Israel (2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 89:26–27), and therefore
(3) of the ideal king of the future, the Messiah of David’s line (see especially Ps. 2:7 as quoted below in 13:33; cf. also above, 2:25–26).
As applied to our Lord, then, the title “Son of God” marks him out as the true representative of the Israel of God and as God’s anointed king; but it is no merely official title. As he himself understood the heavenly voice which said to him at his baptism, “You are my Son” (Mark 1:11 par. Luke 3:22), it expressed his unique relationship and fellowship with the Father.
A. E. Harvey finds three aspects of sonship implicit in the ascription of the title to Jesus:
his perfect obedience to God,
his being the ultimate revealer of God,
and his being the authorized agent 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?”
Saul was sent to the synagogues of Damascus by the High Priest to gather up those of the Way. Now he is sent by the High Priest, Jesus, and he does go to the synagogues to tell people about Jesus, the Son of God.
22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
New Testament (9:19b–31—Confrontations in Damascus and How is Saul able to confound the Jews
Expertise in Scripture
The presence of the Holy Spirit
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,
New Testament (9:19b–31—Confrontations in Damascus and Jerusalem)
9:23–24. Saul’s Jewish opponents plan to assassinate him, not to execute him legally; but his own account in 2 Corinthians 11:32–33 indicates that they had secured the cooperation of high officials in the Damascus government. Saul’s preaching in other Greek cities under the control of Aretas IV of Nabatea (9 B.C.–A.D. 40) for as long as three years (Gal 1:17) had possibly aroused opposition.
25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
9:25. Houses were sometimes built into city walls; Saul’s escape method has biblical precedent (Josh 2:15; 1 Sam 19:12). That he has gained disciples there indicates that he has worked like a Christian rabbi, or teacher, and that he has the requisite training to present himself as such (cf. 22:3).
The Book of the Acts (7. Saul Escapes from Damascus (9:23–25))
23–25 With the adventure thus recorded by Luke must be compared Paul’s account in 2 Cor. 11:32–33: “In Damascus the ethnarch of King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands.” Aretas IV (9 B.C.–A.D. 40) was ruler of the Nabataean kingdom in which Saul spent some time after his conversion (Gal. 1:17). It is commonly supposed that Paul’s sojourn in Arabia had the nature of a religious retreat: that he sought the solitude of the desert—perhaps even going to Mount Horeb as Moses and Elijah had done—in order to commune with God and think out all the implications of his new life, without disturbance. But the context in which he tells of his going to Arabia, immediately after receiving his commission to proclaim Christ among the Gentiles, suggests that he went there to preach the gospel.
The Book of the Acts 7. Saul Escapes from Damascus (9:23–25)
Luke says that this incident took place “when many days had elapsed”; Paul, more definitely, says in Gal. 1:18 that it was three years after his conversion (by inclusive reckoning, no doubt) that he went up to Jerusalem—and from the narrative of Acts he seems to have gone to Jerusalem immediately after his escape from Damascus.
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.
The Book of the Acts 8. Saul in Jerusalem; He is Sent to Tarsus (9:26–30)
26 When Saul returned to Jerusalem, he was in a difficult position. His old associates knew all about his defection, and he could expect no friendly welcome from them. On the other hand, the disciples of Jesus, with whom he now wished to associate himself, had not forgotten his campaign of persecution. One can scarcely feel surprise at their suspicion when he made overtures to them.
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.
The Book of the Acts (8. Saul in Jerusalem; He is Sent to Tarsus (9:26–30))
27 It was Barnabas who, true to his name, acted as Saul’s sponsor and encouraged them to receive him. It is possible that Barnabas was already acquainted with Saul, knew his integrity of character, and was convinced of the genuineness of his conversion.
The Book of the Acts (8. Saul in Jerusalem; He is Sent to Tarsus (9:26–30))
When Luke says that Barnabas brought Saul “to the apostles,” the narrative of Gal. 1:18–20 compels us to interpret this as a generalizing plural. According to Paul’s own solemn affirmation, the only leaders of the Jerusalem church whom he met on that occasion were Peter (Cephas) and James the Lord’s brother (whom Paul calls an apostle, although he would not have satisfied Luke’s conditions for that designation).
Gal. 1:18–24 “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!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.”
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.
New Testament (9:19b–31—Confrontations in Damascus and Jerusalem)
9:26–31. As provocative as his evangelistic predecessor Stephen, Saul appears headed for the same fate, until he is sent to Tarsus. Because he had been born there (22:3), he possibly had relatives there; but his training had been thoroughly Palestinian Jewish (Phil 3:5), so it is during this period in his life that Saul begins to relate especially to Gentiles from Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The only representatives of the apostles he gets to know well are Peter and James (Gal 1:18–19).
If we believe this passage is from God, how must we change?
