“Acts 9:19-31”

Monday, January 04, 2016

“And he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, ‘Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?’ But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket. When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”

---End of Scripture verses---

It is safe to say that when Saul converted from Judaism to Christianity he did not experience a seamless transition.  After he switched sides, Saul promoted the cause of Christ with the same vigor in which he had just previously opposed it, and that earned him some bitter enemies. I am reminded of when a sports hero changes teams and is met with hostility and antagonism from the fans in his old home stadium when he visits with his new team. But when Saul switched sides, he wasn’t just greeted with a chorus of boos from his Jewish ex-brethren. Twice in today’s text we see that his former teammates plotted to kill him because of his defection (verses 24 and 29). Jesus had said that Saul would suffer much for His name’s sake (verse 16). The difficulties began early and came often, but they would not deter Saul from his new mission and life’s purpose.

The transition was not easy with Saul’s new brethren either. “When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple” (verse 26). You can understand the skepticism on the part of the Christians in the Jerusalem church. Saul had left the city with the determination to arrest and kill Christians living in Damascus (verses 1-2). Not many brethren were willing to just take his word for it that he had “seen the light.” Saul needed the support of a trusted and prominent church leader who could vouch for his conversion, and that’s where Barnabas factored in heavily. “But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus” (verse 27). Saul and Barnabas would go on to become a powerful tandem in the spreading of the Gospel and the salvation of souls.

“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase” (verse 31). Because of the conversion of Saul and the encouragement of Barnabas, the church enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity. I love the idea of pairing together “the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.” We don’t normally associate fear with comfort. But when we learn to respectfully fear the Lord in all reverence and obedience, we will experience the kind of authentic peace and comfort that only He has the power to give to us.

Please read Acts 9:32-43 for tomorrow. God’s blessings.

- Louie Taylor

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