Act 9:27 | KingComments | STEP | When Saul comes to Jerusalem, he doesn’t seek out his old friends, the Pharisees and chief priests, but wants to join his new friends, the disciples. They are very suspicious, however, and it is not easy for him to join them. They know him as a persecutor and are afraid that he is playing a trick to get among them and then arrest them all. They simply do not believe that he has become a disciple. It seems that they have heard nothing of his conversion. And if they have heard anything about it, they have their reservations about it. Saul does not blame them for this attitude. The Lord gives an outcome through one of His servants, Barnabas, of whom we have heard before ( ). He is a true son of consolation who brings people together. He is always present when problems arise and brings a solution to them. He has an eye for the work of God and the work of the enemy. Barnabas takes Saul with him and brings him to the apostles. He reports on Saul’s conversion because of his meeting with the Lord and that the Lord spoke to him. The proofs of his conversion are also mentioned by Barnabas when he recounts how Saul boldly spoke in the Name of Jesus in Damascus. Then Saul is taken up in their midst. We are not told where Barnabas got his information, but he is a reliable and ‘good man’, so his testimony is believed. We learn from this that no believer can be accepted based on his own testimony, but on the basis of the conclusive testimony of others who can testify of an encounter with the Lord and give the proof of it. This can be done verbally, as here, but also in writing ( ; ). Later, Paul will even write a whole letter, the letter to Philemon, in which he encourages others to accept a new convert, for whom there were no warm feelings either ( ). The acceptance of Saul in the Jerusalem church means a lot more than just to celebrate the Supper of the Lord with them. He “is with them, moving about freely”. This indicates that he not only visited the meetings of the Christians, but also participated in the whole church life. How essential it is not to limit our fellowship as Christians to a few gatherings, but to live it constantly. Saul identifies himself completely with them, while still fulfilling his own specific mission. Unity is not uniformity. Barnabas’ testimony of the frankness with which Saul spoke in Damascus is confirmed by Saul’s performance in Jerusalem. Despite the murderous spirit this evoked among the Jews in Damascus, which forced him to flee that city, Saul also speaks boldly in the Name of the Lord in Jerusalem. Through his earlier experience he knows that in Jerusalem his message will encounter even greater resistance. That is what is happening. He focuses especially on the Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Jews. He speaks with them and argues with them. In every way he wants to try to convince them of the Name of the Lord. But the truth reveals the hatred of the heart. They try to kill him. Before they can execute their plan, the Lord makes their plan clear to him ( ) and tells him to leave Jerusalem. Just as in Damascus, there are believers in Jerusalem who help him to flee. Again, ordinary means are used to escape an attack. The fact that they want to kill him in Jerusalem must have been a great disappointment for him. However, the Lord is in the process of carrying out His plan with him and in doing so He makes use of the enemies of the gospel. While Jerusalem wants to get rid of the presence of the preacher of Christ, just as they have got rid of Christ Himself, God uses this to send him to the nations. Jerusalem thus loses its status as the center of world evangelism. This center is moved to Antioch, as we will see later ( ). Accompanied by the “brothers” – a beautiful word of fellowship – he comes to Caesarea, from where they send him to Tarsus. God uses the brothers to take him to the next station in his service to his Lord. In this way Saul lets himself be led by the Lord and by the brothers.

‏ Acts 9:27

Saul in Jerusalem

When Saul comes to Jerusalem, he doesn’t seek out his old friends, the Pharisees and chief priests, but wants to join his new friends, the disciples. They are very suspicious, however, and it is not easy for him to join them. They know him as a persecutor and are afraid that he is playing a trick to get among them and then arrest them all. They simply do not believe that he has become a disciple. It seems that they have heard nothing of his conversion. And if they have heard anything about it, they have their reservations about it. Saul does not blame them for this attitude.

The Lord gives an outcome through one of His servants, Barnabas, of whom we have heard before (Acts 4:36-37). He is a true son of consolation who brings people together. He is always present when problems arise and brings a solution to them. He has an eye for the work of God and the work of the enemy.

Barnabas takes Saul with him and brings him to the apostles. He reports on Saul’s conversion because of his meeting with the Lord and that the Lord spoke to him. The proofs of his conversion are also mentioned by Barnabas when he recounts how Saul boldly spoke in the Name of Jesus in Damascus. Then Saul is taken up in their midst.

We are not told where Barnabas got his information, but he is a reliable and ‘good man’, so his testimony is believed. We learn from this that no believer can be accepted based on his own testimony, but on the basis of the conclusive testimony of others who can testify of an encounter with the Lord and give the proof of it. This can be done verbally, as here, but also in writing (Acts 18:27; 2Cor 3:1). Later, Paul will even write a whole letter, the letter to Philemon, in which he encourages others to accept a new convert, for whom there were no warm feelings either (Phlm 1:10-17).

The acceptance of Saul in the Jerusalem church means a lot more than just to celebrate the Supper of the Lord with them. He “is with them, moving about freely”. This indicates that he not only visited the meetings of the Christians, but also participated in the whole church life. How essential it is not to limit our fellowship as Christians to a few gatherings, but to live it constantly. Saul identifies himself completely with them, while still fulfilling his own specific mission. Unity is not uniformity.

Barnabas’ testimony of the frankness with which Saul spoke in Damascus is confirmed by Saul’s performance in Jerusalem. Despite the murderous spirit this evoked among the Jews in Damascus, which forced him to flee that city, Saul also speaks boldly in the Name of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Through his earlier experience he knows that in Jerusalem his message will encounter even greater resistance. That is what is happening. He focuses especially on the Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Jews. He speaks with them and argues with them. In every way he wants to try to convince them of the Name of the Lord. But the truth reveals the hatred of the heart. They try to kill him. Before they can execute their plan, the Lord makes their plan clear to him (Acts 22:17-21) and tells him to leave Jerusalem.

Just as in Damascus, there are believers in Jerusalem who help him to flee. Again, ordinary means are used to escape an attack. The fact that they want to kill him in Jerusalem must have been a great disappointment for him. However, the Lord is in the process of carrying out His plan with him and in doing so He makes use of the enemies of the gospel. While Jerusalem wants to get rid of the presence of the preacher of Christ, just as they have got rid of Christ Himself, God uses this to send him to the nations.

Jerusalem thus loses its status as the center of world evangelism. This center is moved to Antioch, as we will see later (Acts 13:1-3). Accompanied by the “brothers” – a beautiful word of fellowship – he comes to Caesarea, from where they send him to Tarsus. God uses the brothers to take him to the next station in his service to his Lord. In this way Saul lets himself be led by the Lord and by the brothers.