Act 9:2 | TNotes | STEP | 9:2 The synagogues (Greek sunagōgē, “gathering place”) were local Jewish meeting places. After the Exile, Jews began to meet in local synagogues as places of instruction and centers of worship. Synagogue services consisted of the reading of the Law and the Prophets, exposition of the Scriptures, prayer, praise, and thanksgiving (see 13:15 ; 15:21 ; Neh 9:5 ; Matt 6:5 ; Luke 4:16-21 ). Jesus attended, taught, preached, and performed miracles in synagogues (Matt 12:9-10 ; Mark 1:21 , 39 ; Luke 4:16 ; 13:10-13 ; John 6:59 ; 18:20 ), as did the apostles (see Acts 9:20 ; 13:5 , 14 ; 14:1 ; 17:1 , 10 , 17 ; 18:4 , 19 , 26 ). • Damascus , the capital of Syria, was an important center with a long and distinguished past and the nearest major city outside of Palestine. It took from four to six days to reach Damascus from Jerusalem, a fact that highlights Saul’s earnestness (9:1-5 ; see 22:4-8 ; 26:9-15 ). • The expression the Way is used in Acts for Christianity (see 19:9 , 23 ; 24:14 , 22 )—it is “the way of God” (18:26 ) that tells people “how to be saved” (16:17 , literally the way of salvation ). See also John 14:6 ; 2 Pet 2:2 .

9:2 ^a The synagogues (Greek sunagōgē, “gathering place”) were local Jewish meeting places. After the Exile, Jews began to meet in local synagogues as places of instruction and centers of worship. Synagogue services consisted of the reading of the Law and the Prophets, exposition of the Scriptures, prayer, praise, and thanksgiving (see 13:15 ^b; 15:21 ^c; Neh 9:5 ^d; Matt 6:5 ^e; Luke 4:16-21 ^f). Jesus attended, taught, preached, and performed miracles in synagogues (Matt 12:9-10 ^g; Mark 1:21 ^h, 39 ⁱ; Luke 4:16 ^j; 13:10-13 ^k; John 6:59 ^l; 18:20 ^m), as did the apostles (see Acts 9:20 ⁿ; 13:5 ^o, 14 ^p; 14:1 ^q; 17:1 ^r, 10 ^s, 17 ^t; 18:4 ^u, 19 ^v, 26 ^w).

• Damascus, the capital of Syria, was an important center with a long and distinguished past and the nearest major city outside of Palestine. It took from four to six days to reach Damascus from Jerusalem, a fact that highlights Saul’s earnestness (9:1-5 ^x; see 22:4-8 ^y; 26:9-15 ^z).

• The expression the Way is used in Acts for Christianity (see 19:9 ^aa, 23 ^ab; 24:14 ^ac, 22 ^ad)—it is “the way of God” (18:26 ^ae) that tells people “how to be saved” (16:17 ^af, literally the way of salvation). See also John 14:6 ^ag; 2 Pet 2:2 ^ah.