Read slowly and look for 1 or 2 things that really stand out from this text. Meditate on those truths.
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 speaks to you in this passage of Scripture?
It seems like that changed quite fast from saul wanting to kill the Christians to having the Jewish people wanting to kill him...I wonder how much of that was satan knowing what he would contribute to the spreading of the gospel and the attempt of stopping it.
ReplyDeleteI was also wondering when Saul's name was officially changed ....I read a commentary and how some believe it was God who changed his name on the road while others believe it was the fact he had a Jewish mother and a roman father so some say he had two given names and Paul was his Hebrew name that he didn't go by because of his roman status.
It is an amazing story isn't it?! I think it is very likely that the enemy was behind a great amount of the persecution of Paul.
DeleteIn terms of his name, I have heard both sides. In my commentaries and seminary class, it was taught that Paul had two names. Saul was his Hebrew name (most likely names after the 1st King of Israel) and Paul was his Roman name. When he began his ministry to the Gentiles in chapter 12, the name Paul was used more often due to the Gentile audience he was preaching the gospel too. I like that Paul also means 'little or small' because he wanted to preach Christ as greater :)