A STUDY GUIDE ACTS 9:20-31

1. A Study Guide

a) A study guide of Acts of the Apostles. It is intended to be expository — to explain and bring out the meaning of the original text. You may use this for your personal bible study or even group bible study.

2. Acts 9:20-31 

a) The verses describe Saul’s first experiences as a disciple of Christ.

#1) Acts 9:20-21
20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 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?”

i) Synagogues. They are the “local churches” of the Jews scattered around the world. These synagogues are wonderful institutions of flourishing religious life “at the grass roots”. Arguably these synagogues, not the temple, represented the real Jewish church, the church of the people. From the first day of his ministry, in most of the cities he visited, Saul used the synagogues of the Jews as his first opportunity to preach.

ii) Complete change in Saul. Saul had set out for Damascus intending to arrest the disciples of Jesus and bring them bound to Jerusalem to be sentenced by the chief priests. Now, instead, he is preaching Jesus! A wonderful change in his life had been wrought. This change certainly amazed those who heard him preach.

#2) Acts 9:22-25
22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

23 When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

i) Confounded the Jews. Saul’s was a Pharisee, educated by no lesser light than Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). This gave him a huge advantage in debating with the Jews.

ii) Increased in strength. He also received power from Jesus who had laid hold of him (Philippians 3:12), and pressed him into service (1 Timothy 1:12).

iii) The Jews conspired to kill him. The persecutor now became the persecuted. He begins to share in the sufferings of Christ. They conspired to kill Jesus; they conspired to kill Stephen; now they are after Saul. However, not all the Jews were behind this, and a warning was passed on to Saul.

iv) Lowered in a basket. The Jews had influence to get the co-operation of the ethnarch or ruler of the city (2 Corinthians 11:32-33). The gates of Damascus were being watched, so a window in the city wall was used for Saul’s escape. Saul was, we might say, “a basket case” in a desperate bid to escape.

v) Saul in Arabia. Between verses 25 and 26 of Acts 9 there is the period of three years, not mentioned here in Acts, but mentioned in Galatians. Saul spent some of this time in Arabia being taught by Jesus Christ, then returned to Damascus (Galatians 1:11-18).

#3) Acts 9:26-27
26 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. 27 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.

i) Came to Jerusalem. This return to Jerusalem was three years after Saul’s conversion. See notes above. The news of Saul’s conversion would surely have reached the disciples in Jerusalem. However their memories of their real experience weighed more on their judgment than news from the north. So Paul got a frosty reception in Jerusalem until Barnabas took the initiative. Barnabas and Saul were to be close companions.

#4) Acts 9:28-30
28 And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. 30 But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

i) Grecians. The term “Grecian” or “Helenist” refers to Jews from regions of Greek culture as distinct from the Hebrews, the natives of Jerusalem. Broadly, the term might refer to Jews or proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism) who were not locals and didn't speak the local languages but spoke Greek.

ii) Seeking to kill Saul. Hostility toward the disciples of Jesus had settled down somewhat, and the churches "had peace" (Acts 9:31). However there was such hostility toward Saul by Jews from further afield, that Saul had to be got out of Jerusalem. He went north, beyond Syria, to his home town of Tarsus in Cilicia.

#5) Acts 9:31
31 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.

i) The churches. The churches that formed because of the scattering, have progressed and by now have become established. Note the four characteristics: they had peace, growth, reverence, and the Comforter.

ii) Peace. Tribulation and persecution passes, and peace ensues for a time. This, by the way, is the meaning of the “little season” in Revelation.

iii) Multiplied. The church in Jerusalem had grown to several thousand before it was scattered. Its scattering did not stop it from growing and probably rather encouraged growth.

iv) Fear. The fear of the Lord isn't terror, but a deep respect and awe. It's not the kind of fear that love casts out (1 John 4:18). We should both love the Lord and fear the Lord. There's no contradiction.

v) Comfort of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to send another Comforter who is the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18). 

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