Until now, Luke has recorded 'dramatic scenes of conversion and conflict' in various cities: Jerusalem ( chapters 1– 7), Samaria ( chapter 8), one encounter on the desert road (chapter 8) and then Damascus (chapter 9), with the underlying steady consolidation behind the scenes and in the country regions: Samaria (cf.

However, 'behind this diversity is a larger unity', called 'the church' (in the singular) that was growing and 'being built up' throughout the region. The summary verse at the end brings the narrative to the main thread, with glimpses of the scattered groups of 'brothers' or 'disciples' (both men and women) under the guidance of the Spirit spreading their faith. Galatians 1:21), while he was 'still unknown by sight to most members of the Judean churches' ( Galatians 1:22). The 'brothers' could not control the situation, so perceiving a great danger had Saul hurriedly sent off to Tarsus, his hometown (verse 30 cf.

It brings the 'narrative circle back to its point of departure in chapter 6', that 'Saul, the zealous young man who approved of the killing of Stephen', returned to Jerusalem to finish Stephen's argument with the Hellenists and 'arouses the same violent response'. Luke's account highlights the suspicion of the Jerusalem church to Saul (verses 26–27) and the 'relative independence' of Paul's gospel teaching from 'apostolic control'. Saul returns to Jerusalem (9:26–30) Ĭompared to Paul's account in Galatians 1, Luke seems to imply a short interval before Paul's first Jerusalem visit (verse 19b), 'a longer stay in Jerusalem, and a meeting with more than one apostle' (verse 27), but the two accounts simply provide different perspectives on the same event. Saul or Paul was helped to escape the city in a similar manner to how Rahab helped two spies to escape prior to the Battle of Jericho ( Joshua 2:15), and Michal, the daughter of King Saul helped her husband, David ( 1 Samuel 19:12).Verse 25 Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. In the epistle to Corinthians, Paul wrote that the person wanting to capture him was Aretas was king of the Arabian kingdom of Nabatea, who only had any kind of judicial authority in Damascus between 37-39 CE, thus providing a narrow date range of the event. Another mention of Damascus in Paul's letters is at 2 Corinthians 11:32 in relation to his escape (being let down over the walls in a basket), which could hardly have happened twice, so it must refer to the same episode.

Luke's narrative here and Paul's own account of his conversion in Galatians 1 are not identical but reconcilable: Paul didn't mention that his call was in Damascus, yet in Galatians 1:17 after going to Arabia, Paul wrote that he 'returned to Damascus', implying that the call took place there. Saul's conversion immediately showed apparent effect, as characteristically recorded in Luke's style to be a 'universal amazement' (verse 21). John Gill suggested in his Exposition of the Bible that these disciples were among those dispersed from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria at the onset of the Christian persecution described in Acts 8:1 Saul in Damascus (9:19–25) īab Kisan gate (now Chapel of Saint Paul), believed to be where Paul escaped from persecution in Damascus Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Verse 17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house and laying his hands on him he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Verse 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Moses in Exodus 3:11–4:17), but he obediently followed the instructions with generous response (verse 17) to lay hands (primarily for healing) and to baptize Saul (verse 18). Ananias was initially reluctant and argued with 'the Lord' (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:9–10 Romans 9:23) for Saul's future career, as prophetically outlined in verses 15–16. It also contains 'a divine commission' (in distinctly Pauline language) highlighting the contrast between Saul's dark past and God's 'elective grace' (verse 15: cf. While Saul was blinded from his vision and in chastened state ('he is praying', verse 11), Ananias, who was a resident of Damascus (verse 13) and a disciple of Christ (verse 10), received instructions with precise directions to Saul's address (verse 11 the 'street called Straight' is still shown in the Old City of Damascus). Just like the story of Cornelius, there were two visions involved in Saul's story, 'each confirming the other'. The house believed to be of Ananias of Damascus in Damascus

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