SAUL ESCAPES THE ANGRY JEWS

Acts 9:23-25 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: but their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

Just how long the "many days" were, asreferred to in the lesson text, is not given. Although the opinion of bible scholars widely differ, it seems that Saul spent a number of days in the city of Damascus, and especially among his fellow Christian brethren, preaching to all that Christ Jesus was the promised Messiah, and Savior of mankind. Considering Saul's background and his notoriety, the saints of the church of Christ at this location found this to be amazing (Vss. 20-21). After a few days of Saul's preaching the gospel message of Christ, the Jews took counsel to kill him. No doubt the Hebrew leaders viewed Saul as a betrayer and deserter of the Jewish nation and its religious doctrine that was given by God through Moses at Mount Sinai. Saul was probably more sought after by the Jews in order to silence him than were the other disciples and apostles of Christ. And why might this be? Because of the trust they had placed in him and his initial zealous desire to persecute the followers of Christ. He had openly abandoned the Jewish law and defied the authority of the Jewish leaders.

But their lying await was known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Saul was, by some means, made aware of their presence and their desire to kill him. Here Saul gets his first taste of threatening persecution. No person in New Testament history is a better example of suffering for the cause of Christ than Saul, later known as the apostle Paul. Just as he meted out persecution, he surely realized that he would suffer the same retaliation from Jewish leaders. He expected persecution, endured it, and even considered it a privilege to suffer the consequences of living for, and preaching Christ Jesus as our Savior (See 2 Cor. 11:23-27). After this incident in the life of Saul, there has been much debate about the events that took place within the following three years. Although it is not explained and recorded in the inspired writing of Luke's Acts of the Apostles, Saul gave us many descriptive details in some of his gospel messages written as the apostle Paul.

We know that Saul eluded the threats of violence against his life by escaping and fleeing into Arabia. It is possible that this threat resulted from the influence the Jewish leaders had with the governor of Damascus, to use their military garrison to apprehend Saul. In his own words he confirms Luke's narrative found in the lesson text when he tells us that through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands (that is, the armies of the governor of Damascus), (2 Cor. 11:32-33). It is evident that Damascus, at this time, was a walled city surrounded, annd was probably manned by armies to protect it from enemy invasions. Generally houses were built into or onto these protective walls similar to those noted in the walls of Jericho, and discussed at length in chapter 2 of the book of Joshua. From his epistle to the churches of Christ located in the province of Galatia, we learn that, after finding refuge for an undisclosed time in Arabia, Saul returned to Damascus and probably continued his courageous testimony of salvation through Jesus Christ for an additional three years (See Gal. 1:16-18).

With his strict Jewish education that denied Jesus as the Savior, and his avid, zealous persecution of all that became believers and followers of Christ, Saul soon realized that his life as a new-born Christian, and a preacher of New Testament doctrine, would be extremely difficult. However, with the same zeal that he demonstrated as a dedicated Jew and Pharisee, he diligently began serving Jesus. Realizing the persecution that lay ahead of him, Saul, with the same fervor, passion, and ardent desire, proclaimed the gospel message of salvation through Christ Jesus to the world. Surely, Saul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, came to know, understand, and believe this wonderful teaching of Jesus, regarding the trials and tribulations inherent in becoming and remaining a faithful Christian. Jesus said, Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (Matt. 5:11-12).

The persecution Saul received in Damascus was only the beginning of a life filled with suffering for the cause of Christ. He endured because ...out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:11-12).