SAUL ESCAPES TO JERUSALEM

Acts 9:26-31 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

Prior to this we know that Saul, having threats to his life, escaped into Arabia. After a period of time, he returned to Damascus and remained there three years preaching the gospel message of salvation through Christ Jesus. He then went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother (See Gal. 1:17-19 & Prev. Vss. 23-25). Whether this visit to Jerusalem was the same as the one referred to in the lesson text has created much irrelevant debate. However, the lesson text tells us that when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples. Having the authorization of the Sanhedrin to do so, Saul had left Jerusalem a little over three years, prior to this event, to persecute the Christians of Damascus. He now returns to this same city as a repentant disciple of the same Christ Jesus whom he had previously denied and whose influence, doctrine, and plan of salvation he sought to destroy.

Without doubt, Saul knew of Jesus of Nazareth and the twelve apostles that He chose to accompany Him. It is vary possible that he had stood in the presence of these apostles on the Day of Pentecost as they proclaimed Jesus to be the Savior of the world, and extended God's call to eternal salvation through His Son, Christ Jesus. And now, as a devoted follower of Jesus, Saul had come to Jerusalem to join himself to the disciples of Christ - to associate with them as fellow Christians. But because of his well-known history of persecuting members of the church, they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. It is evident that the members of the church of Christ in Jerusalem were unaware of Saul's miraculous conversion and the Holy Spirit-inspired preaching that he had been doing in the city of Damascus for the past three years.

In order to dispel all misapprehensions the Christians of Jerusalem had of Saul, Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he (Saul) had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Barnabas was first introduced to us by the name of Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas. He was a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus (Acts 4:36). The fact that Barnabas knew the history of Saul's conversion and his preaching at Damascus is assured by this passage, but how he was aware of it is not given here. However, with Barnabas' assurance and declaration of the truth, the apostles, as well as all members of the body of Christ in Jerusalem, accepted Saul as a true fellow Christian and communed with him during his brief stay with them.

While in Jerusalem, Saul boldly disputed with the Grecian Jews as he preached the gospel of salvation through Christ. These were generally referred to as Hellenistic, Greek speaking Jews that lived in foreign countries. Saul, too, was of this sect, since his birthplace was the city of Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia. Considering Saul to be a betrayer of their Jewish faith, they went about to slay him. This portion of Saul's life must have been very difficult for him. Christians that weren't aware of his conversion were afraid of him;Jews that were aware of his conversion went about to slay him. In order to protect his life, the brethren in Jerusalem sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest, ...and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.