Acts 9:19–31

¹⁹And after taking some food, he regained his strength.^t

SAUL PROCLAIMING THE MESSIAH

Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time. ²⁰Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.”^u

²¹All who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man in Jerusalem who was causing havoc for those who called on this name and came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?”^v

²²But Saul grew stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

²³After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, ²⁴but Saul learned of their plot. So they were watching the gates day and night intending to kill him,^{w 25}but his disciples took him by night and lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the wall.^x

SAUL IN JERUSALEM

²⁶When he arrived in Jerusalem,^y he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. ²⁷Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly^a in the name of Jesus.^{b 28}Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him.^{c 30}When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.^d

THE CHURCH’S GROWTH

³¹So the church^e throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.