Acts 9:20–22

 ²⁰ Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. ²¹ Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” ²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. 

Commentary 

Vs. 20 “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” 

With Saul’s amazing transformation by the Lord Jesus Christ baptizing him with His Holy Spirit, Saul now begins to preach the Christ, that is the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God in the synagogues, (i.e., the local worship assemblies of the Jews) in Damascus. 

Vs. 21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” 

With Saul’s radical transformation by the Lord those there in the synagogues should’ve themselves believed, but instead they were only confused as to how this man who once tried to destroy those who were confessing the Lord Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, and had come there to Damascus with letters from the chief priests to arrest and bring back for trial those who were confessing Jesus Christ there, was now himself preaching the very Person and Name of the Lord Jesu Christ whom he once so fiercely opposed! Saul then would soon to become the target of the unbelieving Jews, just as he himself once targeted those who had turned to Christ. 

Vs. 22 “But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.” 

Now as opposition began to arise against Saul and his preaching Christ, he did not falter, rather he increased all the more in strength, and he confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving to them that this Jesus that He had believed in and was testifying to them was the Christ, that is the Promised Christ or Messiah of the Scriptures. Thus, Saul’s extensive training in the Word of God and the doctrines of the Jews as a Pharisee was now serving the Lord Jesus Christ in declaring Him and refuting those that oppose Him!  

Scripture Quotations 

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.