26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. 30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. 31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
Commentary
Vs. 26 “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.”
Having escaped the murderous plot against him at Damascus, Saul now returns to Jerusalem, the very place where he had first set out in opposition to the faith that he now so strongly believed and was himself now boldly declaring and defending to the Jews. For it was there at Jerusalem where the apostles of the Lord were, and Saul himself had also seen the risen Lord, and so Saul wanted to speak with them about the vison of the Lord He had seen on the Damascus road where his salvation took place. Therefore, arriving there and thinking he would find the same acceptance that he had found in Damascus, Saul unfortunately initially found that the disciples of Jerusalem were not willing to receive him when he tried to join them, for they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was now a Christian. Saul’s past exploits then against them was still fresh in their minds.
Vs. 27 “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”
Nonetheless there was a man there named Barnabas (who himself was a Levite, and was well trusted by the apostles, Acts 4:36-37) who befriended Paul, and so he brought Paul to the apostles. When Paul met them, he told them how the Lord Jesus had appeared to him on the Damascus road, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
Vs. 28-30 28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. 30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.
Therefore, Saul was with the apostles at Jerusalem coming in and going out Thus, he was now accepted by them as one of them (vs. 28). Now Saul also spoke boldly in the name of the Lord at Jerusalem, (which would’ve been the most dangerous place for him to do so), nonetheless he did so, and he even disputed with the Hellenists there (that is the Greek speaking Jews) who were so strongly opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ being preached there that they attempted to kill him (vs. 29). Now when the brethren found out they brought Saul down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus, (a large prominent Roman city which was across the Mediterranean Sea in Cilicia) which was the land of his nativity.
Vs. 31 “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”
The effect of Saul believing in and now belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ then was felt throughout the churches. For believers in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria now all had peace and were edified; not only because Saul was no longer persecuting them; but he himself had now become the utmost defender of the faith, for he was using his extensive knowledge of the Word of God to do so! Therefore, with his dramatic salvation by the Lord on the Damascus road, and how he was fully committed to the Lord they began walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and so they multiplied.
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
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