Acts 9:19b-22--Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues

Acts 9:19b-22
English Standard Version

Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

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The text doesn't tell us how long Saul spent with the disciples in Damascus (remember, many of them are there now because he had chased them out of Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria), but Luke tells us that Saul immediately proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues (a public profession of faith), saying, "He is the Son of God."  We'll notice that publicly saying that Jesus is the Son of God (the second person of the Trinity) is one of the marks of a true believer, though not the only mark, for even the demons confess the identity of Jesus.

Everyone who saw and heard these things were amazed because the transformation seemed obvious, though some were cautious and skeptical wondering if this was a plot to infiltrate their group so that he could cause trouble for them there and arrest them to bring them back to the chief priests in Jerusalem for trial.  It took some help from Barnabas, the Encourager, to come alongside Saul and convince the Church at large that he had a genuine conversion and that this was not a trick.

As Saul was discipled by the church in Damascus, he group in strength and in wisdom as the Holy Spirit gave him the answers to the hard questions that the Jews there were asking, what we would call apologetics today, and he was able to prove to them (from the Scriptures) that Jesus was the Christ, that is, the Messiah.  Much of what we'll see from Paul's New Testament epistles has to do with this idea of defending and contending for the faith.  The Jews that were causing issues in Jerusalem will follow the apostle Paul around wherever the Holy Spirit is at work so that they can oppose Him.  So then, be careful if you encounter no opposition to the truth of Scripture that you are preaching--mostly likely you are not preaching the truth of Scripture, especially the exclusivity of the gospel--at that point and are probably preaching a false gospel if the world loves you and is okay with your message.