Saul’s Mission (Acts 9:19-31)
Introduction
There are certain things in life that we simply like to stay the same. There is a certain comfort in consistency. We know what to expect. We know who people are. We know where we stand.
This is true until it is not. Things change, and the challenge is figuring out what to do with the change. This is true today as it was for the early church.
The early church knew that Saul was a threat. The church knew that Saul sought to destroy the church. The problem: Saul no longer desires to destroy the church, but to build it up.
You can understand how the people wonder if this man has really changed. Has he changed?
And those questions really bring us to the heart of this passage. Saul does not become credible simply because he is intelligent, gifted, educated, or persuasive. However, the church does eventually embrace Saul. Why does the church embrace this persecutor?
Saul Is Not Immediately Embraced
It is difficult for us to understand the early church’s skepticism. We think of the Apostle Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We think of him as a brilliant apologist who defends Christ’s gospel.
The early church has to adjust its mindset regarding Saul. This is a man who condoned the execution of your friend. He has papers to destroy you. How do you embrace this man? Saul is a changed man who has encountered Christ, is humbled by Christ, and so now he promotes the church.
The synagogue does not embrace this right away, but eventually it does. Why? Luke tells us that Saul grows in strength. Saul does not grow taller or spend more time in the gym. The point is that Saul is growing in credibility. This is why those who hear him are confused by this change. He is the man who should destroy them, but instead he is proclaiming the Gospel.
We might think that Saul is just a very gifted speaker. It seems that Saul is very articulate and capable when we read his writings. However, we need to be careful with this. There is always the temptation to put our confidence in personalities. We are impressed by intelligence, charisma, education, speaking ability, or influence. But none of those things ultimately establish his credibility.
The thing that establishes his credibility is that Saul stands with the canon’s tradition. Saul is preaching the true Gospel.
Saul Tastes His Own Medicine
Saul was the hunter, but now he is the hunted. The city is watching for him. This is the same language that is used when the Pharisees try to watch Christ (Luke 14). They are not watching to learn from Christ, but watching to destroy Christ. They want to capture Saul to destroy him.
And there is something almost humorous about the way Saul eventually escapes. The great persecutor of the church is lowered over a wall in a basket. When Saul reflects on this in 2 Corinthians 11, he does not boast about his significance, but this is a moment he is ashamed of his weakness.
The Lord has captured him. Here Saul runs, but later in his ministry he will stand before kings and defend the faith. He will stand before the Areopagus and present the Gospel. He will defend the Gospel against critics even inside the church itself.
Ultimately, Saul will learn to depend on Christ, wait upon Christ, and realize that his life is determined by Christ. Saul escapes from Damascus and goes to Jerusalem.
Saul Goes into Hiding
When Saul arrives in Jerusalem, the disciples are afraid of him. We are in Stephen’s home turf, and the people remember that Saul was venomous against the Gospel. Saul was present when Stephen was stoned. This is another situation where we wonder: will Saul be accepted?
Barnabas steps in. Barnabas does not deny Saul's past. He does not pretend Saul had always been a good man. He does not say, "You're all misunderstanding him." Barnabas bears witness to what Christ has done. Christ captured Saul on the road to Damascus. Saul has boldly preached Christ in the synagogues in Damascus.
This is not Barnabas sweeping issues under the rug. Barnabas does not say, “Sure he killed some people, but look at the greater good!” He does not say, “Well, sure there are some issues that he needs to address, but look at the large crowd he draws! Can’t we overlook a few personal issues?” Barnabas does not appeal to Saul’s giftedness, his charisma, but to the substance of Saul’s preaching. He preaches the resurrected Christ.
Saul defends Christ as the Messiah. His defense is in line with the canonical words of Scripture. It is the canon that gives Saul credibility, as he operates within the confines of the canon. His credibility is not in his personality, but in the tradition of Scripture and Christ’s calling on the Damascus road. His mission is confirming that calling. It is about Christ, the Lord’s word, and Saul’s preaching in line with the Scripture.
It is rooted in Christ and in the gospel Saul proclaims. In fact, he is so tied to the message that he suffers for the message. He ends up fleeing Jerusalem. We do not read about Saul again until Barnabas goes to look for him (Acts 11).
This does not mean that the church has failed. Yes, there is conflict, persecution, and not a golden-age victory. However, the kingdom is still present. Then Luke gives us that beautiful summary of the church: the church has peace, is being built up, walks in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
The fear of the Lord is not terror. It is the awe and the love for the living God. It is seeking to do his will because this honors him. It is doing it because it is Christ who has redeemed. It is in the power of the Spirit as we walk in the Spirit’s comfort. We are thankful that Christ has completed our redemption and secured us once and for all.
Conclusion
So, how does Saul gain that credibility?
His credibility is not grounded in his personality. It is not about his gifts or his charismatic ability to capture an audience. No, it is something more.
Christ appeared to him. Saul witnessed the resurrected Christ. Saul preaches a gospel in line with the prophetic tradition. Saul’s contribution to the canon is not Saul standing over the canon, but continuing the testimony that Christ is the suffering Messiah who lives to make intercession for his people.
Saul’s credibility rests in the fact that his message is in line with the Lord’s word. Saul preaches the consistent Gospel. He is not writing new things, but clarifying and making explicit what was hidden prior to Christ’s advent. What Saul did not see, now he sees clearly and explains.
These are not merely words that we hear week after week. They are words of life. They are the means by which God draws us near to himself. They are the means by which we know Christ. They are the means by which we are reminded that our salvation does not rest upon our own wisdom, strength, or credibility.