ACTS 9:20

After Saul of Tarsus became a believer in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, the Bible says about Saul in Acts 9:20-22, “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said: Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.” Once Paul was saved, he began preaching that Jesus was the Christ. “From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” “Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so.” It says in Revelation that the saints overcame the evil one by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.

The word that is translated “preached” in this passage is the word that means to publicly proclaim. Paul was not a secret believer. He was not afraid of public opinion. He knew that Jesus wanted him to speak and so he spoke. What did Paul preach about? He preached about Christ. When Paul preached from the Old Testament, he preached about Christ. When Paul preached about his own personal experiences, he preached about Christ. And when Paul preached about Christ, Paul preached about the divinity of Christ. During the first century there was never a question as to if Jesus of Nazareth really existed or not. The only question was: who was Jesus of Nazareth. That was the question when Jesus Himself was on the earth. Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom do men say that I am?” Peter gave the correct answer. He said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That is the same answer that Paul gave, once Paul came to know Jesus personally. The question that every person must ask is this: Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Hopefully the correct answer will be given: Jesus is the Christ, the divine Son of God.

One of the reasons that Saul had such a big initial impact after his salvation was because of how well-known he was as someone who persecuted Christians before his salvation. It shows one more way in which God used the conversion of Saul to spread the gospel. The best situation is to come to know Christ as early as possible and to serve Him from that point forward. But those who have not done so can still use their situation for the glory of God. Do not regret your past too much. Turn from it, become forgiven through Christ, and then use your testimony to spread the gospel. That is what Paul did.

Paul did not look back and become paralyzed by his past. He looked forward and became the best Christian that he could. Verse thirty-two says that Saul “increased the more in strength.” You cannot change the past, but you can change the future by becoming more of the person of faith that God wants you to be. Jesus gave us the perfect life and the perfect example that should have been followed by every person. If you did not follow the example of Jesus in the way that He grew and went from childhood to manhood, then it is one more thing that shows how sinful you were. And we all have been exceedingly sinful.

When Jesus came into the world, somehow He emptied Himself of the divine prerogatives. He came as a baby and then without sinning, we are told in Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” That is the way that life should have been lived by every human being. But you probably failed to do so just like Saul had failed to do so. But once you become forgiven of your sins, there is one thing that you can do. You can take this new life in Christ that has been given to you and you can begin growing in strength and in wisdom. That is what Paul did. As soon as Paul became saved, Luke observed Paul’s life and Luke said in Acts 9:22, “But Saul increased the more in strength.”

The Bible says in Acts 9:23-25, “And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took council to kill him. But their laying in wait was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.” Once he was saved, Paul was brave and he was bold for the testimony of Christ, and undoubtedly he was willing to die if he had to, but if he could do otherwise, he stayed alive so that he could live another day to spread the gospel. When he knew that there were those who wanted to kill him, he did not permit them to take him. Instead, Paul escaped by being let down the wall surrounding the city of Damascus in a basket. Years later when Paul was taken captive, he appealed unto Caesar in order to escape possible death from the authorities in Palestine. Paul never did what was wrong in order to get a chance to do what was right, but he also did not allow the enemies of Christ to strike him down without doing what he could to keep it from happening.

When Paul left Damascus, he went back to Jerusalem; and the Bible says in Acts 9:26-31, “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.”

Again we see someone else here in the early days of the Apostle Paul who helps him. Back in Damascus it was Ananias. Here in Jerusalem it is Barnabas. The Christian life is meant to be a team effort. If someone takes the gifts that God has given to them, and uses those gifts the best that they can without help from anyone, then yes, that person will be able to accomplish a little bit in this world. But if others come along and help that person who is gifted, much more will be accomplished. Barnabas helped Paul to come into contact with the other apostles and to get to know them.

Notice the emphasis that the Apostle Paul was now making in all of these situations, whether he was in Damascus or Jerusalem, and whether he was around Jews or Christians or heathen. Acts 9:20 says about Paul, “he preached Christ.” Acts 9:22 says that Paul was “proving that this is very Christ.” Acts 9:27 says that Paul “preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.” Acts 9:29 says, “And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Do you get the message of what Paul spoke about? He spoke about Jesus. Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and ever since that event took place, Paul did not stop speaking about Jesus. Paul wrote in First Corinthians 2:2, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” If you want to be more like the Apostle Paul, then speak more about Jesus.

Up until the Apostle Paul had been saved, it had been a time of great persecution for the believers in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. But finally God brought a time of peace and a time of rest for believers in those regions. One thing about life is that things change. If things are going bad, at least you know that they will not stay bad forever. If things are going good, watch out, because they may not stay good forever either. Some people think that a time of peace and prosperity is when freedom is most endangered. When believers find themselves in a time of peace, how should they use that situation?

Acts 9:31 gives a good example of what to do in a time of peace. It says that the believers walked in the fear of the Lord, in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and were multiplied. If you fear the Lord, it means that you have respect for the way that the Lord wished you to live. You know that there will eventually be bad consequences for bad actions. In other words, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” One reason that peace and prosperity does not continue is because of sin that enters into the land. These believers walked in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Even though they had peace in their land, it was the internal peace that only the Holy Spirit can give that was their comfort.

The result of walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit is that they were multiplied. In other words more people came to believe in the Lord. If the Spirit of God leads you and leads the steps that you take, then people will be touched by the Lord through you; and if they respond in the right way, people will be added to the Lord, and your numbers will be multiplied. There is no guarantee that it will happen, because people still must respond in the right way; but at least if you walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, you will have done your part and will not have hindered it from happening.

In Acts 9:32 we stop hearing about the Apostle Paul for a while, and for several chapters we are told about things involving primarily the Apostle Peter. Acts 9:32-35 says, “And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole; arise and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.”

Just as with the miracles that took place during the life of Christ, these miracles in the book of Acts have a symbolic and spiritual significance to them. Usually there is a lot of symbolism in reference to the salvation of the soul. For example, this man named Aeneas was bed-ridden and unable to walk. Lost souls of the world are unable to redeem themselves or find spiritual life on their own. They need a Savior. The Savior can do what no one can do for himself. Aeneas could not get up out of his bed by himself, and you cannot be saved from your sins by yourself.

Jesus Christ, raised from the dead and alive, is the only one who can save you. No religion, no church, and no holy person can help in your hour of greatest need: only Jesus Himself. Peter did not heal this man. Peter did not even claim to have the gift of healing. Peter said to the man, “Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.” Those of us who preach the gospel cannot save anyone. We can only do what Peter did and say to the lost souls, “Jesus Christ can save you. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

Somehow after Peter said what he said, Jesus came to this man and healed him. That is how salvation works also. The believer gives out the gospel, the Word of God goes forth, and somehow hearts are touched by Jesus. It is all the work of Jesus. We simply proclaim His name. The power is not in us. The power is in Jesus and in His name.

When Jesus healed Aeneas, the man was healed immediately. It was not a natural process. It was supernatural. Aeneas was afflicted, and then he met Jesus and was no longer afflicted. Before you were saved, you were afflicted by the guilt if sin and by spiritual blindness. Once you met Jesus, the guilt of sin was immediately taken from you, and you were immediately taken from darkness to light. If you have never been touched by Jesus in this way, you can be today. Behold Jesus Christ, and believe on Him.

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