Daily Thoughts from Acts: Godly Listening (Acts 9:20-31)

And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 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?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.

And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.  But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.  (Acts 9:20-31 ESV)

Paul’s calling and gifting is immediately apparent as the faith he once persecuted he now defends most ably.  With the same fervor he had against Christianity he defends it.  But in so doing he becomes the lightning rod for that same murderous hatred from his fellow Jews that he once had.  We are not told what evidences he used to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, but can gauge from sermons Luke records by Paul and others that he used Old Testament passages that showed Messiah had to suffer death (Isaiah 53), and would be resurrected (Psalm 16:10 and Psalm 2) and the spread of this message to the Gentiles (Isaiah 55:3-5; Amos 9:11,12), as well as the evidence of John the Baptist’s preaching about Jesus and the testimony of the apostles that he rose from the dead.

A decision is made, as the threat against Paul’s life becomes evident, that Paul should escape the city.  We are told “his” disciples help him escape Damascus.  He is already teaching believers there how the Scriptures (our Old Testament) confirm Jesus’ identity as Messiah.  Christians are called “disciples” according to Luke, learners, and as learners some have attached themselves to this new convert to learn from him how to proclaim Messiah.

Paul gains a mentor of his own when he comes to Jerusalem, Barnabas, the encourager, who takes time to hear his story while all others fear, and who vouches for him to the apostles.  Saul continues to proclaim Jesus in Jerusalem but finds the same hatred in Jerusalem as he seeks to defend the Way to his former synagogue allies, the Hellenists, the ones with whom he killed Stephen.  So again a decision is made to send him away.  Going to his home town of Tarsus, no doubt a decision of his own as to where he wants to go, gives him time to develop his understanding and, perhaps, share it with his family, and gives the church a time of rest.  Through the Holy Spirit they experience comfort despite persecution and they multiply conversions.

How important it is to have people who will listen to you.  Paul has his disciples who listen to him.  He has Barnabas who listens to him.  The one listens to learn, the other to help.  We can be both kinds of listeners.  Who can you learn the faith from?  Who has demonstrated expertise that you can benefit from?  And who needs your listening ear to be able to be understood and helped?  Who can you be a Barnabas to today?