Acts 9:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him,

NIV: but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.

NASB: but their plot became known to Saul. They were also closely watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death;

CSB: but Saul learned of their plot. So they were watching the gates day and night intending to kill him,

NLT: They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot.

KJV: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

NKJV: But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him.

Saul is a Jewish man born in Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia. He was raised in Jerusalem under the tutelage of Gamaliel, one of the most honored Pharisees at the time (Acts 22:3). Saul's devotion to the Mosaic law drove him to lead a campaign against the very early church (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2). Much to his surprise, on his way to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers and bring them to trial in Jerusalem, Saul meets the risen Jesus. Saul converts, becoming the thing he hated, and immediately puts his Pharisee training into practice by going to the synagogues and showing how Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the prophecies of the Jewish Messiah (Acts 9:1–22).

Taking 2 Corinthians 11:32–33 and Galatians 1:15–17 into consideration, it's apparent that Saul left Damascus at some point, and went into the Arabian wilderness, with a total span covering three years. It's thought he used this time to either refine his understanding of Christianity, or to study the relation between following Jesus and Judaism. It's unclear if Acts 9:23–25 records his first or second exit from Damascus.

Throughout Saul's ministry spreading the news about Jesus, he will make several close escapes. Among these, he will flee from Iconium (Acts 14:4–7), survive a stoning in Lystra (Acts 14:19), and be forced to leave Berea by his own people for his own safety (Acts 17:13–15). The Bible does not promise that we will always escape danger, even that which we encounter serving God. But God promises to give us what we need to fulfill the purposes He has for us. For Saul, that means escaping a city wall in a basket (Acts 9:25).

Acts 9:20–25 describes what happens right after Saul, the mortal enemy of the young church, becomes a follower of Jesus Christ. He had come to Damascus to arrest Christians; now he is a Christian. Immediately upon his conversion, he goes to the synagogues and explains how Jesus of Nazareth fits the prophecies of the Jewish Messiah. At some point, he will spend time in Arabia, then return to Damascus (Galatians 1:17–18). Finally, he will return to Jerusalem and attempt to introduce himself to a very wary church. Fortunately, although the apostles will be skeptical, Barnabas will take him under his wing (Acts 9:26–27).

Acts 9 sets the stage for the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles. Saul continues the persecution of the church by traveling to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers. Before he reaches the city, Jesus confronts him. Saul realizes Jesus is the Messiah and immediately starts spreading the news, first in Damascus and later in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Peter travels to modern-day Tel Aviv to heal a paralyzed man and bring a dead woman back to life. The miracles aren't unusual, but the story leaves him in Joppa, poised to take the next step in Jesus' mandate to be His witness (Acts 1:8).

The murder of the Jesus-follower Stephen has ignited a fierce persecution against the church, led by a young Pharisee-trained man named Saul (Acts 7:54—8:3; 9:1–2). When he realizes Jesus truly is the Messiah, that fervor fuels his own evangelism (Acts 9:3–30). Meanwhile, Peter travels to the coast of Judea. Soon, he will teach a prominent Gentile household about Jesus and discover that Gentiles can be saved (Acts 10). The stage will be set for Saul to spread the saving news of Jesus to ''the end of the earth'' (Acts 1:8) under the Greek version of his name: Paul.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.