Acts 9:18-31

¹⁸Immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized.

¹⁹He also had something to eat and felt stronger. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.

²⁰He immediately started speaking in the synagogues, saying, “Jesus is the Son of God.”

²¹All who heard him were amazed, and asked, “Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble in Jerusalem for those who believed in Jesus? Wasn't he coming here to have the believers arrested and taken in chains to the chief priests?”

²²Saul grew more and more confident, proving Jesus was the Messiah so convincingly that the Jews who lived in Damascus could not refute him.

²³Some time later the Jews plotted together to kill him,

²⁴but Saul learned of their intentions. Day and night they waited by the city gates looking for the chance to murder him.

²⁵So during the night his followers took him and lowered him down in a basket from an opening in the city wall.

²⁶When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him because they were not convinced he was really a disciple.

²⁷However, Barnabas took him to meet the apostles, and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. Barnabas also explained how in Damascus Saul had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

²⁸Saul stayed with the apostles and accompanied them all over Jerusalem,

²⁹speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to kill him.

³⁰When the brothers learned of this they took him to Caesarea, and sent him to Tarsus.

³¹During this time the whole church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was left in peace. The church grew strong and increased rapidly in numbers as the believers lived reverently for the Lord, encouraged by the Holy Spirit.