Updated:- Tuesday, November 7th, 2023
Destroyed Them Who Called on Jesus
Today, I shall explore how he who destroyed them who called on Jesus Christ is now preaching that which he opposed and destroyed!
Would you easily accept as a friend a person who you know has destroyed some of your friends? This was Saul of Tarsus’ predicament when he returned to Jerusalem first as a Christian.
Today I’m going to investigate how God could turn our enemies into our friends.
If this is your first time here, hi I am Leroy, I hope this will be time well spent. I am traversing the Book of Acts through weekly Bible study.
Now, I am at Acts 9:20-31. In the last Bible study, I explored Ananias and Saul. I looked at the former’s encounter with the Lord.
Then, I zeroed in on Ananias’ meeting with Saul.
I showed what Ananias did and how it affected Saul and how his behavior changed.
What Did Saul of Tarsus Preach About Jesus Christ?
Today, I shall explore more of those changes but specifically how he who destroyed them who called on Jesus Christ is now preaching that he is the only begotten Son of God.
As I always do, I am going to read the Scriptures from the King James Version of the Bible, that’s the only Bible I use.
So Saul is in Damascus and the Lord has restored his sight. Now, he is a new convert. He’s a Believer in Jesus Christ, and he’s no longer a persecutor of Christ.
For Ananias had baptized him in water calling on the name of Jesus and he had received the Holy Ghost and now he was preaching Christ. Yes, now he’s preaching Christ. So let’s start.
“And straightway Saul preached Christ in the synagogue, that he is the Son of God.”
Acts 9:20
What Are The Basic Qualifications For Ministry?
Therefore, after Ananias baptized Saul in water, calling on the name of Jesus Christ, and he received the Holy Ghost, he became a preacher of Christ.
Basically, those were his qualifications to be a preacher. And they are yours too!
You must believe on Jesus. You must be baptized in his name, and you must receive his Spirit, then you are an instrument of God, a preacher, or a teacher of God.
That’s your basic qualification. It was the basic qualification for all of Jesus’s apostles, or twelve leaders, and disciples and it is today the basic qualification for Christians to enter into ministry.
You don’t need to attend Seminary or Bible College to preach Jesus Christ. You only need to encounter him.
Moreover, most, if not all of them are only driven by their organizational and institutional goals to the extent they ignore what the Bible teaches on any topic!
Consequently, Saul visited the synagogues in Damascus and preached in them that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The Citizens Were Amazed At His Change
“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?”
Acts 9:21
So, everyone in Jerusalem who heard Saul preach Jesus as the Son of God was flabbergasted. Of course, they were, why?
Well, he was the persecutor who arrested anyone who called on the name of Jesus. Furthermore, he came to Damascus for that very purpose, so why shouldn’t they be flabbergasted?
Persecutor Turned Evangelist For Jesus!
The man who had persecuted the church is now preaching about the goodness of God and Christ.
So he has made an about-turn! He’s no longer a persecutor but an evangelist for the same cause he was trying to destroy.
Of course, they would be flabbergasted and you would be surprised too.
Actually, when they heard him convincing the citizens of Damascus in the synagogues, that this Jesus is the only Begotten Son of God whom Moses and all the prophets of God had said would come and he has come and that he is Jesus of Nazareth, they were naturally frightened and afraid.
I Have Heard Quite a Few Exegeses on This!
So what does this mean that Saul of Tarsus increased in strength? And we’ll see this in the next verse.
I’ve heard quite a few exegeses on this verse, but I’m going to explain according to the Scripture what it really means. It’s nothing new.
Sometimes, I think some Bible Teachers go overboard. They dig into the Scriptures to find stuff and then they give their opinions and they don’t use the Scripture as a guide.
But it’s always safe to use the Scriptures as a guide for anything that you say concerning the Word of God.
What Does It Mean That Saul of Tarsus Increased in Strength?
“But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.”
Acts 9:22
Now, recall that he had just completed a three-day and three-night fasting, Saul that is. All that is after his encounter with Jesus.
He got up blind and the Lord sent him to Damascus and he was there for three days and three nights fasting, not eating anything, and blind until Ananias came.
So this is subsequent to that. But despite him having received meat, in other words, despite him having eaten and drank and he was strengthened, yet, he was not fully strong therefore to inform us of this.
The Bible states:
“But Saul increased the more in strength,” in other words he was progressing.
His strength was progressing. He was getting stronger and stronger every day as the day went by.
When you do a three-day three-night abstinence fast, technically it takes you at least three days to get back to your full strength after fasting.
So, it’s nothing much more than that.
He Who Destroyed Them Who Called on Jesus Christ Proved What About Him?
However, as he got stronger he confounded more the Jews who lived in Damascus, by using the Scriptures, proving that this is very Christ.
Subsequently, when the Bible says, “proving that this is very Christ,” it means that he proved without a shadow of a doubt, that this was the Christ that Moses and all the other prophets wrote about.
Many people just get carried away and a bit confused by “proving this is the very Christ.”
This means he proved using the Scriptures, that is the the Old Testament Scriptures, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ.
He is the same person the prophets wrote about, the same Jesus of Nazareth that was crucified and resurrected, that is the man.
So he used the Scriptures to prove without any doubt, that Jesus is very Christ.
Ask Your Questions About He Who Destroyed Them Who Called on Jesus Here!
I also want to take a moment to invite you to hop over to my forum. Visit to ask any question relating to this or any other Bible study.
Visit www.atotheword.com/community.
At that URL, you could ask any questions you have. I know you can comment your questions below this video and I encourage you to do so freely.
Nevertheless, many people don’t want to comment on YouTube because their profile picture is displayed and they prefer to remain private.
My forum is a private place, your communication is not censored and you don’t have to publicly reveal your identity.
There, you could ask any question privately on any topic. I’m in the forums daily. I will answer all your questions.
So let’s return to today’s Bible study.
So now I am at Acts 9:23 and the persecutor turns persecuted.
He Who Destroyed Them Who Called on Jesus Made a Dangerous Switch!
“And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:”
Acts 9:23
“Him” means Saul.
So while Saul was persecuting the church, the religious folks were his friends, but now that he had seen Christ and was spoken to by Christ, and preached Jesus to the Jews, now, they were planning and orchestrating his murder.
Now they are going to persecute him. The persecutor has become the persecuted.
“But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.”
Acts 9:24
These people, were very passionate about killing him, as he was passionate about persecuting the church. But now, the tables have turned.
Why Did These Christians Let Saul Down a Wall in a Basket?
The Lord never promised that we will not have persecution, but he did promise that through all our persecutions he will be there with us and he will see us through, safely.
So then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket. However, observe how the Lord works mysteriously, right?
The same people who Saul came to Damascus to destroy, these are the ones preserving his life now from being taken by his former allies.
“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.”
Acts 9:26
Were You Surprised by How the Christians at Jerusalem Reacted to He Who Destroyed Them Who Called on Jesus Christ?
I wasn’t surprised by how the Believers in Jerusalem reacted to Saul of Tarsus when they met him for the first time as a Christian.
He was well known as a man who destroyed all their friends and all those who call on the name of Jesus in Jerusalem and in other cities.
Therefore, when he tried to associate himself with the disciples in Jerusalem, they were all afraid and suspicious of him, and you will be too and I would be too.
This man was going around arresting and imprisoning all Christians. Then, all of a sudden he wants to be my friend?
I know that in the back of my mind, I would be thinking oh, so you’re trying to arrest me too.
You’re trying to put me away. But this wasn’t the case with Saul. Saul has had a paradigm shift, a crucial paradigm shift.
Barnabas & Saul
This situation described below marks the start of a beautiful friendship between Barnabas and Saul.
By now Saul was in Jerusalem. While he was there, he attempted to associate with the disciples but they were very suspicious and afraid of him.
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.”
Acts 9:27
Saul of Tarsus Rather Impressive Resume as a Christian!
Did you notice how Saul of Tarsus started his Christian Ministry with a rather impressive resume?
And as a new convert at that!
Thus as Barnabas layout his accomplishment as a new believer, we can’t help but perceive how crucial it is to have a personal encounter with Jesus.
He says he had seen the Lord, the Lord had spoken to him, and he had preached that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in Damascus.
These validated him, not as one who destroyed them who called on the name of Jesus Christ, but as a believer in him.
If you have seen the Lord and the Lord and he has spoken to you. Then, now, you come all enthusiastic and full of zeal and preaching that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
You published that he is the same God who helped the Jews in the Old Testament. He’s the same God who became a man and shed his blood and died on Calvary.
Of course, having heard that, you would be convinced that now he has made an about turn, is no longer a destroyer.
As a result, after Barnabas’s explanation of Saul’s conversion, they accepted him as a fellow believer in Jesus Christ.
Then, he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. Acts 9:28.
Why Wouldn’t The Church in Jerusalem Accept Saul?
The Church in Jerusalem wouldn’t have accepted Saul if Barnabas had not spoken to the leaders, then they spoke with the disciples. So you see how very intuitive Barnabas was?
He didn’t go and speak to the disciples; instead, he went to the leaders, and the apostles, and explained to them Saul’s situation.
He related what had transpired between Saul and Jesus, and how he had preached in Damascus.
And when Barnabas, a known believer in Jesus Christ, makes such a recommendation to the leaders, they can’t help but accept him as a new convert and a fellow believer in Jesus Christ.
And that was very important because this is the spawning of a beautiful friendship between Barnabas and Saul, which shall permeate the entire Book of Acts.
So the disciples, having heard the explanation of the apostles, accepted Saul into their company.
Why Did The Jews at Jerusalem Attempt to Kill He Who Destroyed Them Who Called on Jesus Christ?
“And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.”
Acts 9:29
Note that the Jews attempted to kill Saul because he preached in the name of Jesus, which has become a recurring theme.
Recall that this is happening because of a promise the Lord made concerning the things that he must endure for his name’s sake.
We know this because earlier in Acts 9:16, the Lord explained to Ananias that, “I will shew him [meaning Saul] how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” Acts 9:16.
What Was The Reason For Saul’s Bad Experiences?
All the bad things that Saul had experienced up to this point, have happened because he’s been preaching the name of Jesus Christ.
Wherever he went, he preached that Jesus is the Son of God.
Consequently, everything else that he’s going to experience, in this book and for the rest of his life, is going to be because he preached that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
It’s the name!
The battle is about the name. Everybody is claiming, all these leaders from every Faith, claiming that they have authority with God and they are this and they are that, but none can claim that he is the only begotten Son of God, except Jesus Christ.
Because if the Lord sends you, you are his agent, then we listen to you and if we don’t listen to you we’re in problems, and that’s where the judgment will come in for those who don’t listen to Jesus or the doctrine of Jesus.
“Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.”
Acts 9:30
“Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judaea 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.”
Acts 9:31
Why Did The Churches Have Rest?
So after that Saul has been converted from a persecutor to persecuted now he’s fleeing for his life. He ran from Damascus to Jerusalem, from Jerusalem to Caesarea, and then on to Tarsus, his birthplace.
We find that the churches in all the regions had rest. They had rest because now the persecutor becomes the persecuted.
The Lord has turned the table.
The churches had rest meaning he who destroyed them, who called on the name of Jesus, was now preaching Jesus.
There was no more antagonism. There was no more opposition, to the extent where people were arrested and imprisoned or even killed.
Consequently, they were edified and grew in numbers. Eventually, their edification came through the persecutor because he became the main preacher throughout all these regions.
He shall carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Gentiles, kings, and to the Jews.
Conclusion
So I’m going to conclude. We can’t be Christians and not preach Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God.
That is at the center of Christianity. The belief that he is the only begotten Son of God, is at the center of our faith in him.
If he weren’t, we wouldn’t have believed in him. But because he is and has demonstrated that he is and the circumstances, the situation, his actions, and other people’s actions have demonstrated without any doubt that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
We believe in him and we know that he is.
So far, in this Book of Acts Bible series, we observe that followers of Jesus always preach that he is the Son of God.
Peter was the first disciple to preach that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Then, Apostle Philip in Samaria and later, in Gaza, to the Ethiopian Eunuch, and now Saul of Tarsus in Damascus and in Jerusalem.
Have You Preached Jesus Christ Yet?
Have you capitalized on any opportunities that came your way to preach Jesus Christ to a friend, a family member, a stranger, somebody you meet, or somebody at work?
Any opportunity that comes your way, you need to capitalize on it and preach Christ to that person because that might be the only time that person hears about Christ.
Usually, it’s not. Honestly, usually, it’s not, but we are not here by chance and our encounters with others are not by chance.
God orchestrated that the people you come in contact with serve a purpose in your life.
Usually, we don’t know it at first, but in hindsight, later on, we’ll look back and say wow, if I had not met so and so I wouldn’t have been a Christian today, because that person told me about Jesus and how Christ died for me, invited me to give my heart to him and now, later on, I am a Christian because of that meeting.
God Is In Control of Everything
But nothing is by chance. God is in control of everything. He said the hairs on our heads, are not only numbered but are counted. So, he’s in charge of everything, okay?
Finally, I want to reiterate that if you have any questions, head over to my forums at www.atotheword.com/community
and ask your questions there.
I know you could comment on your answers below, but I encourage you, to head over there and ask any questions.
It’s a private space. It’s not censored. I’ll answer all your questions, and I am in the Forum daily.
In closing, I thank you for your time, now I bless you in the mighty name of Jesus. The blessings of the Lord are on you and if the Lord is willing I may see you in another video. Have a good day.
