Antagonist Becomes Apologist - Acts 9-10

 Acts 9:23-26 (ESV)

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.

Saul in Jerusalem

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.

The conversion of Paul has many turns and twist in the subplot of the story.  The basic story is that God can take the major antagonist against us and make that person the standard barrier for us.   That is an amazing act of God’s grace.   Instead of crushing the adversary with His wrath, God converts him by His grace.   He then starts to preach God’s Word.  Then, after many days, he, too, begins to be persecuted.  The persecutor is now the persecuted.   We have no idea about the length of the “many days” comment.   In the previous verses (20-21) we are told that after his conversion, Paul stayed in Damascus “some days.”   There are many theories as to how long this was, but we do know that during those days He “increased” in more strength (spiritually) and “confounded” the Jews (those he once worked for).   This was so much power that these very Jews who commissioned him to destroy the church now wanted to kill him.   So, “his disciples” rescued him by putting him in a basket to allow him to escape.  But, note, when he escaped by the hands of “his disciples” we read that upon arriving in Jerusalem“the disciples” did not trust that he was a believer.  Here we have one of the first examples of Satan trying to destroy the church on the inside.   We see that God went to great lengths to convert the antagonist, only to turn the disciples in Jerusalem to reject God’s marvelous act of grace.   Fortunately Barnabas will come along and introduce and vouch for Paul.  But, on the surface God’s grace in the life of Paul was initially rejected by the eyes and hearts of believers.   That is how Satan wants to destroy our churches.  God can convert someone by His marvelous grace, but we hold back our grace to form a “wait and see” mentality.   God is trying to convert the world and we are suspicious of the work He does.   Let that be a change in our hearts and minds about those who arriving in our fellowships and want to embrace our Lord, as we do.