Acts 9:1-31 Saul's Conversion -- 5/6/07 (The Lord's Church)

Sunday Morning, May 6, 2007

Acts 9 -- The Conversion of Saul

1. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2. And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

Saul was introduced to us at the end of chapter 7, where we are told that the witnesses who were the first to stone Stephen laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul (7:58). We are given more information in the first part of chapter 8. Let’s review that in 8:1-4…
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

Now we are given even more information about the zeal of this man who was consumed with his quest to destroy the church of Jesus Christ. Among those who were scattered abroad because of the persecution and went everywhere preaching the word, Philip was a prime example. In the same way, the prime example of the persecutors is Saul.

We must understand the extent of this persecution by Saul. The King James and most translations render verse 1 something like this: "Still breathing out threatenings and slaughter…" The only problem with that translation is that the Greek word translated "breathing out" means "to breathe in, to inhale." This is the only place it is used in the New Testament. Listen to the translation of the Amplified Bible: "Meanwhile Saul, still drawing his breath hard from threatening and murderous desire against the disciples of the Lord…" The idea seems to be that these threatenings and slaughter were the very life breath of Saul. As Jesus’ meat was to do the will of Him that sent Him and to finish His work (Jn. 4:34), Saul’s meat was to make havoc of the church, to destroy it by any and all means possible.

Not only did this persecution reach deep into the soul of this man so as to consume him, but it reached deep into the church and was a great grief for the believers, no doubt. Let me read you more of Saul’s own testimony, related later, after he had become a believer…
Acts 22:4… "And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women."
Acts 22:19-20… "And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him."
Acts 26:9-11… "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities."
Gal 1:13-14… "For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14. And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers."

This trip to Damascus wasn’t his first such trip by any means, as he testified that he persecuted the Christians even to strange (that is, "foreign") cities.

Notice that he had authority from the high priest to the synagogues? The synagogues, of course, were the Jewish communities of worship and instruction, where the Jews gathered every sabbath day. Why did Saul specifically want to go to the synagogues? That was where the Jews gathered, but why did he expect to find Christians there?

First of all, remember that it was in the synagogue that Stephen was debating about Jesus. In 6:9 we read that there arose certain of the synagogue, disputing with Stephen. That was the most natural place for believers to find people ripe for the gospel, for the Jewish people were looking for the Messiah. And at this point in time, it was still not widely accepted that anyone other than Jews could have a relationship with God. Later, a converted Saul would do the very same thing, entering into the synagogues to share the good news of Jesus, the Messiah. But at this point, he was looking for Christians. It didn’t matter to him whether they were men or women. He did not discriminate, binding them and bringing them back to Jerusalem for trial.

3. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5. And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Saul was pursuing Christians, but unknown to Saul, he himself was being pursued by what one author called "the hound of heaven." That would be the Lord Jesus Himself. The Lord chose to catch up to Saul as he drew near Damascus. He struck him down with a blinding light. We learn from Saul’s later testimony (Acts 22:6; 26:13) that it was about midday when he was struck down by this heavenly light. Imagine that; it was brighter than the sun. And then He confronted Saul with these words: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

We read the words easily enough, as most of us have read them many, many times. Take time to think about Saul. This was one powerful man. As we will see, he was greatly feared. Though he was annoyed by the Christians, he had things under control. He knew what he wanted, and he knew how to get it. Now, all of a sudden, he was powerless. In a moment, he had been reduced to nothing. And worst of all, he had to deal with this voice that seemed to come out of heaven, saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

Saul responded, "Who are you, Lord?" Over the years, there has been much ink spilled concerning the meaning of the word "Lord." It has been noted that the term could be used to mean, "Sir," and that is true. Some assert that this is the meaning here. "Sir, who are you?" While it is true that Saul wasn’t sure who was speaking to him, surely he recognized him as more than a "Sir." Whether he was aware of it or not, he was in the presence of God Himself. Surely he spoke with fear and trembling when he said, "Who are you, Lord?"

Then comes the heavenly response: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." Now Saul knew exactly whom this was who had struck him down with the blinding light. It was Jesus, the one Saul hated and despised, the very one whose followers Saul was trying to destroy.

But wait a minute. Saul wasn’t persecuting Jesus; he was persecuting the followers of Jesus. Jesus hadn’t been on the earth for several years now. Remember, He was at the right hand of the Father, the right hand of power. How could Jesus say that Saul was persecuting Him? Surely we can’t miss t he implications of this statement. To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus. What is the church? Is it not the body of Christ? Is it not the family of God? Is it not the bride of Christ? It is impossible to beat the leg of a body and not be attacking the head as well. In the same way, it is impossible to persecute the followers of Christ and not persecute Christ Himself. Jesus is bound up with His people, as He testifies here in such a powerful way.

Now we come to the words, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." Some of you who are reading other translations will not have these words or the first part of verse 6. The NIV and NASV have no notation at all, and there seems to be some justification for their omission of these words. If you would like to discuss it, I would be happy to do so. At any rate, these words are included in Acts 26:14, where a converted Saul is testifying of this experience. "…Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." So whether the words should be here in chapter 9 or not, we know that the Lord Jesus did indeed speak these words to Saul.

But what do they mean? This picture is drawn from the oxen pulling some instrument such as a cart. The owner would attach a sharp goad not too far behind the feet of the ox. If the ox tried to kick and become unruly, he would kick against those sharp goads. If he wanted to continue kicking and rebelling against his master, he would have to endure much pain. Jesus is telling Saul that it isn’t easy for him to go on opposing and fighting against Him. This reveals that Saul was having to bury some pangs of conscience. While he was very convincing to the outward eye, demonstrating that he had no questions whatsoever about what he was doing, that wasn’t the whole truth. Down deep, there were nagging questions that were hard for Saul to keep pushing down.

What do you think bothered Saul? Don’t forget how we are first introduced to Saul, as the one who was consenting to Stephen’s death. Do you think Saul was able to forget about that? It wasn’t so much that Stephen was put to death, but it was how he died. How could Saul forget the peace he saw in Stephen, as he looked steadfastly into heaven? How could Saul possibly forget those words, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge?" How could he put out of his mind the calm with which Stephen said, "Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit"? Surely those were the pricks that were hard for him to kick against.

As with the closing words of verse 5, so it is with the opening words of verse 6. Most translations won’t have the question of Saul: "Lord, what do you want me to do?", but we do find those words in the later testimony of Acts 22:10, "And I said, What shall I do, Lord?" Saul was helpless before the Lord of the universe, the One to whom was given all authority in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18). Jesus answered very simply and directly, "Arise, and go into the city, and you will be told what to do."
7. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

If this was a frightening experience for Saul, it was no less frightening for the men who were traveling with him. They heard the voice, but they saw no one. Some of you have probably noticed in the past the apparent contradiction between this verse and the later testimony of Acts 22:9, "And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me." So Luke here records that they heard the voice, but later Saul (Paul) would say that they didn’t hear the voice. Is this a contradiction?
John MacArthur (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1676) states: "This is no contradiction with 9:7. Since Jesus spoke only to Paul, only he understood the Lord’s words. His companions heard the sound, but could not make out the words." MacArthur points to John 12:29, as a parallel situation. Let’s read John 12:28-29, "Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him." They heard the voice, but they didn’t understand the words.

Some have supported this interpretation by the technicalities of the Greek language. There are actually four references to this incident in Acts. Before I read each one, let me explain the grammar. In the Greek language, nouns have different forms, which indicate cases. To put it simply, I could say, "I heard a voice." Many maintain that by using one form of the word "voice," I would mean that I heard the voice, but had no understanding (genitive case). By using another form of the word "voice," I would be saying that I had heard the voice and had understanding of the voice (accusative case). With that in mind, listen to the four instances and the particular case that is used…
Acts 9:7… "And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing [gen] a voice, but seeing no man."
Acts 22:9… "And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not [acc]the voice of him that spake to me."
Acts 22:14… "And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear [acc] the voice of his mouth."
Acts 26:14… "And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard [acc]a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."

8. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

Isn’t this some picture! The mighty Saul being led by the hand into Damascus. The zealous persecutor has been reduced to nothing. Is. 2:17, "And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." Saul got a glimpse of that day. Ultimately, man’s pride will not stand against Almighty God, but "every knee shall bow…and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10-11).

10. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12. And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

And now enters an unknown disciple of the Lord. Saul is the chief persecutor, but the one the Lord chose to speak to him is simply "a certain disciple." God didn’t send Peter, or John, and James, but this common Christian named Ananias. This man appears outside of this passage only one time, and that one time is when the converted Saul later speaks of him, as he gives his testimony. However, that reference actually tells us more about Ananias than we find in this passage. Acts 22:12, "And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there."

The Lord’s instructions to Ananias are perfectly clear. The Lord even gives him the street and the name of the man who owns the house. But, no doubt, what caught the attention of Ananias was that name "Saul of Tarsus."

Now we must understand that the Lord had also prepared Saul for the coming of Ananias. Notice again the words of the Lord to Ananias in verse 12, "And [Saul] hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive is sight." This preparation made for a definite confirmation of the Lord’s work, when Ananias would later come and then lay his hands on Saul.
13. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

Just as we suspected, Ananias does indeed know the name of Saul of Tarsus. As a matter of fact, he knows a great deal about the chief persecutor of the church. He has heard about how he has treated the saints in Jerusalem. More than that, he knows about Saul’s coming to Damascus to round up Christians. It is doubtful Saul intended that to be public knowledge, but the believers of Damascus obviously knew.

By the way, this is only the second occurrence of the word "saints" in the New Testament. The first is in Matt. 27:52, "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose." While the "saints" spoken of there most likely refers to the God-believing men and women of the old covenatn, the term here refers to the believers in Jerusalem. Throughout the New Testament, we find this word "saints," which means "set apart ones," speaking of Christians, all Christians. [Used 62 times in the New Testament, and two thirds of the usages are by this same man Saul].

15. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

At this point Ananias knows far more about Saul’s future than Saul himself. Notice what the Lord reveals about his future. First of all, he is a chosen vessel unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn’t that amazing! The Lord’s worst enemy is suddenly His chosen vessel. We have read about the great miracles performed by Peter and John, and then by Philip, but none of them can match this miracle. Praise God for all the miracles He does, but there is no miracle greater than the change of the inner man, the conversion of one who is a rebel against God.

As a chosen vessel (instrument), what would Saul be doing? The Lord says that he will bear His name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. As you read the book of Acts, watch for the fulfillment of these words. You will surely find it.

Last of all, the Lord says that He will show Saul what great things he must suffer on behalf of His name. The one who had been inflicting such great suffering will now be on the receiving end. The persecutor is about to become the persecuted. Later on, writing from prison, Paul would express his great desire to "know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death" (Phil. 3:10).

It is true that Saul would suffer great things for Christ, but we must understand that every believer has been called to suffer for Jesus. I repeat, every believer has been called to suffer for Jesus. If you don’t believe it, just read the Word of God. Don’t look at your own experience or the experience of others, but look at the truth of the Word. Our experience can deceive us, but God cannot lie. Listen to God’s Word…
Mat 5:10-12… "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you"
Acts 14:21-22… "And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22. Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."
Rom 8:16-18… "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us"
2 Tim 3:12… "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

17. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

There is no argument from Ananias. He received the Lord’s instructions and proceeded to carry them out. He feared God more than he feared any man, including Saul. He trusted what God said, not what his inner feelings told him. And when he had found Saul, he put his hands on him and addressed him as "Brother Saul." That is no small thing. I suppose that address may be open to interpretation, and some might take it to mean Ananias was speaking to him as a fellow-Jew, but I understand it to mean he was receiving Saul as a brother in Christ. The account here is given in a very condensed version. What we must understand is that a great breaking had occurred in Saul’s life. He was not the same man. The Lord had put His life within Saul; he had been born again.

While it is not recorded here that Ananias relayed to Saul the words he had heard from Jesus, it is assumed. In the testimony of Acts 22, it is spelled out more clearly. We won’t do it this morning, but you can piece together more of the details by comparing what we have here in chapter 9 with Saul’s personal account in chapters 22 and 26.

The immediate need of Saul right now was to have his eyesight restored. Ananias told him that he had also been sent in order that Saul might be filled with the Spirit. When Ananias had spoken these words (more than what is recorded here), Saul was able to see again. Then he arose and was baptized.

People will debate whether the filling of the Spirit spoken of by Ananias was the initial reception of the Spirit or a subsequent filling for service. That doesn’t seem vitally important. What we know is that Saul received life through the Spirit and it was the Spirit who equipped him to carry out the commission given him by the Master.

Praise God for Ananias! God didn’t send one of the 12 apostles to deal with Saul; he sent Ananias. While this may seem to have little importance, it became very important to Saul (Paul), for later in writing to the Galatians he would go to great lengths to show that his commission from the Lord was totally independent of the 12 apostles.

19. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 21. 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? 22. But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

Isn’t that beautiful? Saul was "with the disciples which were at Damascus." Who but our God could have brought that about? When he would later write to the Galatians, Saul (Paul) would say of the churches in Judaea, "But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed" (Gal. 1:23). And that is exactly what Saul did in Damascus. He went into the synagogues and proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ and the Son of God. The synagogue was his original destination, but now he is the one doing the very thing he hoped to catch the Christians doing. And the people in the synagogues were indeed amazed. These Jews were also aware that Saul was coming to arrest Christians. They had trouble believing what had happened. As for Saul, his preaching was very effective, as he was able to demonstrate (no doubt, from the scriptures) that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah.

23. And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: 24. But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. 25. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. 26. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem…

Notice that it was after "many days" that the Jews took counsel to kill Saul. Luke gives us no way of knowing how long that period of time was. However, Paul’s own testimony is very helpful, especially what he writes in Gal. 1:15-18…
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

So here is the order of events…
… Conversion in Damscus
… Time in Arabia
… Back to Damascus
… Jewish plot to kill Saul; escape over the wall
… To Jerusalem to visit with Peter
The three years of Gal. 1:18 most likely includes all the time from Saul’s conversion to his visit in Jerusalem. Most of that time would have spent in Arabia. Paul gives us further information in 2 Cor 11:32-33, "In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33. And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands." Aretas was the king of an Arabian tribe called the Nabateans. At that time, the Nabateans were in control of Damascus. In Acts 9, we read that it was the Jews who plotted to kill Saul. Apparently the Jews stirred up the secular authorities under Aretas against Saul. Later during Saul’s (Paul’s) missionary journeys, we will find the Jews continuing to do this very thing.

Isn’t it interesting that Saul is lowered down over the way in a basket, in order that he might escape with his life. When Philip was on the road to Gaza, the Spirit caught him away to another place. Surely the Lord could have done the same with Saul, but that is not the way He chose to do it. Perhaps part of the reason is that He was working to bless Saul with a humble heart. The man who came confidently to Damascus, breathing out fire against the followers of Jesus, is now helplessly cramped in a basket, at the mercy of those he had vowed to destroy. What a mighty God we serve!

26. 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. 27. 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. 28. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

Having escaped Damascus, where would Saul go? To Jerusalem. But why Jerusalem? Probably because he knew he would find believers there. In light of the Lord’s call to him and what we read in Galatians 1, he seemed eager to see Peter, who was the leader of the apostles. But there was a problem. When he tried to join himself to the disciples in Jerusalem, they didn’t want to have anything to do with him. They were afraid of him. They remembered well how he had persecuted the disciples in Jerusalem. The truth is that they did not believe he was now a disciple of Jesus.

Notice the first two words of verse 27, "But Barnabas…" There was one man who was willing to risk his neck for Saul, and it was Barnabas, whose name means "Son of Encouragment." What an encouragement he must have been to Saul. Barnabas carefully explained to them how the Lord had spoken to Saul and how Saul had then freely preached Jesus at Damascus. We might ask how Barnabas knew all this. I suspect he learned it by sitting down and visiting with Saul. As a result of Barnabas’ conciliatory work, we read that Saul "was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem." That is a way of saying that he had good fellowship with the Jerusalem disciples.

29. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. 30. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

Later we will read the words that he wrote to the Corinthians, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (I Cor. 9:16). We see that same attitude here; Saul was eager to share the Lord Jesus with others. On this occasion, he was debating with the Grecians. As we saw in chapter 6, these were the Hellenistic Jews, those Jews who generally spoke Greek and had adopted much of the Greek culture. These were the very people with whom Stephen had debated, and who opposed him to the death (see Acts 6:9).

So now there is a second plot to kill Paul. The first took place earlier in Damascus, and now the Grecian Jews of Jerusalem want him dead. But when some of the Christian brothers became aware of the plot, they escorted Paul down to Caesarea. [Just a quick word about the term "down," often used geographically, as here and in 8:5, where Philip went down to Samaria. How could Philip go "down" to Samaria, when Samaria was north of his starting point in Jerusalem? "Down" had to do with elevation, not direction. Whenever people went somewhere from Jerusalem, they always went down, because the city was set on a hill]. From Caesarea, they sent Saul on to Tarsus, which was home to him.

31. 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.

Here we have another of those summary statements. All the churches of Israel (Palestine) had rest. That included the churches of Judaea, Galilee, and Samaria. Why did they have rest? Primarily because of what God had done in the life of Saul. No doubt, there were others to pick up the task of persecuting the Christians, but who could take the place of Saul? Not only did they have rest, but they were edified. That is, the churches were built up. This isn’t talking about numbers; this is speaking of their spiritual development and equipping. "Edify" simply means "to build up." How can we read this without referring to Eph. 4:11-16… (NKJV)
11. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12. for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13. till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14. that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15. but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16. from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Not only were the churches built up in spirit, but we also read that they were multiplied. As was the case in the earlier chapters, the Lord continued to add to the church. This growth came in the midst of a holy, God-given attitude that was evident among God’s people. They lived out their daily lives in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. That word "comfort" is the one we have encountered before. It comes from that word that literally means "to call alongside." They lived in the comfort of the Comforter. When Jesus taught His apostles about the coming of the Holy Spirit, He called Him the Comforter, the One called alongside.

Notice how these two attitudes are coupled together – the fear of the Lord and the exhortation (calling alongside) of the Spirit. It is the work of the Spirit that grows us in the fear of the Lord. We read in Ps. 34:11, "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD." Those of the words of David, but they are fitting to be spoken by the Holy Spirit, because He does indeed teach us the fear of the Lord. As we are led by the Spirit, we are given grace to view all things in light of what the Lord will think, rather than what man will think.
Conclusion
This story is a powerful reminder of who it is we serve! To the outward eye, it must have appeared the church of Jesus Christ didn’t have a chance against its enemies, led by Saul of Tarsus. This man had all the authority and power of the Jewish nation at his command. Add to that the fact that no one was his equal when it came to zeal. As the believers of chapter 4 applied Psalm 2 to the authorities of their day, we might do the same with mighty Saul. Let’s read it from Ps. 2:1-4…
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

What Pharaoh was to God’s people in Egypt, Saul was to God’s people in his day. And as God glorified Himself through Pharaoh, so He glorified Himself through Saul. But what we see here is even more glorious than what we see in the case of Pharaoh. God delivered His people out of Pharaoh’s hand, but as far as we know, Pharaoh went to his grave opposing God. Here we find God delivering His people from the hand of Saul that He might give them back to the care of a converted Saul, whom we know as Paul. Pharaoh was lost, but Saul became a chosen vessel of the Lord, even that apostle born out of due time. What a mighty God we serve!

Do you know of anyone who is beyond God’s reach? Do you know anyone who opposed Jesus Christ more bitterly than Saul of Tarsus? Put yourself in the Jerusalem of his day. Someone says to you, "I am praying for Saul of Tarusus." "Why would you pray for him? He is determined to destroy us." "I am praying that God will be merciful to him and save him." How would you respond? In your heart, would you believe that there was any hope for Saul?

What about the man who has been on heroine for years? What about the husband who beats his wife regularly? What about the man who murdered the students at Virginia Tech? What about the leaders of the insurgents in Iraq? What about the pedophiles in our society? Can you hear the voice of the Lord saying, "Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save…" (Is. 59:1).

What about you? Many of us have gone through what we call the Stranger Study, examining the biblical story through the book Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, by John Cross. In explaining Jesus’ words to Saul on the Damascus Road, he paraphrases them like this: "Saul, why are you my enemy, when you could be my friend?" (p. 276). I put that question to you who have not yet yielded your life to the Lord Jesus Christ: "Why do you insist on being His enemy, when you could be His friend?"

The chief persecutor of the church is indeed the man we know as the Apostle Paul. Paul engaged in three extensive missionary journeys, starting churches in city after city. He has written over one fourth of our New Testament. If we didn’t have the letter of Paul, our New Testament would be stripped of its heart.

But we are not praising Paul; we are praising the God who can take a Saul and turn him into a Paul. No man is capable of doing that, but our Lord does it again and again. He is due all the praise that we can give Him. This week I challenge you to take some time to think through what God has done in you. Where would you be, had He not turned your life around?