Acts 9:1

II. THE NEW APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES CALLED, Acts 9:1-30.

1. Saul’s Journey to Damascus Conversion , Acts 9:1-9 .

1. And Our historian, having closed the section narrating the spread of the Church, consequent upon the persecution, (Acts 8:5-40,) now takes up the historic thread of the persecution itself from Acts 8:4, the principal figure, of course, being SAUL. At this point it becomes us to trace Saul’s previous life-story.

He was born at the wealthy and learned city of Tarsus. He was, like King Saul of old, of the tribe of Benjamin; born some six years after our Saviour, of parents strictly Pharisaic in sect, who taught him the doctrines and history of the Old Testament from his childhood. Like other Jewish youth, doubtless, he commenced his Scripture studies at five years of age; the traditional law at ten; and graduated to the maturity of a responsible Jew at thirteen. His parents seem to have had wealth and rank sufficient to send him to the capital, Jerusalem, to complete his education under the tuition of the greatest doctor of the day, Rabban Gamaliel. He took the degree of Rab, probably that of Rabbi, and displayed that ambition and superiority of acquirement that justified the ambitious hope that he would one day attain the high rank of Rabban. Yet, as the Jewish maxim was that “He who teaches his son no trade teaches him to be a thief,” young Saul, though destined to a profession, learned the art of a tent-maker. He may have been at Jerusalem some part of the time when Jesus was there; but it is clear that he never was familiarly acquainted with our Lord’s person. He first emerges to view at the martyrdom of Stephen, in which he not only heartily concurred, but forthwith took the leadership in the persecution by which the Church was scattered and Christianity spread abroad. We are now to see in our following history the culmination and close of that leadership. He is just now becoming a fallen star of Judaism, but the rising star of Christianity.

And Rather, but. The persecutions of the Gospel by Saul are contrasted with the spread of the Gospel by Philip.

Yet In continuation from Acts 8:3.

Breathing out Not breathing out, nor exhaling, nor inhaling; but inwardly breathing, referring rather to his temper his inner atmosphere of soul than to his external manifestations.

Threatenings and slaughter ”Menace and murder” it is expressively rendered by Dr. Hackett, but with an alliterative point not contained in the original.

The high priest Probably Theophilus, the son of Annas. At the Passover of the year 37 Caiaphas was deposed from the highpriesthood by the Roman prefect, and Jonathan, son of Annas and brother in law of Caiaphas, was put in his place. But at the next Pentecost, by the same arbitrary authority, Jonathan was removed, and his brother, this Theophilus, appointed to the office. He held the place about five years, and was removed by Herod Agrippa I. in A.D. 41.