Although the time of his conversion to his escape from Damascus takes place in about 6 verses here, it may be, according to my studies, something like 3 years going by.

The thing to note as you read this passage is that on the surface it seems as though Paul met Jesus, was converted, and then immediately became this powerful leader of the church with great insight and revelation. This does not appear to be the case! IT TOOK YEARS!

Think about your own walk with the Lord and where you are in your relationship with Him. Reflect back to where you were last year and compare to where you are now. What things did you do to improve that relationship. What things did you do to harm that relationship. What things should you have done that was not done?

We will try and attempt to ascertain what Paul did to strengthen his relationship with Christ after that brief initial meeting on the road to Damascus and I believe we will gain some insight as well into our own situation.

Acts 9:19-21

Saul takes some food (he was probably too upset to eat anything the last 3 days). This verse then states that he spent several days in Damascus with the disciples there. We also see that he immediately starts preaching about Jesus in the synagogues of this city, amazing everyone there.

What was Damascus like and what is the backdrop in front of which Saul starts his ministry.

My first finding of Damascus showed that it was an Amorite center which was then taken over by the Aramaeans around 1200 B.C. The Aramaeans warred with Israel intermittently for the next several hundred years until sometime in the 8th Century B.C. when both were overrun by a series of empires -- Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Macedonia.

During the time of Jesus and Paul, Damascus was ruled by the Seleucid Empire. Damascus had become Hellenized and the people living in this city were mostly worshippers of Dionysus. The most common language spoken in this area at that time was probably Greek, but Aramaic would not be uncommon, being the language of choice for the Jewish inhabitants. These Israelites were more likely Galileans rather than Judeans due to the close proximity of Damascus to Galilee.

It is interesting to note that in Muslim eschatological traditions it is stated that Damascus is the place where Jesus will descend to destroy the Anti-Christ!

Also of interest is the fact that Damascus appears in the writings of the Essenes. Documents found at Qumran appear to show that some significance is placed on Damascus as playing a apart in the coming of the kingdom of God.

The Jews conspired to kill him, so Saul escapes using a basket. In verse 23 it says this event occurred "after many days had gone by." How many days?

Galatians 1:13-18 would seem to indicate that it may be as much as 3 years. Here it states that Saul first went "immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus." In fact, some scholars contend that even the mention of Saul immediately preaching in the synagogues of Damascus may have occurred after his trip to Arabia.

So, why Arabia? Note that in this Galatians passage Saul states that "when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia."

Possibly he went to Horeb, the Mount of God. The place where Moses and Elijah had met with God previously. Many say it was to reflect on what happened to him. It is probably true that in the 3 days of blindness, Paul saw the failure of the Law and the need for the Messiah. But when the foundation upon which your life is based crumbles away, how long does the rebuilding take?

Arabia is a fairly large area. The "Arabia" where Saul went was most likely the Nabataean kingdom ruled by Aretas IV (9 B.C - A.D. 40). This is backed up by the passage recounting Saul's escape from Damascus found in 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 which names Aretas as responsible for staking out the city in search of Paul. This would also indicate that Saul's journey into Arabia was not just one of reflection, but that Saul had stirred up some trouble for himself there.

His speaking of God revealing His Son to him is consistent with other passages where Saul indicates that he saw the resurrected Jesus in body, comparable to the other disciples. I Corinthians 9:1 states, "Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?...? The fact that Saul did indeed encounter the resurrected Christ seems even more clear when you read I Corinthians 15:3-8.

When did this encounter with Christ occur? Did he see Christ only once? Was this occurrence the Road to Damascus experience? Or could Saul have seen Jesus later during his Arabian Journey?

NEXT TIME =>

39 A.D. - Paul's first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion

39-43 A.D. - Trips to Syria and Cilicia -- He returns to his hometown of Tarsus

44 A.D. - He spends one year in Antioch

45 A.D. - He makes his second trip to Jerusalem

45 A.D. - Paul's first missionary journey begins.