By Acts 9, Saul's blood is boiling. He's on a murderous rampage toward Damascus. The scene opens as "Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem" (Acts 9:1-2)
Why Damascus? Saul had determined to go to the farthest extreme in his mission to apprehend followers of the Way. Over one hundred miles north of Jerusalem, the journey to Damascus was no small undertaking. To Saul the trip would pay off in spades, though. According to Josephus, at one point in history ten thousand Jews were massacred in Damascus - hard evidence that at certain times a significant number of Jewish people lived in the city. Saul was certain that many Jewish turncoats had fled to seek refuge in far away Damascus. He devised an aggressive plan to capture these infidels and drag them to court.
Reference: Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit
Thanks for the study help!
ReplyDelete