Luke doesn’t go into detail about how God trained Saul. But Saul, who is later known by his Greek name Paul, gives us hints of his early training as a believer in Christ. Saul immediately begins to preach that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah they have been waiting for. Luke condenses Saul’s story here.
Acts 9: 21 All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”
22 Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.[1]
We think there may be a three-year gap between verse 21 and verse 22, which Paul writes about in his letter to the Galatians.
Trained in Arabia
Galatians 1: 12 I (Paul) received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ…15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.
When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. [2]
Saul probably went to Mt. Sinai, where God called Moses in a burning bush and gave the Ten Commandments. Elijah also spent time there communicating with God. Now, Saul went on a pilgrimage because he needed to rethink his theology. He probably studied, prayed, and thought about the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection and how these facts related to what we call the Old Testament. The disciples had three years with Jesus, and now God trained Saul to prepare him for his call.
To Tarsus
Saul boldly preached the Gospel in Jerusalem after escaping from Damascus. Again, there were death threats against him. Acts 9: 30 When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown. [3] The believers sent him back to his hometown to keep him safe. Scholars think Saul was there for up to 10 years before going to Antioch to teach.
Scripture doesn’t give us details of what happened in Tarsus during this time. More than likely, Saul worked in his family’s tent-making business to support himself. His message would have been controversial, and family and friends may have rejected him. Tarsus was a very cosmopolitan city with both Jews and Gentiles. Saul may well have learned how to reach out with the Gospel to these Gentiles. Again, this would prepare him for God’s plans.
God Trains Us
God will use other people, Scripture, and life events to train us. Each of us is on a unique path, and if God calls us, He will equip us. We can be sure our training will be in His timing and way. Sometimes we think Saul immediately went on his mission trips after his experience on the road to Damascus, but God trained Saul for years before this happened. God doesn’t waste any of our experiences but can use them to build His Kingdom if we are willing.
To find out more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/from-enemy-to-emissary
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.