Now he was proving, on the basis of the Holy Scriptures, that Jesus was the Christ, that is, the Messiah expected by the Jews. The force of his arguments was so great that he confused the Jews. The impossibility of refuting Saul's arguments aroused in them such hatred for him that they decided to kill him, and for this purpose they guarded the gates day and night, waiting for him to leave the city in order to carry out his evil plan on the way, without witnesses. It seems that they had information about Saul's intention to go to Jerusalem. Saul escaped this danger by being lowered by the disciples at night along the wall of the city in a basket, probably through the window of a house adjacent to the city wall. St. Paul himself recalls this method of deliverance from danger in 2 Corinthians 11:32 [52].

Saul in Jerusalem

(9:26–30)

"Saul Came to Jerusalem"  This was, according to Paul himself in Galatians 1:18, three years after his conversion: part of this time he was in Arabia. About this arrival in Jerusalem and a short stay in it, St. Paul himself gives brief information in Galatians 1:18-24 [53], which must be kept in mind for a correct understanding of the story of the Acts writer.

St. Paul, according to him, went to Jerusalem to meet with Peter and stayed with him for 15 days; at the same time, he did not see the other Apostles, except James, the brother of the Lord. The churches in Judea did not know him personally, but only by rumors; from Jerusalem he went to the countries of Syria and Cilicia. The writer adds that Saul "tried to cling to the disciples" (Acts 9:26), that is, the Christians, but they feared him, did not believe him, and did not receive him into their fellowship. This continued, of course, until Barnabas introduced him to the Apostles.

According to church tradition, Barnabas, who at that time enjoyed great respect in the entire Christian community, in the years of his youth together with Saul was brought up in the school of Gamaliel. Even after Barnabas became a disciple of the Lord, they met each other and argued about Christ, but Saul persisted until the event on the way to Damascus. Now Barnabas, having learned of his conversion, took him by the hand and led him to the Apostles. Probably, the Apostles were not constantly in Jerusalem, and therefore Saul saw only two – Peter and James. Saul then began to dwell openly with the believers in Jerusalem and boldly preached about the Lord Jesus. His preaching was addressed both to the Jews and to the Hellenists. By his descent from Tarsus of Cilicia, he himself was a Hellenist, and therefore it is not surprising that he especially fervently tried to convert the Hellenists to Christ. But arguing with them, he aroused their hatred so much that they attempted to kill him. The brethren, that is, the Christians of Jerusalem, having learned of this, in order to save him, sent him to Caesarea (Straton), and from there to his homeland in Tarsus. Paul himself tells this in Galatians 1:21 [54].

The Apostle Peter in Lydda, the healing of Aeneas

(9:31-35)

Upon the conversion of the main furious persecutor of Christians, the persecution subsided and the Christian Churches in Palestine "were at peace." They were "edified" by succeeding in Christian perfection, leading a God-fearing life. The highest consolation for the faithful was, of course, those extraordinary actions of the Spirit of God that were performed through the Apostles. Two of these actions are narrated further by the Writer.

"It happened that Peter, going round about all" – from this it is evident that the Apostles had the custom of visiting believers, no doubt in order to confirm them in the faith, to resolve their questions, etc. "He also came to the saints" – "saints" are called Christians, as sanctified by the grace of God. "Living in Lydda" is a small town near the Mediterranean Sea, near Joppa, northwest of Jerusalem. There Peter heals the paralytic Aeneas, judging by his name, a Greek and hardly a Christian, because he is simply called "a certain man." Characteristically, Peter does not ask him about faith in the Lord Jesus, either foreseeing his faith with his spiritual gaze or hoping to stir it up by the very fact of healing. This miracle served as a pretext for the conversion to Christ of the inhabitants of the Sharon Plain, a fertile and densely populated strip of land from Caesarea Straton to Joppa.

The Resurrection of Tabitha

(9:35-43)

Then Peter goes to Joppa, which is now called Jaffa, an ancient city lying on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea northwest of Jerusalem, and there he resurrects a "disciple," that is, a Christian Tabitha, apparently a widow, judging by her benefactions mainly to widows. Tabitha means "chamois"; As a proper female name, it is often found among both Greeks and Jews. The chamois, due to its beautiful appearance, graceful movements and beautiful eyes, was considered by the Jews and other Eastern peoples to be a symbol of female beauty, and therefore became a woman's own name, like a man's name - Lion.

The deceased was laid "in the upper room" – the upper room of the house, which usually served for prayer. The whole Christian community was saddened by the death of such a benefactor of the poor as Tabitha, and therefore they sent to Peter, asking him to come immediately.