The Lord's Rest

Acts 9:26–30 (NKJV)

26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. 30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

In summary of our previous studies of Saul’s conversion through his escape to Arabia, we uncovered Luke’s timeline regarding Saul’s commission and his reception into the Damascus church. There were also sequential events leading up to his escape through a window in the outer wall of the city. Saul was first confronted by the Lord on his way to arrest the Christians in Damascus, but was thrusted to his face in the ground and was blinded by the brightness of the glory of Jesus Christ. Saul’s life was spared to go into the city and wait for further instructions from the Lord. Through seeking the Lord in prayer, and meditation of his knowledge of the law, and its application to his sinfulness, and his confrontation with the Lord; he received word that he was to join the mission of Christ to carry the gospel into the Gentile world. The Lord sent Ananias to confirm God’s purpose and mission in him with a prayer to receive his sight and strength back. Once accepted into the fellowship he was ‘immediately’ sent off with the blessing of the church. Saul spent 'many days' among the Damascus believers being strengthened, and debating in the Jewish synagogues regarding Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. His powerful debating skills led the Jews to plot his murder. After receiving word that there was a warrant out for his arrest and was wanted for dead, the disciples planned his escape under the cover of night through a window in the exterior wall of the city and he fled to Arabia.

26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

Before we begin diving into this verse it is good to remember that, as some commentators suggested, the ‘many days’ that Saul spent with the church in Damascus are the three years that Paul references to the Galatian church in defense of his apostleship is simply not true.

Galatians 1:15–17 (NKJV)

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

As I mentioned in our previous study, Paul did not mean that he did not ‘immediately’ go into the church in Damascus. However, Luke’s account in Acts 9:19-20 accurately depicts Saul immediately among the brethren and preaching in the Jewish synagogues. Therefore what Paul is addressing to the Galatian church is not the events immediately after his baptism, but the events before Ananias came to him at the house of Judas (Acts 9:9,12,17). After being struck by the brightness of the Lord, he didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, but sought the Lord in prayer and the study of the revelation that he already possessed.

Therefore, the three years that Paul is referencing are the course of events after his escape to Arabia, and then returning again to Damascus. Careful consideration of the Greek grammar reveals that Luke is not contradicting Paul’s own account of what happened in Damascus, but is simply summarizing in sequential order what occurred before Saul’s escape and then again upon Saul’s return to Jerusalem. Sparing you some details, Luke simply fast forwards three years to Saul and Barnabas’ arrival in Jerusalem.

Luke’s use of the Greek word de (And) is a transitional conjunction as opposed to a connective conjunction. That means there is room for a gap in time, and a change in direction, to a new set of events in Jerusalem with no necessary connection to the previous context. Therefore when we review Paul’s account before the Galatian church, the three years that is mentioned, fits perfectly in Luke’s sequence of events in the book of Acts.

Galatians 1:17–18 (NKJV)

17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.

It is very clear by Paul’s account that before he went up to Jerusalem, he went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. The Greek adverb epeita (Then) in verse 18 is a marker summarizing the previous sequence of events with a specified time of three years, and transitions to a new course of action to make acquaintances with Peter. There are three ways we can translate these verses to get the full understanding: Therefore, after three years, I went up into Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter . . . or . . . nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus [after three years]. Then I went up . . . or . . . Therefore I went up to Jerusalem, after three years, to make acquaintances with Peter. Either way there is a three year gap between Saul’s escape from Damascus and his entrance into Jerusalem.

26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; . . .

Luke continues to use the original identity of Saul to remind the reader that he is not received into the fullness of the fellowship just yet. Later, Lord willing, we will see that Saul is given a new name to identify him as a new creation in Jesus Christ and to dull the effects of the thorn of his sufferings for persecuting the saints of God (2Cor.12:7,9). Another thing that interest’s me is that for three full years Luke treats the church as if she was silent. There is no history recorded between these events, in Jerusalem and throughout the parts of Israel, where the church was dispersed in the persecution. Philip had made his way through Samaria and into the regions of Azotus and Caesarea, and we know that a church was being planted in Damascus, but nothing is recorded being established in any of the other cities in Israel. I had mentioned earlier that Barnabas may have been in Damascus as an encourager to Ananias who was maturing into an elder among the saints, but I have no solid Biblical ground to stand on for that assumption. However, in my mind, it is unlikely that apart from witnessing Saul debating among the Jews, Barnabas would not have been so easily accepting of Saul, to lead him into the security and safety of the brethren, merely on the word of a former persecutor (vs.27).

If we take Luke’s account alongside of Paul’s own testimony, we can give greater clarity to what is occurring in verse 26. Upon Saul’s arrival into Jerusalem to validate his own experience with the disciples’, he experienced a resistance because of the fear of his former reputation. The Greek verb epeirato (tried) precedes another Greek verb kollasthai (joined). Therefore we have two verbs back to back. Epeirato means to put to the test or to examine. It can also be taken in the passive or middle voice in Luke’s context. If Luke is intending to use this verb in the passive, Saul’s intent was to examine his own testimony and experience with the Lord to be united and joined to the testimony of the other disciples in Jerusalem. In other words to make ‘history’ in the church. If that holds true, than what Paul is describing of this account to the Galatians makes perfect sense. Paul, in Galatians 1:18, uses the Greek verb historesai (to see) to define his intentions for going into Peter at Jerusalem. The English noun ‘history’ (the study of the past) is rooted in this Greek verb. It means to seek one who knows, has seen, and is acquainted with the facts.

Therefore when we put Luke and Paul’s account together we can see that Saul’s intent was to examine his own experience against Peter’s facts of Christ. Both of these men had seen the glorified Christ. Peter saw Him in the transfiguration (Mk.9:2) and Saul saw Him after His ascension. Saul wanted confirmation that ‘his story’ was to be joined with the ‘history’ of the church. Therefore Saul wanted to (kollasthai ) glue himself to the apostles and cling to their testimony, knowing that they had been with Lord for three years during His earthly ministry. And Saul, between his conversion and his return to Jerusalem, was also in the secret indirect solidarity of the Word and the meditations of his experience with Lord for three years; coinciding with the time that the other apostles spent under the tutelage of the Lord.

. . . but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

If we examine this portion of the verse with the following verse (vs. 27), it would appear that Barnabas had already gone before Saul into the hiding place of the apostles, explaining Saul’s case to them. This is why I assume that Barnabas was already traveling with Saul; but it could also be that Barnabas witnessed Saul in Jerusalem inquiring to meet the apostles with the intention of joining them, and had explained his case to Barnabas. Either way the disciples did not believe that Saul had been discipled in Damascus, which gives further evidence that no communication was coming in or going out between the churches in Jerusalem and Damascus for the three silent years that Saul was in Arabia. Therefore the disciples were blinded by their fear of Saul’s previous reputation. The context also clearly states that (all) were afraid of Saul in Jerusalem. This would exclude Barnabas from being among them, for the following verse tells us that Barnabas was fearless to lead Saul into the secret fellowship of the apostles. Barnabas had full confidence that Saul was not going to harm the brethren. How would he have attained this attitude without witnessing Saul’s new reputation in Damascus?

27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

After the disciples rejected Barnabas’ account of Saul’s testimony, he went and led Saul into the apostles’ fellowship to share his own experience, face to face. No doubt, when Saul heard that the apostles' feared union with him, he was discouraged, disappointed, and was tempted to give up and return to his former life. Therefore the Greek verb epilabomenos (took) had its own effect on Barnabas. In this context the verb is in the middle voice and is also a participle (a verbal adjective). Which means that Barnabas acted upon himself, motivated by love, to take Saul (by force) into the fellowship of the apostles. Nothing was going to get in Barnabas’ way to reconcile these men in the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Would you be willing to love in such a way to lose friends and safety from your enemies to lead another into a deeper fellowship with Christ? We need to heed Barnabas’ example and take in his love for the brethren. There is a practical application here for all of us to obey. Oh, to be more like Christ and less like our fears. Barnabas acted out of love, and so should we, to risk safety and the loss of acceptance among family that we hold so dear.

But again this was to validate ‘experience’ with the truth. Saul’s motive was to be assured of his own experience in a proper understanding of the truth, and he knew that Peter and the other disciples had more firsthand truth of the witness of Jesus Christ than he did. There is also an application here for us to follow and obey, today. All our experiences (and practices) should be examined in the light of God’s Word that never changes. Our experiences change but truth cannot; and our practices must be changed to be obedient to the truth! Do you have a heart like Saul’s that doesn’t trust in its own understanding? And must seek the truth to validate or reject your experiences (Prov.3:4-6)? Are you submitted to your own fallen depravity or to the infallible, inerrant authority of God? Our experiences can be deceiving and can lead us into further deception and into further destruction (2Tim.3:13). There are countless so-called Christians who wander around in the wilderness of their own experiences saying, “God told me,” and, “God showed me in a dream,” but have no Biblical authority to repeat such things (2Cor.12:4)!

Saul understood this dramatically having been under the spell of Judaism for his whole life, which led him to persecute the churches of God. Therefore, upon this change of heart and repentance, he wanted to make fully sure that he understood his own experience among the disciples of the Lord, who directly walked with Him for three years. There was no one who could assure him of his experience other than the apostles. Pride was the furthest attitude from Saul’s heart as he attempted to join the apostles. Therefore it took an extreme act of love on the part of Barnabas to labor on behalf of Saul to unite him with the brethren, for they would not receive him because of fear. With Barnabas coming along side of Saul, to encourage him to persevere in the truth and in the faith, Saul pressed on with greater strength. He did not allow the mistrust of the other disciples in Jerusalem to discourage him or cause him to doubt the Lord’s will for his life. As noted earlier, the Lord had a special purpose for Saul to be a great threat to Satan’s kingdom, and a great blessing to the Gentile churches, and a future blessing to all the next generations of the children of God. Our application is to be like Saul and persevere, no matter what our ‘feelings’ tell us and how they may get in our way! Lord, don’t let your children listen to their own flesh, but cause them to hear the Word of the Lord!

28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.

Luke in summary fashion hints to us that the apostles eventually heard Saul’s case and received him into the deepest parts of their fellowship in Jerusalem. Verse 28 should be understood in light of verse 29, as Saul is preaching and debating among the Hellenist Jews. It is like a déjà vu moment for Saul, as the same course of events are repeating themselves in the city of Jerusalem, and being reassured of his experiences of the Lord’s love for him. These first three years was his honeymoon stage with the Lord and each rejection of the Hellenist men was a reception of God. It was like a love affair each time for the first time. He immediately starts boldly proclaiming Christ, in the face of the Jews, and is coming into the fellowship of the disciples to be strengthened and refreshed, and going back out again to preach for fifteen days (Gal.1:18).

29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.

Saul’s preaching quickly made him an enemy of the Hellenists, as another attempt to take his life became known. Just as it was in the Damascus synagogues, the Jews were tracking Saul to put him to death. Somehow he thwarts their attempt and covers his trail back into the secret fellowship of the brethren. In their care he was welcomed and encouraged in the grace of the Lord. This particular group of brethren were a close knit bunch, praying daily for wisdom and grace to revive the city of Jerusalem in God. In this fellowship there was much leadership and careful attention to each other’s needs and for each other’s safety, constantly being threatened by the Jewish authorities.

The Greek verb parresiaozmenos (spoke boldly) is not the typical word used to describe bold preaching. This form of preaching is not what we studied earlier regarding Philip and the other apostles. The form simply means to speak freely. Saul was basically exercising a liberty of free speech when the opportunities would arise. Because of continual threats of arrest and death, he was not standing on the street corners, out in the open, proclaiming Christ; nor was he going into the synagogues, before the whole congregation, attacking their false views of God. But he was entering into, and making opportunities to have, confrontations with the Hellenists in various parts of the city. This would have made it harder for them to track his moves and find the locations of the meeting places of the Christians in Jerusalem. The verb parresiaozmenos is also in the present tense, which means that Saul was actively going in and out, in the contrastive conjunction, and in the face of the Greek imperfect tense of the verb epecheiroun (attempted). In other words Saul preached in the face of their attempts to murder him. This took extreme courage and boldness to be continually faced with the threat of being captured and put to death. But because Saul loved the Lord and loved lost men, he fearlessly faced the opposition.

30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

Luke doesn’t give us a time frame of these events, but it is most likely that this all occurred over a few days, as opposed to the ‘many days’ he was in Damascus. Paul records that he spent fifteen days with Peter in Jerusalem (Gal.1:18). The pressure and the heat to keep from getting caught was greater in Jerusalem being so close to the leadership of the synagogues of Satan – the Sanhedrin. Therefore when the brethren realized the increased pressure and heat being placed upon them, as a result of Saul’s efforts; they caged staged Saul to safety by leading him down to Caesarea to be sent to Tarsus; and to escape the threats on his life and to allow the increased heat upon the church in Jerusalem to die down. Apparently the church in Jerusalem did not need or want more heat, but were simply seeking to abide in the area, waiting and praying for a ripe opportunity to renew the minds of the Jews in the Word of God. Jerusalem needed a period of rest, as Jesus Himself plowed the area hard, with the Word of God, for three consecutive years before His death, and into the beginnings of the apostolic church. But the church in Jerusalem was allowing the hard heart of the city to rest from the hard preaching that had been hammering away at their hearts of stone, because it was only leading to more and more hatred of the Gospel. Old Testament Law even provides the wisdom to give the land a rest.

Leviticus 25:3–5 (NKJV)

3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. 5 What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land.

. . . Even Jesus made the wise statement:

Mark 2:22 (NKJV)

22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Joshua 1:13 (NKJV)

13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’

In remembrance to preserve the children of Israel, the church decided to rest in the safety that was given to them, and pray for wisdom when to return to battle and revive the land. If the church was always in a continual state of warfare, it would literally consume itself; but God has appointed the times of her peace and the times for her to go to war. Therefore it was the Lord’s will, after six years of threats, upon the church in Jerusalem to remain silent and feed the sheep within her gates; for the Lord was giving her rest. However, this didn’t eliminate the need for the church to expand beyond Samaria and unto the ends of the earth. Saul was sent to Tarsus to begin a missionary journey carrying the gospel and the freedom to preach.

Do you need rest? Has your sin wearied you? Have you come to grips with the fact that there is no rest for the wicked (Rev.14:11; Ecc.2:23)? If so, follow Saul’s example and do whatever it takes to enter the rest of God – “Today”!

Hebrews 4:2–10 (NKJV)

2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” 6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.