Friday, March 14, 2025
“…Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:19b,20 KJV).
What are the three reasons the Apostle Paul went to the synagogues?
“And he [Paul] came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus” (Acts 18:19-21).
“And he [Paul] went into the synagogue [of Ephesus, western Turkey], and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus…” (Acts 19:8,9). As far as the record of Scripture is concerned, Paul never again entered a synagogue.
To understand his “synagogue ministry,” it is vital that we pay attention to Romans 11:11-14: “I say then, Have they [Israel] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.”
In spite of Israel rejecting Messiah Jesus and insisting He be crucified (see Romans 9:30-33), God gave “stumbling” Israel another chance to repent (change the mind) and believe the Gospel of the Kingdom during early Acts. After one additional year of unbelief (Acts chapters 1–7; see Luke 13:6-9), Israel “fell” and God (in Acts chapter 9) raised up Saul/Paul with a new apostleship to preach an entirely new Gospel message to lost Jews and lost Gentiles without distinction….
333 Words of Grace 