PREPARATION AND EARLY PREACHING
The narrative in Acts omits the next event in Paul’s life, but Paul refers to it in the book of Galatians.
He says that following his conversion and his first brief evangelistic venture, he went into Arabia and returned to Damascus (Gal 1:17),
Gal 1:17 I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
Gal 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.
There are scholars that refer “Arabia” as the place where the Nabataeans lived.
This period of retirement gave him time for meditation upon the great change that had come into his life.
A time of solitude in which to re-examine, prayerfully and carefully, the whole foundation of his new convictions in the light of Scripture. During this time his faith in Christ and in His gospel was solidified.
If this was at Petra it would have enhanced his knowledge of the Scriptures greatly.
Following this apparent time of inaction, Paul once again returned to Damascus
Gal 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.
Paul, it would seem, resumed his preaching in the synagogues with the same results as before (v 22).
Hnd 9:22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
So what were the results?
nd 9:23 Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him.
Hnd 9:24 But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him.
They were supported in their scheme by the governor of the city, who served under the Nabataean king *Aretas (2 Cor 11:32, 33)
Ko 11:32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me.
When I first read the name of Aretas in the Bible, I was very excited. The Nabateans refer to him as king Harit.
At the end of the pictures siq of 1.2 kilometers, you are awed by his huge tomb.
Since Aretas ruled that area probably between a.d. 37 and c. 54, this event must have occurred somewhere within this period.
Since Aretas ruled that area probably between a.d. 37 and c. 54, this event must have occurred somewhere within this period.
However, the soldiers, who were watching the gates to prevent Paul’s escape from the city, were frustrated in their design.
Some of the local believers lowered Paul in a basket from a window of a house built on the city wall, thus enabling him to evade his enemies (Acts 9:25; 2 Cor 11:33).
Ko 11:33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.
nd 9:25 Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.