Saul spent several days with the disciples and immediately started preaching about Jesus in the synagogue. This must have caused something of a surprise! See how God was using the abilities Paul previously had, the difference was that they were now directed towards serving Christ. Everyone knew who Saul was and what he had previously been doing, now he was doing the very opposite. By the Spirit he was made more and more powerful and proved to all that Jesus was the Messiah.
His new opponents did not let matters rest, and now sought to use the tactics that Saul had employed against Christians, they plotted to kill him. However, Saul learnt of their plans and the disciples rescued him by lowering him in a basket out of the city. In some ways this was a rather ignominious exit for Saul.
He went to Jerusalem, but quite reasonable the disciples were rather reluctant to let him join them, no doubt assuming it was some sort of plot to infiltrate them. God's answer was to use Barnabas who explained to the disciples what had happened, and how Saul had been proclaiming the Lord in Damascus. So he was allowed to join the believers. So Saul continued proclaiming Christ as Lord, particularly with the Hellenistic Jews, so they tried to kill him. So Saul had to be helped to escape again, this time to Tarsus, his birthplace.
The church then enjoyed a time of peace and grew in numbers.
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