Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues
Saul's immediate action following his conversion highlights the transformative power of his encounter with Christ. The synagogues were central to Jewish religious life, serving as places of worship, teaching, and community gathering. Saul's choice to begin his ministry there underscores his initial mission to the Jewish people, aligning with Romans 1:16, where the gospel is "first to the Jew." This setting also reflects Saul's background as a Pharisee, familiar with Jewish law and customs, making the synagogues a strategic starting point for his ministry.

declaring, “He is the Son of God.”
This declaration is significant as it directly addresses the identity of Jesus, affirming His divine nature. The title "Son of God" is a messianic term rooted in Old Testament prophecy, such as Psalm 2:7, which speaks of the Messiah as God's anointed king. Saul's proclamation aligns with the early church's teaching about Jesus' divinity, as seen in passages like John 1:34 and Matthew 16:16. This bold statement would have been controversial and provocative in the synagogues, challenging traditional Jewish expectations of the Messiah and asserting Jesus' unique relationship with God. Saul's message reflects a deep theological understanding that Jesus is not merely a teacher or prophet but the divine Son, central to the Christian faith.

1. Saul (Paul)
Formerly a persecutor of Christians, Saul experienced a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. After his conversion, he became a fervent preacher of the Gospel.

2. Synagogues
These were Jewish places of worship and community gathering. Saul, being a Jew and a former Pharisee, had access to these venues to preach.

3. Proclamation of Jesus
Saul's immediate action after his conversion was to declare Jesus as the Son of God, a significant shift from his previous beliefs.Immediate Obedience
Saul's immediate proclamation of Jesus after his conversion highlights the importance of prompt obedience to God's calling. When God reveals truth to us, we should act on it without delay.

Transformation Power of the Gospel
Saul's radical transformation from persecutor to preacher demonstrates the transformative power of the Gospel. No one is beyond the reach of God's grace.

Boldness in Witnessing
Saul's boldness in declaring Jesus as the Son of God in the synagogues, places where he once sought to persecute Christians, challenges us to be bold in our witness for Christ, even in difficult or hostile environments.

Understanding Jesus' Identity
Recognizing Jesus as the Son of God is central to the Christian faith. This acknowledgment is foundational for our relationship with Him and our understanding of His work in our lives.(20) And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues.--The "straightway" as interpreted by the inference drawn in the previous Note, must be taken to refer to the Apostle's first public appearance in the synagogues of Damascus after his return from Arabia. The tense of the verb implies that the work was continued for some length of time. What he had to proclaim was, first, that the Christ was actually and verily the Son of God no less than the Son of David; and, secondly, that Jesus of Nazareth had been shown to be the Christ. The better MSS., however, give the reading, preached Jesus. The line of reasoning we may assume to have been identical with that of Acts 13:16-41. It is not without interest to remember here also that the Samaritans had a synagogue of their own at Damascus, and that he may thus have preached to them, so following in the footprints of Philip and taking his first step in the great work of breaking down the barriers that divided Israel from the world.

Verse 20. - In the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus for he preached Christ in the synagogues, A.V. and T.R. The preponderance of manuscript authority, and the ὄνομα of ver. 21, and the ὅτι οϋτός ἐστιν ὁ Ξριστός of ver. 22, seem conclusive in favor of Jesus rather than Christ. As regards the expression straightway, we must understand it as descriptive of Saul's action upon his return from Arabia. Is it possible that St. Luke uses it with the same meaning as he may have heard St. Paul use it in when speaking of his Damascus preaching, in the same sense as St. Paul actually does speak in Galatians 1:17, viz. as expressing that he did not wait for authority from the apostles, but at once, fresh from the Divine call, and having a direct commission from Christ himself, entered upon his apostolic ministry? If the Epistle to the Galatians was written A.D. , it would be just about the time that St. Luke joined St. Paul, and might be commencing to collect materials for his history. So that the phrase in the Galatians and the phrase in this twentieth verse might really be the expression of one thought committed to paper by St. Paul on the one hand, and uttered in the ear of Luke on the other. It is a confirmation of this view that in 2 Corinthians, written about the same time, there is also an account of Saul's escape from Damascus. In the synagogues; the very synagogues (ver. 2) to which the letters of the high priest were addressed, empowering him to arrest either man or woman who called upon the Name of Jesus, and bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem to be tried before the Sanhedrim. No wonder they were amazed.

Parallel Commentaries ...


[Saul] promptly began to proclaim
ἐκήρυσσεν (ekēryssen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2784: To proclaim, herald, preach. Of uncertain affinity; to herald, especially divine truth.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦν (Iēsoun)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
ταῖς (tais)
Article - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

synagogues,
συναγωγαῖς (synagōgais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 4864: From sunago; an assemblage of persons; specially, a Jewish 'synagogue'; by analogy, a Christian church.

[ declaring ],
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

“He
οὗτός (houtos)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

the
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Son
Υἱὸς (Huios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

of God.”
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Apostles: Acts 9:20 Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the (Acts of the Apostles Ac)