Life of Paul Series: Vol I, Lesson 5

The Life of Paul:

An Apostle Cuts His Teeth

Key Passage Readings and Reflection:

After his dramatic conversion, Paul spent “some

As the former persecutor spoke, the feelings of his listeners were no doubt those of
surprise, but also of joy! Those who heard Paul's words were amazed that he who had
come to “bring them bound before the chief priests” and “who had made havoc”
among the Christians in Jerusalem, was now preaching the gospel (Acts 9:21).
Furthermore, Paul's preaching was not only amazing, but effective as he, confounded
the Jews in proving the truth he once denied, that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 9:22, c.f
Acts 17:2-3). For all of the wonderful preaching, Paul spent only a short time after his
conversion in Damascus before taking one of the most enigmatic journeys of his life,
to Arabia.

Paul's Mysterious Trip to Arabia:

There has been a great deal of speculation about Paul's trip to what was probably the
kingdom of the Nabataean Arabs. Some see in Paul's trip there a period of several
years of reflection, study, and prayer as he prepared for his coming ministry. Others
believe, as Galatians (Gal 1:11-12, 17) may imply, that Paul spent this time learning
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from Jesus, personally. Though both possibilities have their adherents, another
possibility should be considered as well.i The little evidence we have of Paul's time in
Arabia may offer a glimpse that Paul was actively involved in ministry activities
during this shadowy period. Though neither the book of Acts nor Paul's epistles
mention details of any ministry in Arabia, several contextual clues suggests the great
apostle to the Gentiles preached to the Nabataean Arabs. One can look at two strands
of evidence, methodological and historical.

First, one can see methodological evidence in Paul's tendency to preach the gospel
where it has not been preached before. Two references in his epistles show a clear
tendency of Paul to preach where the gospel has not reached. In his second letter to
the Corinthians Paul is clearly defending himself against charges leveled by
detractors. As part of his defense, Paul reminds the Corinthians that it was he who
first brought the gospel to them (2 Cor 10:14-15), but that he did not want to “boast”
in the works of others. Moreover Paul states a desire to preach in areas beyond the
Corinthians, where others have not preceded him in preaching the gospel (2 Cor
10:16). Though an offhand remark, it could suggest at least a leaning by Paul to
evangelize in areas where Christ hasn't been preached.

But it is Paul's words to the Romans which stand out strongest. After a powerful
section devoted to what is to be believed about the Christian gospel(Rom 10:8-13)
and how the preaching of the gospel brings one to this belief (Rom 10:14-17), Paul
makes a strong statement. Looking back over his ministry from Jerusalem to
Illyricum, Paul states that it is his ambition to preach the gospel where Christ has not
already been preached (Rom 15:17-21).

These two examples suffice to show Paul's tendency to preach Christ where he has
not been preached before. This forces one to ask, would Paul really have passed up an
extended period of time in Arabia to preach the gospel where it had largely never been
preached?ii Would the apostle Paul, so recently given a command to carry the gospel
to the Gentiles (Acts 26:17-18), really have passed up the opportunity in Arabia to
preach to a people who had yet to hear of Jesus? One could argue compellingly, he
would not have.

Secondly, we find evidence from secular history. Second Corinthians 11 suggests that
Paul had gained the ire of the Nabataean Arab ruler, Aretas. In the midst of a long list
of his various sufferings, Paul makes an odd reference to an escape from Damascus (2
Cor 11:32-33). Strikingly, it is Aretas (9 B.C.- 40 A.D.), king of the Nabataean Arabs
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who Paul identifies as the one whose forces were guarding the city intending to
“seize” him. Paul's mysterious words about his embarrassing escape from Damascus
beg the question, why would King Aretas be so interested in seizing Paul? Even if one
reconciles this account with Acts 9:23-25 by suggesting that Aretas has been recruited
by the Jews into seizing Paul, the question still remains, why? Why would this king of
the Nabataean Arabs be so interested in seizing a relatively unknown apostle so early
in his career? Could Paul after a relatively short stint of preaching in Damascus have
really aroused such ire with Aretas?

One could fairly argue that there are plenty of examples throughout the book of Acts
of Paul's preaching inciting violent response by authorities in a short time. But Paul's
stay in Arabia (Aretas' kingdom) forces one to consider strongly a historically
plausible, if not likely, explanation for Aretas' animosity against Paul. Perhaps Aretas
was well aware of Paul's preaching and the substance of it! If Paul spent time in
Arabia actively preaching of Jesus one can easily see how Aretas would be so eager to
seize Paul whether by his own initiative (2 Cor 11:32-33) or in association with the
Jews (Acts 9:23-25).

Furthermore, if Paul spent at least some time preaching in Arabia, there is tantalizing
evidence that his preaching would have been particularly unsettling for Aretas.
Through secular history it is known that roughly around the time that Paul would have
been in Arabia, King Aretas was involved in a war with his former son in law, Herod
Antipas (Josephus, Antiquities, 18.5). Since part of Antipas' area of control was
Galilee, one can readily see how Paul's preaching about Jesus, the Jewish messiah
from Galilee would have been quite alarming for Aretas. It does not take much
imagination to see how the presence of a persuasive preacher who spoke openly of the
Jewish messiah from Galilee (his enemy Antipas' territory) coming in climatic
judgment of his enemies would have been quite disturbing to Aretas.

So while we may not have explicit statements about Paul's time in Arabia, secular
history offers up a plausible case that at least some of Paul's time in Arabia was spent
in preaching. This, combined with Paul's methodological tendency offers a strong
suggestion that Paul did spend time in ministry while in Arabia.

Why is this so important? Because the idea of Paul spending his time in Arabia in only
contemplative reflection or isolated instruction comes close to enabling a dangerous
mistake in evangelism, the mistake of fearful complacency. How often have Christians
lamented “not knowing enough” to evangelize? Do not Christians often, sincerely,
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believe they know too little to talk to someone about Jesus? Have not Christians often as
a matter of habit meekly deferred exclusively to the preacher the role of talking to their
friends and family about Jesus? All of these areas reflect the same mistake, the mistake of
putting off evangelism in favor of more time, more reflection, gaining more knowledge.
They reflect a complacency that fails to see that many around them have not heard of
Jesus. And sadly, underestimating Paul's time in Arabia can serve as a terrible source of
justification for such fearful complacency!

When Paul is unthinkingly assumed to have spent the better part of three years among the
lost of Arabia in isolation and reflection, what a terrible message we potentially send to
Christians. The neighbor down the street can wait to hear about Jesus. After all, if Paul
needed more prayer time before his ministry, so do I! The co-worker who has expressed a
desire to hear more of Jesus can wait. After all, if Paul needed time in uninterrupted,
isolated study with Jesus, how much more do I need to learn more before preaching Jesus
to my neighbor! The family member who hungers to learn more about the saving power
of Jesus will have to wait. After all, if Paul needed three years of reflection, certainly I
need far more reflection time before giving the saving knowledge. These are the painful
implications someone may come to by needlessly assuming Paul spent his time in Arabia
isolated, and not in active ministry.

Such implications would have brought forth a distraught, “God forbid” from he who
immediately after his conversion proclaimed Christ Jesus in the synagogues of Damascus,
the apostle Paul.
i It should be noted that these possibilities need not be mutually exclusive. In other words, they could have both been true
as Paul's time in Arabia could have included a mixture of both time spent under the tutelage of Jesus as well as a time of
reflection and prayer before beginning his ministry.
ii While we do know there were those from Arabia who heard the gospel preached at Jerusalem (Acts 2:11), this alone is
not evidence of any major evangelism efforts that may have deterred Paul from preaching in Arabia.