…”So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him…”
It seems that Saul just could not stay out of trouble. His zeal for the Jesus he once hated drove him seek to his target, the Hellenistic Jews. He took his calling seriously. Perhaps, like Moses, who killed an Egyptian to rescue his people…like Saul himself, who attacked believers to destroy the church, he thought that he could win them to Jesus, one by one, through clever argument! Wrong!
Who were the Hellenistic Jews?
“Hellenistic Jews in the Bible were Greek-speaking Jews from the Diaspora (regions outside Judea) who adopted Greek culture, language, and customs while maintaining their Jewish identity. Primarily appearing in Acts, they were distinct from traditional Aramaic-speaking “Hebrew” Jews, often leading to cultural tensions over daily life and community management.”
The Seven Deacons: In response to the complaints, the apostles appointed seven leaders to oversee this duty, all of whom had Greek names (e.g., Stephen, Philip), suggesting they were Hellenists.
Conflicts and Influence: Hellenistic Jews, like Stephen, engaged in debate with traditional Jerusalem residents. The Apostle Paul is considered a Hellenist by background.
Geography:They often originated from cities like Alexandria and Antioch, representing the broader Greco-Roman world.
Hellenists vs. Hebrews
- Hellenists: Spoke Greek, favored Greek customs, often from the Diaspora.
- Hebrews: Spoke Aramaic/Hebrew, strictly adhered to Judean traditions.
“They were crucial to the early church’s spread beyond Palestine, as their ability to speak Greek enabled them to preach to both Diaspora Jews and Gentiles.” (Source: Google AI)
Once again, so it seems, Saul’s insistence on debating with the opposition not only got him into trouble…it also dragged his fellow believers into the fight with him. Was he taking his calling so seriously that he was inviting persecution rather than listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit?
Saul was on a learning curve.
“When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.”
Acts 9:27-31 NIV
The believers in the Jerusalem church, like those in Damascus, acted swiftly. Perhaps they were right after all. This Saul was a hot potato in their fellowship. He needed time to cool so that he would learn wisdom with his zeal.
So, they sent him home…to sit at Jesus’ feet…to gain wisdom from the Word…to reshape his understanding of the new life he was catapulted into on the Damascus road.
Jesus had His man…now set apart…isolated from outside interference…in His Bible school…to learn of Him who would be Saul’s source and goal for the rest of his earthly life.
Was this the interval of which Saul/Paul testified?
“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ….But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.”
Galatians 1:11-12, 15-17 NIV
Paul wrote to the Galatian church in the defence of his apostolic authority, of an interval in his life recorded nowhere else in Scripture. When this happened, how it happened, we do not know. However, Jesus took him aside, tamed and moulded His chosen vessel, and honed him into the greatest and most influential of all the apostles, and a worthy replacement for Judas, the traitor.
To be continued