Saul's Early Ministry and Acceptance by the Church
Acts 9:20-31
20And immediately in the synagogues he preached Jesus, that this one is the Son of God.21Then all who heard were amazed and said, 'Is this not the one who laid waste in Jerusalem those who call on this name, and has he not come here for this purpose, that he might bring them bound before the high priests?'22Saul, however, grew stronger and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this one is the Christ.23When a sufficient number of days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him.24Their plot became known to Saul, and they kept watch on the gates day and night in order to kill him.25His disciples therefore took him by night, lowered him through the wall, and let him down in a basket.26When he arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him and did not believe that he was a disciple.27Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles; he told them how on the road he had seen the Lord, that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.28He remained with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.29He spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.30When the brothers learned of this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him on to Tarsus.31So the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace; it was being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers.