# Saul proclaims Jesus

Early Church · Draft · BSB

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Date: c. AD 34–37. Galatians 1:18 places Paul’s first Jerusalem visit three years after his conversion.

Saul immediately proclaims Jesus in the synagogues of Damascus and escapes a plot by being let down through the city wall in a basket. In Jerusalem, Barnabas vouches for him; when Greek-speaking Jews try to kill him, the believers send him off through Caesarea to Tarsus.

## Primary Scripture

[Acts 9:20–31 (BSB)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%209%3A20%E2%80%9331&version=BSB)

9:20 Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”

9:21 All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

9:22 But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

9:23 After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,

9:24 but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.

9:25 One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.

9:26 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

9:27 Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.

9:28 So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

9:29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.

9:30 When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.

## Related Scripture

[Galatians 1:18–24 · letter](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%201%3A18%E2%80%9324&version=BSB)

Paul’s account of this first visit to Jerusalem.

[2 Corinthians 11:32–33 · recollection](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2011%3A32%E2%80%9333&version=BSB)

Paul remembers the escape in a basket.

## Location evidence

Event map marker: Identified site; \[longitude, latitude\] = \[36.31345, 33.5193\]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.

Caesarea: Identified site. Coordinates \[longitude, latitude\]: \[34.89218, 32.49954\]. Classification source: rule.

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21149)

Damascus: Identified site. Coordinates \[longitude, latitude\]: \[36.31345, 33.5193\]. Classification source: rule.

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21087)

Jerusalem: Identified site. Coordinates \[longitude, latitude\]: \[35.23494, 31.77744\]. Classification source: rule.

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/15896)

Tarsus: Identified site. Coordinates \[longitude, latitude\]: \[34.89153, 36.91803\]. Classification source: rule.

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21245)

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21087)

## Interpretation and reuse

Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.

Record source: theographic (327)

Record source: editorial

Events and places adapted from Theographic Bible Metadata (github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata), CC BY-SA 4.0. This adapted data is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm

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