“But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.—Barnabas ('Son of Encouragement,' Greek: Barnabas = hyios paraklēseōs) becomes Saul's advocate and mediator, a role he will play throughout Acts (his endorsement carries weight with the apostles). The recitation of Saul's conversion journey to the apostles functions as oral testimony and communal discernment. Barnabas's credibility bridges the trust gap between the apostles and the former persecutor.
Church Fathers on Acts 9:27
One may well be much at a loss here to understand how it is that, whereas in the Epistle to the Galatians Paul says, I went not to Jerusalem, but into Arabia and to Damascus, and, After three years I went up to Jerusalem, and to see Peter , (ἱ στορἥσαι Cat.) here the writer says the contrary. (There, Paul says,) And none of the Apostles saw I; but here, it is said (Barnabas), brought him to the Apostles. — Well, then, either (Paul) means, I went not up with intent to refer or…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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