Luke continues with the theme of persecution introduced in 8:1-3 with Saul’s activity against believers. Murphy-O’Connor is correct that we can assume that at this point, Paul knew: “(1) that Jesus had been a teacher to whom wonders were ascribed; (2) that he had been crucified under Pontius Pilate as the result of Jewish charges; (3) that his followers thought of him as the Messiah.”[1] Luke returns to what he mentions in 8:3, the ravaging done by Saul. Saul’s aim was to destroy the church of God (Gal. 1:13 cf. Gal. 4:1). The link to chapter 8 is brought out by the word still (eti /eti): “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciple of the Lord…” (9:1). This is the only place that the word breathing (empnewn /empneon) is found in the NT. It means to breathe upon, to breathe of, animated with the spirit of, to be full of, ready to burst.[2] Threats and murder was the atmosphere in which Paul lived and breathed. Robertson says, “He exhaled what he inhaled.”[3] It speaks of his violent lifestyle. It is said that Benjamin “is a ravenous wolf” (Gen. 49:27). Paul had the characteristic of his forefather, being of the tribe of Benjamin. He later confesses that he was furiously enraged with these people who trusted in Jesus (Acts 26:11). He believed he was doing the godly thing by rooting out those who were apostates. He was a zealous Jew, who held fast to the Law and the traditions, and was a guardian of Jewish purity. (Gal. 1:14). He is a fulfillment of John 16:2, “an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.”
It is no mistake that the word murder is used in the text. Lenski calls the word “significant.”[4] It refers not to Stephen’s death, but his furious outrage against other disciples. Lenski articulates: “The fact that he had succeeded in having others put to death is certain, and the objection does not hold that Luke should have recorded these martyrdoms, for he recorded that of Stephen only because it marked the great turning point in the course of the history….”[5]
Saul took the initiative to pursue those who were believers in Jesus. He “went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus…” (Acts 9:1b-10a). Caiaphas would still have been High Priest, for he ruled until 36 AD. As high priest, he asserted power in the land and Jews world wide. This kind of power dates back 150 years, in which we have written evidence from a Roman ambassador to Ptolemy VII in Egypt to return fugitives from Israel to the High Priest for justice according to their law.[6] This also indicates that the High Priest had a degree of authority over synagogues in other lands, and was backed by the Roman Government. Those whom Saul was seeking were refugees from Jerusalem, not native Damascene disciples. Damascus was a great commercial center and had a very large Jewish population. It was located only 150 miles northeast of Jerusalem. We know the Jewish population was so large that under Nero, 10,000 were put to death in Damascus.[7] It was natural that it attracted refugees from Jerusalem who was fleeing the persecution of Stephen. In order to wipe out this apostasy, Saul would follow believers wherever they would flee. Notice it was Saul who sought the letters indicating his being proactive in his work.
These letters or extradition papers gave Saul authority that “if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:2b). The Way is the early common name for believers in Jesus (cf. Acts 19:9, 23; 24:14; 22). They are referred to as such only in Acts. The word way is a common word for a highway or road, an action or direction to a location, a journey. It most likely began to be used of believers because they referred to Jesus as the way. They spoke of Him as the “way of salvation,” the “way of the Lord,” and the “way of God” (Acts 16:27; 18:25, 26). And of course, Jesus referred to Himself as “the way” (John 14:6). It speaks of Christ as the path of life and salvation. These followers of the Way, being Hellenists, would migrate toward the synagogue, and thus be a special group within, both because of them being refuges and believers.
Saul was on a search and destroy mission. Gender or age did not matter. All who believed in the Way were subject to be bound and brought back to Jerusalem to be tried, beaten, and jailed, if not killed. Conversion breaks the bonds of malice and hatred. It changes attitudes, emotions, and lives.
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