And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Comment: Not surprisingly the Jerusalem believers, many of whom knew people or even had relatives whom Saul had maltreated and had thrown into prison, didn’t initially welcome Saul. But Barnabas took Saul under his wing and rapidly Saul became an evangeliser and apologist for his new found faith. He soon becomes the object of persecution and planned murder. He is secreted out of Jerusalem and sent off to Tarsus. Things seem to settle for the church but obviously the believers are still keen to get the message of Jesus out, and the church walked wisely in awe of God, and empowered by the Holy Spirit grew in both understanding and numbers. That is, it was ‘built up’.
Prayer: Thank You that, in spite of and maybe even because of persecution, the young church grew.
As I read it! 