Acts 9:22 Meaning: From Persecutor to Proclaimer
But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
And Saul was still more strengthened, and he was confounding the Jews dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
But Saul increased the more in power, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
Meaning in one sentence
Acts 9:22 shows Saul, once a persecutor, now empowered by Christ to confound the Jews by proving Jesus is the Messiah.
Context
Saul had come to Damascus breathing threats. He carried letters from the high priest to arrest followers of Jesus. But on the road the risen Lord met him, and within days this same man was preaching in the synagogues. Acts 9 records the remarkable turnaround. The disciples in Damascus were understandably afraid of him at first. Yet Saul stayed with them, grew in fellowship, and began proclaiming that Jesus was the Son of God. The Jews who heard him were stunned. Was this not the man who had ravaged the church in Jerusalem? Now verse 22 shows the result: Saul kept growing stronger and his arguments left his listeners without a reply.
Key Words
Three Greek words hold the weight of this verse. The first, enedunamouto (increased in strength), pictures someone being constantly empowered from outside himself. It is a verb in the passive voice. Saul was not working up courage on his own; strength was being poured into him. The same root appears when Paul later writes, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’
The second word, sunechunnen (confounded), means to pour together until things become a jumble. Think of a twisting argument that leaves an opponent unable to find solid ground. Luke uses this same word to describe the crowd at Pentecost when they heard the disciples speaking in their own languages. Here the effect was not confusion but conviction so complete that the Jews had no comeback.
The third word, sumbibazōn (proving), means literally to bring pieces together and fit them side by side. Saul laid Old Testament prophecies next to the facts about Jesus and showed they matched. He did not shout. He assembled evidence. That careful joining of Scripture and history was what silenced his hearers.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions see in this verse the power of God transforming a life. Reformed commentators like Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasize that Saul‘s strength came from the Holy Spirit arming him with Scripture. Anglican scholars in the Cambridge Bible note that his training under Gamaliel now served the gospel, but the real power was the Spirit‘s enabling. Baptist expositor Gill highlights the daily increase of gifts and grace, with fresh arguments arriving each day. Methodist commentator Adam Clarke observes that Saul overwhelmed the Jews so completely they were ‘obliged to blush for the weakness of their own cause.’ All agree that the boldness Saul once showed in persecuting the church was now redirected, by God‘s hand, into a fearless witness for Christ.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think Saul‘s strength came naturally from his education and sharp mind. In fact, the Greek verb is passive: he was being empowered. The same man who once used his learning to hunt Christians now received strength from outside himself. His mind was a tool, but the power came from the risen Lord he had met on the road.
Living This Out
You may carry a past that feels like a disqualification. You may have used your abilities for the wrong things for years. This verse asks you to consider that the same Christ who repurposed Saul‘s strength can repurpose yours. You do not need to undo your history. You need to bring your whole self, education, skills, wounds, failures, to the One who gives strength. This week, notice one area where you have held back because you felt unworthy. Ask God to empower you there, and watch what happens when the old persecutor becomes a witness.
Main takeaway: Christ can take the most unlikely person and make them a powerful witness for His truth.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Saul used to be mean to people who loved Jesus. But Jesus changed his heart and made him strong and brave. Now Saul told everyone, ‘Jesus is the real King God promised.’
For ages 9, 12
Saul had been on the wrong side, but after he met Jesus everything changed. He started learning more about God every day, and he got stronger in his faith. When he talked to people who did not believe, he could show them from the Old Testament that Jesus was the Messiah. God can take any mistake from your past and still use you for something good.
Questions People Ask
What does ‘increased in strength’ mean in Acts 9:22?
It does not mean physical muscles. The Greek word means ‘was being empowered’, a strength given from the outside. Saul grew more confident in his faith and more skilled in explaining the Scriptures, all because the Holy Spirit kept filling him with ability and courage.
How did Saul ‘confound’ the Jews at Damascus?
The word means to pour together until everything is mixed up, but in this context it describes overwhelming his listeners with evidence. Saul used the Old Testament to prove that Jesus of Nazareth matched everything God had promised about the Messiah. The Jews had no answer, and some became angry enough to plot his death.
Why did the Jews want to kill Saul after this?
Saul had been their champion. He was the one sent to arrest Christians. Now he was using his deep knowledge of Scripture to show that Jesus was the Christ. His arguments were so strong that many people believed, and the Jews who refused to believe felt exposed and furious. They tried to kill him, but he escaped.
What does ‘proving that this is the Christ’ mean?
The word ‘proving’ means putting pieces together side by side. Saul compared the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah with the actual life and death of Jesus. He showed that Jesus fulfilled all of them. ‘Christ’ means ‘Anointed One’ or ‘Messiah.’ Saul was demonstrating that Jesus was the long-awaited King.
Did Saul do this in his own strength or with God’s help?
The Greek verb is passive: Saul ‘was being empowered.’ He brought his training and his sharp mind, but the power came from the Holy Spirit. Earlier in Acts 9, Luke says Saul was ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ (verse 17). The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead was now working through this former persecutor.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study